Mary Anne Ghantous Obituary

Mary Anne (Marad) Ghantous, 84, died unexpectedly at her home in Berkeley Springs, WV on December 26.

Daughter of the late Raymond and Mary (Flynn) Marad both of Milton, MA, she was born in Boston on February 9, 1940. A graduate of Milton High School, the Katharine Gibbs School, and Boston College cum laude, with a degree in business and management.

For many years, the seaside cottage she shared in Manomet, Massachusetts, with her husband Antoun was the hub of large, informal and fun-filled family gatherings, where they shared the bounty of their joint fishing and lobstering excursions and Antoun's legendary vegetable garden. Mary Anne was renowned within the family as a fabulous cook and would routinely prepare and serve traditional Lebanese dishes, salads and steamed lobster to an extended family who gathered on her front porch at backyard picnic tables, and in her kitchen on summer weekends.

Married in 1961, Mary Anne and Antoun were true partners and best friends; both hard-working, they made the most of their free time that revolved around their home in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, their beach house, each other and their two children. After Antoun's untimely death in 1999, Mary Anne moved to Berkeley Springs with her daughter and son-in-law and proceeded to build a new life. She was a frequent visitor to both the Senior Center and an active volunteer, as well as treasurer of the Friends of the Library.

Throughout her life, Mary Anne spent countless hours in her flower gardens, nurturing such an abundance of non-stop blooms that passers-by often stopped to admire the colorful display.

When not gardening, reading, or cooking, she enjoyed games that challenged her vocabulary, her skill with numbers, and her strategic skills.

Mary Anne is survived by her daughter, Samantha McDill (Christoper), son Sami Ghantous (Vanessa), sisters Janice Blake, Kathleen Jones, and Karen Glancy, brothers David Marad and Richard Marad, and three grandchildren, Max, Tallulah, and Bella Ghantous, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Donations in her memory may be made to Friends of the Berkeley Springs Library in Morgan County, West Virginia.