PHOENIX — Hours before the Super Bowl, the Giants and the NFL lost a woman often called “The First Lady of Football’’ when Ann Mara passed away early Sunday morning at the age of 85 after complications from a fall.
Mara, the matriarch of the Giants, was the wife of the late Wellington Mara and the mother of 11 children, including her oldest, John, the Giants’ co-owner, president and chief executive officer.
“I am sad to say that our mother has passed away,” John Mara said. “She has been the leader of our family in every way, and we will miss her dearly.
“She slipped in front of her home [in Rye, NY] during the ice storm two weeks ago [Jan. 18]. She had been in the hospital since the following day, initially due to a head injury she suffered in her fall. After a few days, we were hopeful for her recovery, although we knew it would be a long road back. Unfortunately, there were complications.
“She loved her family, and all of us were able to spend time with her in these final days.’’
All 11 of Ann Mara’s children and numerous grandchildren were with her when she passed away.
“Mrs. Mara was a tower of strength, dignity and inspiration for her family and all of us in the NFL,’’ commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Her family and the Giants organization have always reflected Mrs. Mara’s competitive spirit, integrity, and wonderful sense of humor. Our thoughts and prayers are with John Mara and the entire Mara family.’’
Steve Tisch, the Giants’ co-owner, said “On behalf of my mother and sister and brother, I want to express our sympathy to John and the Mara family. Ann Mara has been the wonderful matriarch of our franchise. Like her husband Wellington, Ann was passionate about her faith, her family and her football team. Her energy and enthusiasm for her franchise were unmatched. We will miss her and are deeply saddened for the Mara family’s loss.”
Ann Mara and her children owned 50 percent of the Giants since the death of Wellington in 2005. Ann and Wellington met in 1952 at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan.
“Our dates were at Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden and the Fordham gymnasium,’’ she once said. “That was my courtship.”
They were married in 1954 and the family grew to four sons, seven daughters, 43 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. In addition to John, two of Ann Mara’s sons work for the Giants front office: Chris is the senior vice president of player evaluation and Frank is the vice president of community relations.
Ann Mara liked to say, “I tell John, ‘Just remember, you’re an employee.’”
A powerful behind-the-scenes presence, Ann Mara attended almost every Giants game, home and away, for 60 years. She became a heroine to legions of Giants fans after the Giants’ 20-17 overtime victory in the 2011 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco. In a rare appearance in the post-game locker room, she approached FOX broadcaster and Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw just after he interviewed Eli Manning, poked Bradshaw’s arm to get his attention and said, “You never pick the Giants.” Bradshaw looked into the camera and told the world: “I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m getting hammered for not picking the Giants.”
That delighted the Giants and their fans.
“You have to laugh,” Manning said at the time. “Mrs. Mara, you see her and you think, ‘Sweet Mrs. Mara.’ But she is obviously very passionate about Giants football and passionate about this team and involved and knows the players. I like her attitude. I like the way she spoke her mind about something she cares deeply about.”
This past season, after the Giants finished 6-10, John Mara was asked: “What does your mom say about all this?’’
John’s response: “She is not very happy with me right now, believe me. She suffers through this probably even more so than I do. I am on notice as well.”