Mary Anne Longhi's Obituary
Mary Anne (Barry) Longhi, 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Ashburn, VA on May 8, 2026. Anne is survived by her husband of 69 years, Bill; her children, William (Katherine), Catherine Mary Kelly (Mark), and Michael (Annette); and six grandchildren, James Kelly (Ruth), Diane Kelly, Julia Longhi, Alex Longhi, Adam Longhi and Jessica Latta (James). She was preceded in death by her grandson, Trentino Longhi; her twin sister, Elizabeth “Betty” Howard; her sister, Lucille Greene; and four brothers: John Edmund Barry, Jr., William H. Barry Roy Dyer Barry, and Arthur Windle Barry.
She was widely known by her middle name, Anne. She was born on July 2, 1930, in Wilmington, NC. Anne was the daughter of the late John Edmund Barry, Sr, and Isabelle (Hurst) Barry. She was immensely proud of her Irish heritage and spent many hours researching her genealogy resulting in a rich background source for future family historians.
Anne’s mother died shortly after her first birthday, leaving seven children, ages 1-15, and a father who had recently lost a stable job because of the Great Depression. Heeding Anne’s mother’s plea, “do not break up the family,” the children were cared for at the Catholic Orphanage at Nazareth near Raleigh, NC. Anne had fond memories of the nuns that cared for her at the orphanage. She also cherished her Aunt Preshy Hurst who took Anne and her siblings to her home for the holidays. She attended school at Nazareth until moving to Charleston, SC for her last two years of high school. This is where her father had relocated. Upon graduating from Bishop England High School in 1949, Anne became proficient in bookkeeping and worked for several businesses in Charleston where she met her future husband, Lt. Bill Longhi, a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer. As the typical Navy wife, she experienced the joys and problems of frequent moves and deployments while raising three closely aged children.
While emphasizing the importance of family, Anne was able to find time to learn painting, brass rubbing, and cross stitching and ensure that the children were proficient in swimming, sailing, and horseback riding. When her husband was on an unaccompanied tour in Vietnam, she managed to employ and supervise the building of her dream home in Newport, RI. The family only lived there for seven months because of another overseas move. A move from Naples, Italy to Northern Virginia was the last family move. As the children left for college, Anne renewed her bookkeeping and secretarial skills and took a position with the Diocese of Arlington, where she enjoyed the work supporting her Catholic faith, a vital part of her life. Some of Anne’s happiest moments were hosting family gatherings with her children and grandchildren, whether a holiday or celebration of just being together. Anne’s husband and children agree that the basis of their success and happiness is primarily due to her love, faith, care, and encouragement.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Anne’s name may be made to Disabled Veterans of America,
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