Mary Ellen (Fagan) Freifeld, 80, of Lititz, PA, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, after a lengthy illness. Born in East Saint Louis, IL, she was the daughter of the late Francis and Florence (Byrne) Fagan. She was married to the late Armin Freifeld for 50 years.

Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, Mary excelled academically and was a social worker for years as she earned her doctorate from NYU. This eventually led her to UC San Diego, where she was a sociology professor before taking an administrative role in mentoring and assisting minority students to obtain financial aid.

Mary and Armin enjoyed traveling and exploring the outdoors along the West Coast, as well as gardening. She had a huge heart for animals, especially their beagle, Sparky, who was an adored companion for many years.

Mary took great interest in genealogy, extensively researching and documenting her family's history and creating a family tree. As a person of great intellect, Mary loved books of all kinds and delighted in gifting thoughtfully chosen books to others. She was insightful, analytical, generous and caring, and prioritized maintaining her lifelong friendships, even with great distances between them.

Mary is survived by nieces Debbie Padron, Barbara Frese, and a nephew, Robert Fagan, 6 great nieces and nephews, 9 great-great nieces and nephews, and a host of beloved cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by one brother, Robert F. Fagan.

A time to gather and celebrate Mary's life will be held on Thursday, November 16th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM, at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home and Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, PA 17543.