Obituary of Mary Elizabeth Matuszewski

Mary Elizabeth (Phillips) Matuszewski of Great Falls, VA, died at home on January 24, surrounded by family.  In May of 2016 she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and faced the battle with courage and determination. She was an avid adventurer, loving mother, wife, daughter, sister, and lifelong patriot.

Born on November 8, 1967, in Ames, Iowa, she grew up in Lake Jackson, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  She retired in 2017 after a distinguished 29 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency, serving as a Senior Operations Officer in the Directorate of Operations and Directorate of Science and Technology with experience in Latin America, Europe, and South Asia. During her career she received multiple awards for extraordinary contributions including three CIA Meritorious Unit Citations. Her career is highlighted by senior management positions in counterterrorism and operations following September 11, 2001, and most recently as Chief of Base in a War Zone.

Survivors include her husband, Andrew Matuszewski, and their three sons, Connor (William & Mary ‘18), John (Purdue University ’21) and Michael (age 12), her parents, Gary and Sharon Phillips of Midland, MI, her sister, Jean (Todd) Hall of Boulder, CO and her brother Bryan, of Phoenix, AZ.

A memorial service led by Pastor Livingstone Dore will be held on Friday, February 2, at 1pm at Great Falls United Methodist Church.  Interment of ashes will be held at a later date at Mentor Cemetery, Frederika, Iowa.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (www.lls.org)