"She was electric, funny, and a true individual. Everyone loved her."
Mary Mara, an actress known for her roles in ER and Criminal Minds reportedly drowned to her death. She was 61.
The actress' body was discovered on the morning of June 26, 2022, in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York, according to a statement from New York State Police, who also added that the investigation is still ongoing.
As per Fox News, at the time of the accident, Mary was staying at her sister's summer home in the Thousand Islands region on a property that fronts the river outside the Village of Cape Vincent.
In their statement, the New York Police reported a "possible drowning." "When Troopers, along with Cape Vicent Fire and Ambulance arrived on the scene, they discovered a female deceased in the St. Lawrence River. The victim has been identified as 61-year-old Mary T. Mara from Cape Vincent, NY," the statement read.
The statement mentions that while the investigation remains ongoing, as per preliminary investigation, the actress drowned while swimming. "The victim’s body showed no signs of foul play and was transported to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy to determine an official cause of death," the department said in its release.
ER Actress Mary Mara Dead at 61 After Apparent Drowning in NY River: 'Everyone Loved Her' https://t.co/X2JAnODtIo
— People (@people) June 27, 2022
A statement from her brother-in-law Scott Dailey revealed that Mara was staying at her sister Martha's summer home when the "apparent swimming accident" happened reported PEOPLE.
Mara was born on September 21, 1960, in Syracuse, N.Y. She attended San Francisco State University and Yale School of Drama and also founded a theater group in the Bay Area. She had a successful film, television, and stage career that spanned over three decades.
The actor's manager, Craig Dorfman, also confirmed her death in a statement, referring to her as "one of the finest actresses I ever met."
"I still remember seeing her onstage in 1992 in Mad Forest off-Broadway," Dorfman said. "She was electric, funny, and a true individual. Everyone loved her. She will be missed."
The actor's last appearance was in the film, Break Even, which was released in 2020.
Crushed to learn of Mary Mara’s untimely passing. We performed together back in 2008 in Malcolm Danare’s “In Heat” at the Lost Playhouse in LA. She was plowing through the aftereffects of Chemo. Brave, brilliant, Uber-talented. Earth will be much less-colorful without her. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/sj1U8c6hyK
— Jon Lindstrom (@thejonlindstrom) June 28, 2022
"She specialized in complex portrayals of often-troubled characters; perhaps the most familiar was her recurring role in the 1990s of Loretta Sweet, a sympathetic, down-and-out prostitute and single mother on the NBC series, 'ER,'" her obituary, which was obtained by PEOPLE, reads.
Mara is survived by her stepdaughter, Katie Mersola; sister, Martha Mara; another sister and a brother-in-law, Susan Mara and Scott Dailey; and her nephew, Christopher Dailey.
Rest in peace, Mary Mara, you will definitely be missed.
References:
https://www.nyspnews.com/state-police-investigate-an-apparent-drowning-incident-in-cape-vincent.htm
https://people.com/tv/mary-mara-dead-at-61-after-apparent-drowning-ny-river/
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mary-mara-dead-61-actress-drowned-swimming-new-york
Cover Image Source: IMDb | Mary Mara
