Obituary of Maria C. McMahon

Maria McMahon of Herndon, Virginia, passed away on Friday, January 6th, 2023, at her home, surrounded by her loving family, at 61. She was born in Santiago, Chile, on July 7th, 1961, to Alejandro and Adriana Coray. She lived in Chile until the age of thirteen and then moved to Lima, Peru, until sixteen. After Peru, she moved to Arlington, Virginia. She graduated from Washington-Lee High School and attended George Mason University. While at university, she worked at First American Bank where she met Charles McMahon III, who would soon become her husband of 42 years. Maria and Charles moved to Herndon, VA, in 1982. She had a long career working for Fairfax County Public Schools, where she helped teach special needs children at Clearview Elementary. Her coworkers and students loved her, and their parents highly respected her.

Maria also loved music, especially classic rock -- one would always hear The Doors, Led Zeppelin, or the Rolling Stones on all speakers at home. She loved books and poetry that reminded her of Chile and Latin America -- she was particularly fond of Pablo Neruda, Isabel Allende, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Some of her favorite activities were annual family ski trips in the winter and summer family trips to the Caribbean, especially to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. There she enjoyed playing volleyball, swimming, and dancing with her family on the beach. The season didn't matter to her as long as she was with them.

Maria was best known for her fierce personality, kindness to those in need, and very generous spirit. Maria leaves behind her husband, Charles, and their children, Jacob and Sophia. She is predeceased by her mother, Adriana Coray, and father-in-law, Charles McMahon II, who would be celebrating his 91st birthday Friday, January 13th. She is survived by her father, Alejandro Coray, and Brother, Giovanni Coray, and his wife, Patricia. Mother-in-law, Millie McMahon. Brothers-in-law and Sisters-in-Law: William McMahon and his wife Debby, Teresa McMahon Fortunato and her husband Mike, Jeanne McMahon Rumbaugh, Eileen McMahon Spencer and her husband Steve, Peter McMahon and his wife Tabitha. Several aunts and uncles, a myriad of nieces and nephews, and cousins and friends also survive her.