Mary Furey Capito, 90, of Lexington, Virginia, passed away on Thursday, June 23, 2011, in the company of her family.

She was born on June 11, 1921, in New York City, the daughter of Thomas J. and Ellen Fallon Furey.

She married Vincent James Capito (1919 - 1970), also of NYC, in 1946 and graduated from Hunter College that same year. The Capitos moved to Lexington, Virginia, in 1955. While in Lexington, she was active in the League of Women Voters and worked tirelessly to end the Virginia Poll Tax and segregation in Rockbridge County. She attended St. Patrick's Catholic Church, and was a founding and one of the last surviving members of the Holy Water Club.

The Capitos moved to Maplewood, New Jersey, in 1965, and she taught elementary school at St. Rose of Lima, in Short Hills, NJ, and at Ashland School in East Orange, New Jersey. She received her Masters of Education from Kean University in 1982, at 61 years of age, and she taught inner city children with expertise and great passion until the age of 75. She retired and returned to Lexington, Virginia, in 2001, where she continued as an educator, teaching English as a second language as a volunteer.

She is survived by her daughter, Christine Capito Burch and her husband, Michael J. Burch, of Washington, D.C., and Steeles Tavern, Virginia; a son, Robert Capito and his partner, Robert Williams, of Rockbridge Baths, Virginia; and a son, Thomas Capito and his wife, Holly Ostby, of Lexington, Virginia. She leaves two grandsons, Christopher Furey Burch, and Joshua Thompson Burch and his wife, Amy Wiedemann; and a great-granddaughter, Carina Fallon Burch, all of Washington, D.C.

The Capito family thanks the staff at Webster Center at Kendal, Lexington, for all their fine care and many kindnesses, as well as Lois Green and Betty Conner, both of Lexington, for their loving care and support these past years.

Funeral Mass will be Friday, July 1, 2011, at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Lexington, Virginia, with a celebration of Mary's life to follow at Kendal at Lexington.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Mary's name to the Rockbridge Area Hospice of Lexington, Virginia.

A life led with great kindness.

Arrangements by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory, Lexington, VA.