Mary T. Mitchell

Mary T. Mitchell of Springfield, Virginia passed away on February 26, 2016. A native of Alton, Illinois, she was born to James Andrew and Hulda Bertha Toft on August 2, 1921, the older of two children. Mary completed high school in Illinois and went on to earn bachelors and masters degrees in mathematics at the University of Chicago.

In 1943, Mary married David Talmage Petty. Mary and David lived in the Chicago area where David pursued his career as a surgeon and Mary served as an analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. They had two children, Miriam Elise Petty who was born in 1947 and David William Petty who was born in 1951.

Following a divorce, Mary moved to the Washington D.C. area. In 1964, she married George Wilder Mitchell, a governor of the Federal Reserve Board. Mary continued to pursue a distinguished career of over 40 years with the Federal Government. In 1964, she began work with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and she worked with the FDIC until her retirement in 1984. At the FDIC she rose through the ranks until in 1975 she was appointed as Associate Director, Planning and Program Development, Division of Bank Supervision – the first woman to hold that position. During that time, she played an important role in strengthening the examination of problem banks, improving disclosure of bank operations, reforming the handling of bank failures, and eliminating duplication and overlap with other Federal agencies with responsibilities for the banking industry.

Following retirement Mary remained active in banking issues. In addition, she was a long-time active member of The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. After George died in 1997, Mary moved from their home in Arlington, Virginia to the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield, Virginia, where she resided for the rest of her life. At Greenspring, Mary made many friends and was involved in many activities including service on the Greenspring Finance Committee. In 2012, Mary published A Search for Understanding, a book detailing her life with George and the important national issues in which they played a role.

Mary was a woman with a big heart, keen intellect, and a strong sense of right and wrong. Nothing gave her greater pleasure than her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Mary was predeceased by her parents, her younger brother, George Toft, who died in 2010, and by her step-son Bruce Mitchell who died in 2002. She is survived by her two children, Miriam Dewhurst (Stephen) of Falls Church, Virginia, and David Petty (Susan) of Annapolis, Maryland. Also surviving are her four grandchildren, Brian Dewhurst (Lauren) of Falls Church, Virginia, Stephen Dewhurst (Laura) of Seattle, Washington, John Petty of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Will Petty of Annapolis, Maryland, and two great-grandchildren, David Scott Dewhurst and Charlotte Jean Dewhurst, both of Falls Church, Virginia. Also surviving are her step-daughters, Marilyn Mitchell of Sun Lakes, Arizona, Judith Rediehs (Tom) of Burr Ridge, Illinois, Margery Curtiss of Downers Grove, Illinois, and Bruce’s wife, Carol Mitchell of Marina Del Ray, California. In addition, she was loved by her great many friends as well as grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of George’s first marriage.

There will be a memorial service at The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church on March 13, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Chicago Odyssey Scholarship Challenge (odyssey.uchicago.edu).