Mary Ellen Harvey

Mary Ellen Harvey, 73, of Vienna, Virginia died after a long illness on Sunday October 19, 2025.
Her husband of 45 years, John, was by her side.

Born November 16, 1951 in Orange, New Jersey, Mary Ellen was the daughter of Maryrose
Swift and James J. Swift. Mary Ellen spent her childhood years in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
From a young age, Mary Ellen developed a passion for travel and a curiosity about the world.
She was particularly inspired by trips to visit her cousins who were living in Japan. Upon
graduating from Lacordaire Academy in 1969, Mary Ellen moved to Washington D.C. to attend
college at George Washington University, majoring in East Asian studies. In addition to pursuing
her studies at GWU, Mary Ellen was also a coxswain for both the men’s and women’s crew
teams and enjoyed participating in regattas along the Potomac River and up and down the East
Coast.

Following her graduation from college, Mary Ellen embarked on a career in journalism which
spoke to her adventurous spirit. Mary Ellen worked as a Washington-based correspondent for
Fuji TV, a Japanese television station, and the Saudi Arabian Press Agency. Highlights from
Mary Ellen’s storied career include attending press briefings and events at The White House and
on Capitol Hill, meeting President Reagan and members of the Saudi royal family, and taking a
trip to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, CA to cover the Saudi Arabian Olympic team.

Mary Ellen met her husband John on a blind date in 1979 and they were married on December
27th, 1980. In the latter portion of her life, Mary Ellen shifted her focus to raising their two
children, Sarah and David, as well as supporting her husband and his Naval career. Mary Ellen
was active in the Navy wives community and served as a source of support to fellow wives as
they navigated deployments and other demands unique to Navy families. She particularly
enjoyed working with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Mary Ellen and John retired to
Vienna, VA in 2013 after which she remained active in the Navy spouse community.

Throughout her life, Mary Ellen nurtured her outgoing spirit and inspired a love of travel in her
own children. Mary Ellen enjoyed many trips over her lifetime, and some of her personal
favorites were visiting Ireland, Denmark and Iceland as well as Alaska, California and New York
City. A cherished family memory was Mary Ellen bringing Sarah and David on their first trip to
Europe in 1997 to meet their father in multiple port visits while his ship was deployed to
Northern Europe.

Mary Ellen is survived by her husband, John, as well as her daughter, Sarah Harvey of
Richmond, VA, and her son, David Harvey, who is currently living in Salamanca, Spain. Mary
Ellen is also survived by her brother Peter Swift of Rockville, MD, as well as numerous other members of her beloved family throughout New York,  New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia. She was predeceased by her parents, James J. Swift and Maryrose Swift and her
brother, Stephen Swift.

A funeral mass will be offered at 11am on Thursday, November 13th at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church at 8601 Wolftrap Rd SE, Vienna, VA 22182 with a reception following. Donations in Mary Ellen’s name may be made to her favorite charity, St.Jude Children’s Research Hospital. https://www.stjude.org/