Mary Rowe

Obituary For Mary Rowe

Service will be held at:

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Viewing: 5:00- 6:30 PM | service: 6:30 PM

Williams Institutional CME

2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd

New York, NY 10027

On Monday, September 1, 2025, Mary L. Rowe, affectionately known as Mrs. Mary, departed this life for her eternal rest at Harlem Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Harlem, NY. Mary was born on August 24, 1943, to the late Jimmy and Irene Rowe in Anniston, AL.

Mary Lee was educated in the Anniston School System and graduated from high school in June 1963. In December of that same year, Mary and her two best friends, Liz and Doris, boarded a Greyhound bus bound for New York City, eager to begin a new chapter of life at just 18 years old.

Mary met Charles Anthony Garfield Sr. in 1964, and from this union, Charles Anthony Garfield Jr. and Beverly Garfield were born. Charles Sr. passed away from pneumonia in 1965. A few short years later, Mary would meet her soon-to-be husband, Willie Ross, Jr., and from this union, Bridget L. Garfield-Ross was born in 1967. Mary married Willie in 1974, and together they lovingly raised Bridget and Beverly in New York’s Lower East Side. Their marriage was a true partnership, filled with love, devotion, and 35 cherished years together.

Mary proudly worked in the garment industry for over 40 years, contributing her talents to Hartfield and Zoty, Speedo, and Bolton’s. With a natural flair for fashion, she loved shopping and sharing her style with others. Mary was a kind, loving, and caring soul, always ready to uplift those around her, but if you ever rubbed her the wrong way, she wouldn’t hesitate to give you the business!

Mary had a heart full of love and generosity; she loved to cook and feed everyone in the neighborhood. Shopping and fashion were her true passions. She often visited three different supermarkets in a single trip, ensuring she found the very best for her family. Long before trips to malls in New Jersey became popular, Mary would take her daughters and even their friends on full-day shopping adventures from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., turning every outing into a joyful experience, a true fashionista!

Mary leaves behind her son, Anthony Barfield of Lincoln, AL, and two daughters, Bridget and Beverly (NY). She is also survived by her grandchildren: Kayla Elliott (Bridget), Tenisha M. Garfield, Darnell Barfield (deceased), and Fantasia N. King (Beverly). Her great-grandchildren include Zanaya and Zamira Cully (Tenisha), Kerrell, Neveah, Kanan, Kaden, and King (Fantasia). She is also remembered by her brother-in-law Nathaniel Ross; sisters-in-law Brenda Ross and Margaret Ann Blakney; nephews Troy and Keith Hall, Spencer, Eldridge, and Malcom; nieces Yulunda Dickens-Ross, Paula Murry, and Deborah Witherspoon; along with a host of cousins and friends.

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