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Mary Anna Gill Rockefeller

Mary Anna Gill Rockefeller, 89, of Fort Wayne, IN, and formerly of Huntington, IN, died Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, at 6:05 p.m., at St. Anne Home and Retirement Community in Fort Wayne.

Mrs. Rockefeller graduated from Washington Catholic High School in 1949. She then graduated from Purdue University in 1953.  While in college, she was on the Lafayette Swim Club 400-yard freestyle relay team that set a new American record in 1951 at the National AAU Women’s Indoor Swim Meet.  She was also a 1984 U.S. Masters Mile National Swimming Champion and a 1984 U.S. Masters Swimming All American. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Huntington. She worked at Brown & Rowe Shoe Store, was a secretary at Victory Noll and also worked in customer service at Community State Bank in Huntington.

She was born on March 19, 1931, in Washington, to John L. and Eugenia Bouchard Hayes. She was first married to Dr. D. Richard Gill on Sept. 11, 1954. He preceded her in death on Jan. 10, 1973. She then married Rodney M. Rockefeller on Oct. 18, 1980. He preceded her in death on Oct. 6, 1997.

Survivors include three sons, Charles (Beth Molloy) Gill, of Omaha, NE, David (Mary) Gillmarten, of Alexandria, VA and Chris (Mary Anne) Gill of Kalispell, MT; two daughters, Amy (Brian) Dowd, of Glen Carbon, IL and Julie (Dan) McNamara of Fort Wayne; one brother, John (Kay) Hayes, of Washington; 14 grandchildren, Michael Gill, Patrick Gill, Charles Xavier, Sarah Gillmarten, Theresa Kirby, Andrew Gill, Nancy McNamara, Peter McNamara, Anna McNamara, Sally McNamara, John Gill, Allison Gill, Colin Dowd and Patrick Dowd; and eight great-grandchildren.

Calling will be held on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, from 10 to 11 a.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow, with Rev. Stephen Colchen presiding.

Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Huntington, IN. McElhaney-Hart Funeral Home, Huntington, is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, in care of McElhaney-Hart Funeral Home, 715 N. Jefferson St., Huntington, IN 46750.   

Online condolences may be made to mcelhaneyhartfuneralhome.com.