Mary Orcutt of West Tisbury died at home on Oct. 12, 2025, surrounded by her family and friends. She was 73.

She was born on Jan. 14, 1952, in Elmhurst, N.Y., the youngest child of James and Anne Ring. Mary, along with her older brother Jim and sister Geri, grew up in Queens Village, N.Y., with a large extended family of relatives from her dad’s Irish and her mother’s Polish heritage. Family played an important part in Mary’s life, as did her faith.

She was a 1970 graduate of St. Agnes High School in New York, and a 1974 graduate of Stonehill College, with a degree in Spanish and secondary education. Her first job out of school was as a Spanish teacher at Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, where she later became the department chair for languages.

In 1975, Mary married her college sweetheart, Greg Orcutt of Edgartown, and they lived on the South Coast as Mary continued her teaching career. In 1979, Mary and Greg moved to Marshfield, where she and Greg could be close to the ocean and beaches they loved. Later that year she gave birth to their daughter Meaghan, and in 1982 she gave birth to their second child, Elizabeth. 

Martha’s Vineyard had always had a strong pull on all the family, and in 2001, they moved to the Island. Mary became the store manager for Good Dog Goods in Oak Bluffs, and now had a job that allowed her to follow one of her passions: being with dogs. Few things gave her more happiness than being surrounded by her family and her pet dogs.

Later Mary accepted an opportunity to become a manager at the Clarion Hotel in Edgartown. She loved welcoming guests and helping them have a memorable visit to the Island.

After she retired from work, she accepted her most important role, that of grandmother to her six grandchildren. Part of every grandchild’s birthday present was a personally sung rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

She was an accomplished baker and cook, and enjoyed creating new dishes or enhancements to longstanding recipes.

Mary is survived by her husband, Greg; her daughters, Meaghan Esposito and son-in-law Nico, and Elizabeth Pate and son-in-law Michael; and her sister, Geri Oliveri. She also leaves grandchildren, Ele, Noel, Matilda, Genevieve, William, and Caroline.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.