Mary Dolores Hassell

Mary Dolores Hassell, born January 27, 1961, in Newport News, Virginia, died peacefully and without fear Thursday May 8, 2025. She had battled valiantly against illness for over 20 years, all while continuing to enrich her life and the world around her. Her fight lasted as long as it did precisely because she loved life and simply wanted more of it. Surrounded by family and friends at Folklore Farm, her favorite horse farm in rural Frederick County Maryland, it’s not hard to understand why.

Mary was the daughter of the late James L. Hassell, Jr. and the late Carolyn Phalen Hassell of Gloucester and Richmond, Va. She was a 1979 graduate of Gloucester High School and she earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in environmental biology from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. After serving as a public school teacher, Mary had a brilliant public service career serving as an expert in environmental remediation with assignments in the U.S. State Department, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Army National Guard, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection. Her career took her to many places including Croatia, Guam, Hungary, New Mexico and Washington, D.C., and in her lifetime of personal travel, she visited every continent but Antarctica.

Mary was devoted to animals, nature, family and friends. She had a gentle bearing and spirit that instantly put both people and animals at ease. After her retirement, she volunteered to rescue mules and horses and to care for the elephants at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington.

Mary is survived by her three brothers, James Hassell of Hampton, Va., Joseph Hassell and his wife Janice Rossi Hassell of Glen Allen, Va., John Hassell of Washington, D.C., her niece Olivia Hassell of New York, nephews Nicholas Hassell of Zions Crossroads, Va. and Andrew Espinoza of Washington, D.C., many cousins, and dear friends, especially Amelia Lyon and Sean Costner who cared for her in her final days.

Donations in her memory can be made to Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue 17250 Old Frederick Road, Mount Airy, Maryland 21771, which can be contacted at www.gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.org, Donate Online or (443) 285-3835.

A memorial service in her memory will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 31 at Seekers Church, 276 Carroll Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20012. An informal gathering in her memory will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 14 at Folklore Farm 8423A Water Street Road, Walkersville, Maryland 21793 where Mary boarded her equines.