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Mary W. Moffat, 86, a former resident of Annapolis, died Feb. 6 of congestive heart failure at the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville.

Mrs. Moffat was born Dec. 8, 1919 in Houghton, MI., the daughter of the late Ferdinand and Ann Wieber. She was a graduate of Houghton High School and attended college at the University of Michigan and Michigan College of Mining and Technology before her marriage in 1940. Prior to and during World War II, she accompanied her husband to various U.S. Army Air Corps bases where he was an officer involved in training bomber flight crews. After the war, the couple resided in Manistique, MI., where they raised seven children together until the death of her husband, John W. Moffat, in 1974.

As her children grew older and left home, Mrs. Moffat became increasingly active in the community directing her county's Head Start Program, representing the community on a medical school intern placement board, serving on state and local Republican Party committees, and ultimately running for public office. She was elected to the Manistique city council and, by 1980, had become the first woman to serve as that city's mayor (an office her husband held a decade earlier).

Mrs. Moffat moved to Ocala, Fl. in 1980 where she sold real estate and continued serving the community as a volunteer in a battered spouse protection program. In 1993, she relocated to Annapolis and she continued to work in real property sales as an employee of Washington Homes, Richmond American Homes, and Pulte Homes before entering the Charlestown Retirement Community in April of 2001.

At Charlestown she was active in several bridge groups, volunteered at the community library and served as an ambassador for incoming and potential new residents. While her interests at home included reading, golf, and bridge, she also tried to see as much of the world as she could. Her travels took her to Europe, Mexico, South America, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and many places in North America.

Surviving are five sons: John Moffat of Arnold, MD, Alec and Jamie Moffat of Phoenix, AZ, Rob Moffat of Athens, OH and David Moffat of Seminole, FL; two daughters: Cathy Moffat of Newberry, MI and Meg Moffat of Annapolis, MD; a brother, Richard Wieber of Grayling, MI; ten grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. on Friday at St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park. Funeral arrangements are by Barranco and Sons. Interment will take place in Manistique, MI at a later date.