Mary Reich Ferry

Mary Margaret “Mimi” Reich Ferry was born October 11,1939 in Trussville, Alabama. She died peacefully on July 14, 2026 after living several years with Lewy Body Dementia. She is predeceased by her parents, Harry Helmuth and Mary Cobey Reich, and her brothers, Harry, Lou, Warren Thomas, and William Reich.

Mimi, as she was known to everyone, even her children, was the first girl born in Trussville's new Cahaba Project, a Public Works Administration/New Deal community. The fifth of seven children and the eldest daughter, Mimi was a graduate of John Carroll Catholic High School, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Barry College in Miami, Florida. She returned home to Trussville where she taught school for one year before marrying a young industrial engineer from Allentown, Pennsylvania whom she met as he called upon her father at Harry H. Reich Company. That marriage yielded the greatest joys of her life, her four children, whom she loved fiercely. Other than a few years living in California and Pennsylvania, Mimi built a life in Trussville, because much like the waters of the nearby Cahaba River, Trussville flowed through her blood and heart. She loved her community and her neighbors, particularly the Trussville Public Library, a dream made real by her mother, Mary Reich, in whose memory the Children’s Library is named.

Mimi was an infant when Trussville’s small Catholic community met in her parents’ home and was a toddler when the first mass was held at Holy Infant of Prague, a parish designed and built by her father, Harry. Her church, family, friends, and town were central to her life from her birth until her passing. She never met a stranger, often quickly getting to know more about you than maybe you wanted to share. She never turned away a person in need or a lonely traveler looking for a place to lay their head. She loved to tell stories, some many times over, much to the chagrin of her children. She loved outsider art and the artists who created it; the more unique the story, the more she was drawn to the person and their creation, maybe because she was a bit of an outsider herself. Never one to shy away from an outrageous scarf or a loud color, Mimi sought to share the things that brought her joy. In her adult years, she returned to school and became a Licensed Counselor, practicing for over thirty years. Beloved by her clients, she impacted countless lives. She was known to enjoy a good line dancing class, and her loss will be felt at the local Starbucks and the Trussville Senior Center, where she was a fixture in her later years.

Mimi is survived by her four children, Hugh Edward Ferry of Rome, GA, Mary Catherine Ferry Mitchell (Scott) of Trussville, AL, Rebecca Susan Ferry Melville of Birmingham, AL, and Daniel Thomas Ferry (Ashley) of Tuscaloosa, AL, nine grandchildren, Stephen Matthew Mitchell (Kristen) of Madison, AL, Jennifer Lauren Melville, Kayla Elise Melville Morgan, and Nicholas Colby Melville, all of Birmingham, AL, Randall Reid Mitchell (Amy) of Pinson, AL, Hugh Walker Ferry of Birmingham, AL, Caroline Cobey Ferry of Austin, TX, Thomas Elliot Ferry and Dorothy Elizabeth Ferry, both of Tuscaloosa, AL, nine great grandchildren, a sister, Susan Reich Nishimoto of San Francisco, CA, and a brother, Michael Reich (Beverly) of Luray, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Hank Poore Foundation, 1130 University Blvd. Suite B9 #501, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 www.hankpoorefoundation.org or the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Cullman, AL, 916 Convent Rd., Cullman, AL 35055 shmon.org A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am (cst) Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at Holy Infant of Prague Catholic Church, 8090 Gadsden Highway, Trussville, AL. Family visitation will precede the Mass at 10:00 am (cst). For loved ones unable to attend, the Funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the Holy Infant of Prague youtube Channel.