Mary Cooper Mulvey passed away peacefully Monday, June 26 at The Retreat at Berryville. She was born in Winchester, VA, to Lohring and Lyda Cooper on July 28, 1928. She graduated from Handley High School in 1946, and then worked at the Capitol Theater and then for C&P Telephone.
Mary Lou, and her husband Ralph, owned and operated Mulvey’s Haberdashery and then The Oxford Shop men’s and women’s clothing store for forty-five years at 3 different locations in downtown Winchester. For many of those years, Mary Lou handled the bookkeeping, women’s wear purchasing, and sales on the floor. Many of the customers, employees, and vendors that she met there became her life-long friends.

She loved to read about local history and was a member of the Winchester/Frederick County, Berkeley County, and Clarke County Historical Societies. She loved volunteering at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. She enjoyed doing genealogy research at the libraries in the area, and attended many Headley’s Auctions to learn about more about the history of area through the items being sold.

She was independent and lived in her home on Tennyson Avenue for almost sixty years. She took joy in keeping up with the lives of her neighbors and their families. She was a great cook and an even better at baking, as anyone who ever tasted her signature Upperville Pound Cake with Carmel Icing can attest.
Mary Lou took great pride in being a founding member of the Glen Burnie Garden Club and enjoyed working on the Christmas decorating that the club performed in the area over the years. She was also a member of several Duplicate Bridge clubs in the area.

She was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church, and attended faithfully until her health prevented her from doing so.

She is survived by her son Patrick Mulvey (Barbara); grandson Mark Mulvey (Caiti); great-grandchildren Lillian Mulvey and Jackson Mulvey; daughter-in-law Jacqueline Mulvey; and granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Eigler (Keith).

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph; son, Michael, and brothers, Roger, Lohring, and Charlie Cooper.

A service will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at 2pm in Mount Hebron Cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. Dan McCoig.

Memorial contributions can be made in her memory to:
Rouss Fire Company 3 S. Braddock St. Winchester, VA 22601
First Presbyterian Church 116 S. Loudoun St. Winchester, VA 22601
Blue Ridge Hospice 333 W. Cork St. Winchester, VA 22601