Ann Mara
{{Short description|American socialite and philanthropist (1929–2015)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Ann Mara
|image = Wellington and Ann Mara 1954.JPG
|image_size =
|caption = Ann and Wellington Mara in 1954.
|birth_name = Ann Maria Teresa Mumm
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|6|18}}
|birth_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S.
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|2|1|1929|6|18}}
|death_place = Harrison, New York, U.S.
|occupation =
|spouse = {{marriage|Wellington Mara|1954|2005|end=d.}}
|children = 11, including John
|parents =
|family = Mara (by marriage)
|relatives = Doug Brown (son-in-law)
Patrick Brown (grandson)
Kate Mara (granddaughter)
Rooney Mara (granddaughter)
}}
Ann Mara (born Ann Maria Teresa Mumm; June 18, 1929 – February 1, 2015) was an American businesswoman, socialite, philanthropist, the wife and later widow of Wellington Mara, and the matriarch of the Mara family, which includes New York Giants CEO John Mara, and her granddaughters, actresses Rooney Mara and Kate Mara.{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/super-bowl/index.ssf/2012/02/for_mara_family_owning_giants_has_provided_stabilizing_force_for_nfl_rich_history_for_team.html|title=For Mara family, owning Giants has provided stabilizing force for NFL, rich history for team|work=NJ.com|date=3 February 2012|accessdate=February 1, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.myrye.com/my_weblog/2008/02/in-a-follow-up.html|title=MyRye.com|date=4 February 2008|accessdate=1 February 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KPKH-MFP|title=Person Details for Ann Marie Mara, "United States Public Records, 1970-2009" — FamilySearch.org|work=familysearch.org|accessdate=February 1, 2015}}
Personal life
Mara was born Ann Maria Teresa Mumm in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Olive (née DuBord) and George Mumm. She was of German, French-Canadian, and Irish ancestry.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} She married Wellington Mara (1916–2005) in 1954 and had eleven children.{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X42R-3KG|title=Person Details for Anne Mumm in household of George Mumm, "United States Census, 1930" — FamilySearch.org|work=familysearch.org|accessdate=February 1, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmedia101.com/newyorkgiants/2012/07/14/new-york-giants-ann-mara-last-of-a-dying-breed/|title=New York Giants' Ann Mara: Last of a Dying Breed|work=Giants 101|accessdate=February 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924121910/http://www.sportsmedia101.com/newyorkgiants/2012/07/14/new-york-giants-ann-mara-last-of-a-dying-breed/|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=dead}}
Ann Mumm met Wellington Mara by chance when a woman fainted at a 7:30 a.m. Mass that they both regularly attended. Both Ann and Wellington rushed to her side to help. Three of their early dates took place at Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, and the Fordham gymnasium. After that Ann and Wellington were married, in 1954. They took their honeymoon in Southern California. Ann and Wellington had 11 children (7 girls and 4 boys) and 42 grandchildren. All their girls attended Convent of the Sacred Heart.
Her husband is considered to have been one of the most influential figures in the history of the National Football League as the owner of the New York Giants. Ann Mara had been called the "First Lady of Football".{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/meet-wellington-mara-widow-ann-article-1.340845|title=Meet the Super lady who has seen it all|work=NY Daily News|date=24 January 2008 |accessdate=February 1, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Goldstein|first1=Richard|authorlink1=Richard Goldstein (writer born 1942)|title=Wellington Mara, the Patriarch of the N.F.L., Dies at 89|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/sports/football/26mara.html?pagewanted=all|work=The New York Times|date=October 26, 2005}} As a philanthropist, she donated money to various causes. In November 2014 she dedicated the opening of a new building for the San Miguel Academy for children at risk, which was built through the NFL Snowflake Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://news.hamlethub.com/rye/life/1450-school-for-at-risk-boys-gets-new-location-and-outdoor-learning-space|title=School for At-risk Boys Gets New Location and Outdoor Learning Space|author=Nicole Ball|work=www.hamlethub.com|accessdate=February 1, 2015}}{{cite news|last1=Borden |first1=Sam |title=Ann Mara stands tallest among Giants |url=http://archive.lohud.com/article/20080904/SPORTS01/809040471/Ann-Mara-stands-tallest-among-Giants |work=The Journal News |publisher=Gannett Company |date=September 4, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129101448/http://archive.lohud.com/article/20080904/SPORTS01/809040471/Ann-Mara-stands-tallest-among-Giants |archivedate=November 29, 2014 }}
Media attention
Mara was an active member of the Giants community. In 2012 she gained media attention after having an argument with Terry Bradshaw.{{cite web|url=http://www.playerwives.com/nfl/new-york-giants/wellington-maras-wife-and-john-maras-mother-ann-mara/|title=Wellington Mara's Wife and John Mara's Mother, Ann Mara - PlayerWives.com|work=playerwives.com|date=5 February 2012|accessdate=February 1, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/examining-mara-family-tree-ny-giants-seek-fourth-super-bowl-patriots-article-1.1016405|title=Climbing our way through the Mara family tree|work=NY Daily News|date=3 February 2012 |accessdate=February 1, 2015}}
Death
Mara was in good health until she fell on ice when she was fetching her newspaper outside of her Harrison home. Mara's housekeeper usually went to get the paper but on that day Mara went to get it herself. She died from pneumonia two weeks after her fall, on February 1, 2015. She was 85 years old.{{cite web|url=http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Ann-Mara-New-York-Giants-Matriarch-1929-2015/f063afb1-4f6a-4621-94fb-cbe2e17f3ea2|title=Ann Mara, New York Giants' Matriarch, 1929-2015|work=giants.com|accessdate=February 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201201416/http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Ann-Mara-New-York-Giants-Matriarch-1929-2015/f063afb1-4f6a-4621-94fb-cbe2e17f3ea2|archive-date=2015-02-01|url-status=dead}} She was remembered with a moment of silence during Super Bowl XLIX; also, the Giants wore a patch on the right side of their uniforms, near the shoulders during the following season in her memory, with the letters "ATM" in black on a white circle background.
References
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Category:Philanthropists from New York (state)
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:Accidental deaths from falls
Category:Accidental deaths in New York (state)
Category:People from Manhattan
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of French-Canadian descent
Category:Catholics from New York (state)
Category:20th-century American philanthropists
Category:Burials at Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Hawthorne, New York)