Obituary
Obituary of Mary Coit
May 14, 2026
Mary Coit passed away peacefully at her home in Gramercy on May 14, 2026. She had just recently celebrated her 95th birthday.
Mary was born in Duluth, Minnesota to Elizabeth Gray and Lew Garrison Coit. The family moved to Washington, DC and spent summers and weekends at their farmhouse in Lothian, Maryland.
Mary graduated from Holton-Arms School in Washington in 1949 and graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1953 with a degree in Philosophy.
In the early 1970’s Mary joined the faculty at NYU. She soon became the Academic Director of NYU’s American Language Institute. Her time there included several years teaching English to students in China.
After retiring from NYU, Mary returned to Washington and earned her Doctorate in Linguistics from Georgetown University in 1996.
She returned to New York with her beloved grand piano and enjoyed studying music and playwriting.
Mary was always engaged in the world around her, including reading the New York Times every day. She did not hesitate to share her opinions.
She was predeceased by her parents, and her sister, Ann Coit Sifneos, and brother, L. Garry Coit.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and their families, and many dear lifelong friends.
A Memorial Service is planned for 11AM on July 25, 2026, at St. Bart’s 325 Park Avenue New York, NY.
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For many years, Mary was my supervisor at The American Language Institute. And then, we became friends. We would swim at the Palladium pool at NYU followed by lunch. In the pool, Mary and I would gossip and she’d listen to my latest struggles and conflicts. I was amazed at how quickly she would grasp the essence of the problem and give me clear and thoughtful advice. Those chlorinated conversations were very meaningful and ones I’ll never forget. We got to know each other well over those weekly swim/lunch dates and I hope she knew how much I valued them and her wisdom: She was one of the smartest women I knew. Much love to her family.
Posted by: Maxine Steinhaus - Red Hook, New York - Friend June 12, 2026