Mary Ann Keller

Mary Ann Keller, age 60, of Falls Church, Virginia, peacefully passed away in her sleep January 17, 2024 after a hard fought battle with ovarian cancer. CANCER SUCKS!! Mary Ann was a loving mother, sister, aunt and friend. She had a passion for travel and was an avid reader. She was always willing to lend a helping hand and a listening ear. Her warm personality, infectious laugh, and generous heart were one of a kind. The culinary masterpieces and the masterful flavors Mary Ann cooked for family and friends were iconic works of art. She was an improvisational cook with each dish being a labor of love. Mary Ann was the anchor and the sail. She planned the trips, organized the food, and chose the wines. She found the bargains on Ebay and Poshmark and bragged incessantly of her finds. She loved her Mazda stick shift cars. We celebrate a life well lived, always with laughter, warmth, kindness and generosity. We will miss her distinctive laughs..for which Maya will recount for us at the ask. We are blessed and grateful that she shared all of her unique gifts with us.

Mary Ann was born June 21, 1963 in Elizabeth, NJ the daughter of John Francis Keller and Catherine (Ziegler)Keller. She grew up in Toms River, NJ and enjoyed summers at the beach with family and friends. She graduated from Toms River South High School, and obtained her BS in Political Science at Allegheny College. She started her career working at Peace Action (formerly SANE) in Washington DC while she pursued her Masters Degree in Social Work at Howard University. Mary Ann worked at Family Preservation Services, Dominion Hospital, Value Options, Improving Outcomes, Phoenix House, Inova Fairfax, Fairfax County’s Community Services Board and Crisis Care, along with her Private Therapy practice as a LCSW for the last 35 years. That being said, Mary Ann’s greatest accomplishment is her daughter Maya born June, 1996.

She is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her daughter Maya Keller Blurton and her sisters Kathy Keller (Tom Behe) and Patricia Gallardo (Chris Gallardo) and her nieces and nephews whom she loved and adored; Lauren & Ryan Behe; Jack, Ben & Ava Gallardo and her family of cousins and many friends. Mar has a network of friends and family who carried her through this difficult journey to the end. We are eternally grateful for everyone’s support during this difficult journey. This loss is devastating and we plan to hold on to Maya and our memories real tight. Love you Mar!!

At Mary Ann’s request, she will be cremated. A private celebration of life will be held at a future date. We invite family and friends to share memories and stories at www.murphyfuneralhomes.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to https://tinaswish.org to support ovarian cancer research.