Mary Ann Farrell

Mary Ann Farrell, age 79 went to be with her savior on January 17th, 2025. Mary Ann was born on October 18th, 1945, to Lawrence M. and Catherine Louise (Hughes) in St. Louis, MO, the 3rd of 4 children. Her upbringing was there, going to Holy Name grade school and St. Elizabeth Academy for high school. After graduation, she took several secretarial positions. Her last position was for 25 years at Tom Lanee Wholesale Produce Company where she was the only secretary for 7 brokers. When she was little, she always wanted to be a “typewriter.” During those working years, she cared for her ailing parents until they died. After their deaths at a party at her cousin’s house her future husband, Jim Hoff, met her. They were married on December 14, 1990. They lived in Salt Lake City for 3 ½ years while Jim got certified as a Chaplain. They moved to Port Charlotte, Florida, where Jim became Chaplain Director at the Catholic Hospital there. Mary Ann volunteered at the hospital those years. In 1998, Jim accepted an offer to be Chaplain Director at Mercy Hospital in Nampa, Idaho. Again, Mary Ann volunteered at the hospital in the cameo suite, until her health worsened.

There were four major factors in her life. The first was developing lasting friendships, especially with her grade school classmates and her cousin in St. Louis, and volunteers in Florida and Nampa. Secondly, she loved to travel. She was in 48 states and made trips to Germany and Italy. She took cruises to Alaska twice and Hawaii once. She loved to drive. Many driving trips were made from Idaho to St. Louis and back. Thirdly, her health was a factor starting with Hodgkins Disease as a teen. She was the only survivor of an experimental treatment at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She was warned that there might be issues later in life with her heart, breasts, and thyroid. The latter two were eventually removed. The heart has functioned at about 50% since the late 90’s. The fourth factor was her faith and humor. They have bolstered her loving and joyful spirit. She kept asking the blessed mother to help her. That spirit and faith was her witness of God’s love for her. She never gave up the fight until no more could be done. She was a daily communicant and received anointing of the sick during her last hospital stay. She is at peace.

She is survived by her brother, Jim and his wife Judy (Frost) of Houston, Tx, and her sister Catherine Carroll of Herndon, Va. Also, she was a loving Aunt of Ellen, Larry, Maura, Andrew, Jim, Joe, Conner, and Molly. Bill Jr., Jennifer, Sam, Claire, Chris, Emily, and many grand nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence M. and Catherine Louise Farrell, Fr Larry Farrell of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Also, Walter and Dolores Hoff and Bill Day, Sr. She is also survived by in-laws Joyce Day, Joann and Charles Hoehn, Mary Kay and Peter Stragand, Michael Hoff, Mark and Mary Hoff, Joseph Hoff and Marty Hoff and John Osborn.

A visitation for Mary Ann's family and friends to gather and celebrate her life will be held on Monday January 27, 2025 at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church from 10:00 a.m. until funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. with a recessional following Mass. Interment in Calvary Catholic Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.