Mary Armitage

Mary Armitage, 84, of Ridgefield Connecticut, died peacefully on Friday, December 5, 2025. She was the loving wife of Geoffrey Armitage who passed away this past January.

Mrs. Armitage was born in Audenshaw, Lancashire, England on March 24, 1941; a daughter of the late James and Fanny Laura (Smith) Fletcher. Mary graduated at the age of 15 and started working as a secretary.   

She met her loving husband Geoffrey that same year when she was on holiday at the Isle of Man. They married on September 7, 1963 at St. Stephen’s Church in Audenshaw, Lancashire, England. The couple pursued their love of travel, traveling all over Europe, Greece, Egypt, and Australia, and finally Auckland, New Zealand, where in 1965 Mary and Geoffrey settled down so he could start his employment at Auckland Electric Power Board. 

In 1968, Geoffrey and Mary welcomed their first daughter Susan. In 1969, they got the travel bug again and moved to the states. They settled in Norwalk living on Couch Street, then Saranac Street. In 1971 they welcomed their son, Stephen. In 1973, Mary and Geoffrey moved the family again to Upper Reservoir Road in New Milford, CT. In 1976, on their 13th wedding anniversary, Mary gave birth to their last daughter Christine. Their final move was to Birch Court in Ridgefield in 1977 and was where they both lived out the remainder of their lives.

Mary stayed home for many years raising the children but found time to be a part of Barlow Mountain Elementary and Scotland Elementary Schools PTA. She organized many book fairs and was able to get local authors such as Maurice Sendak and Stephen Kellogg to come and sign copies of their books for the children. She also arranged cultural shows and culture day where she told the tale of St. George who slayed the Dragon! In addition she ran the River Study Field Trip for multiple years showing the students of Ridgefield the importance of our local tributaries including the Norwalk River. She also volunteered for the Laurels and was a proud member of the TransAtlantic Brides and Parents association, AKA “The British Club”. All the ladies were from the UK and some were brides of American Soldiers who fell in love and married during World War II. While raising money for the TBPA, Mary got the crafting bug and would lead the group in creating many fun crafts for Christmas Craft Fairs around Connecticut. Mary would also created and decorated beautiful cakes for friends and family for all their celebrations. There was very little the talented Mary could not make or fix.

In 1984, Mary decided to use her talents in the employment arena by accepting a job as an Accounts Payable employee at The Institute of Children’s Literature in West Redding, CT. She loved working there and enjoyed her co-workers. In 1998 she decided to “retire” and become a full time Grandma with Peggy Burbank taking turns every other week caring for their grandchildren Ian, Erin and James.  

A longtime resident of Ridgefield, Mrs. Armitage was an integral part of her town. When her children were younger she, and Geoffrey, coached multiple soccer teams for SCORE. Mary always kept involved with her children’s school. She helped run Barlow Mountain and Scotland’s Annual Haunted House. Mary was a proud grandmother and great-grandmother, volunteering many hours of her time for after school clubs at Hawley Elementary School in Newtown, as well as attending many sporting events, dance recitals, and graduations of her 11 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoyed dancing, especially tap dancing. Mary began taking tap classes with Joan MacDonald in 1982. She continued to dance with them for 41 years, participating and helping run the MacDonald Pin Dance Recitals through Ridgefield Parks and Rec. She loved to tap, but even more loved her friends including Rokki, Judy, Mary, and many many others! She continued to enjoy her love of travel, especially to her homeland of England, and more recently to Jamaica, Spain, and Turkey with Geoff and her family.

Mrs. Armitage was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Geoffrey. She leaves behind  their three children: Susan Burbank and her husband, William; Stephen Armitage and his wife, Tammy Ritacco Armitage; and Christine Van Cott and her husband, James. Mrs. Armitage is also survived by her grandchildren: Ian Armitage, Heather Harvie (Ritacco), Chad Ritacco, Lucas Ritacco, Erin Burbank, James Burbank, Hunter Armitage, London Armitage, Aiden Burbank, Nevaeh Van Cott and Brennen Van Cott, as well as her great grandchildren; Avery, Mason and Rowan Harvie. In addition, Mrs. Armitage is survived by her sister Rose Oldham (Fletcher), Nephew Darren Oldham, all of Hyde, England, and her niece Denise Hamilton and husband Keith of Moraira, Spain, as well as many in-laws, nieces and nephews still residing in the UK.

Family and friends will be received on Monday, December 29, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home; 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. Reflections and tributes of Mrs. Armitage will be offered at 4:00 PM. Interment will take place privately.

Contributions in Mrs. Armitage’s memory may be made to Doctors without Borders or Founders Hall Ridgefield.