Mary Ellen Holcomb was born in Buffalo, NY on December 21, 1941 and passed away peacefully on November 11, 2020, following a stroke. A devout Catholic, she attended Lady Cliff College in Highland Falls, New York graduating in 1963, the same year she married her late husband, Col. Cornelius Cole, Jr, "Skip" (USMA ‘62). She spent most of her career in advertising sales and her longest tenure was at Army Times Publishing Company in Springfield, VA. Prior to moving to Louisiana in 1980 where Skip was stationed, she sold advertising for Washingtonian magazine. While living in Louisiana Mary Ellen became the advertising manager at radio station KVVP in Leesville, LA. A lifelong dancer and traveler, she gained a love of Zydeco from her time spent in Louisiana, and could often be found at Glen Echo Park or Music/Dance Festivals. She volunteered with Buffalo Night on Capitol Hill for over a decade. Her greatest travel stories included trips into then occupied Budapest and an around the world cruise with National Geographic. She is survived by her sons Cornelius Cole Holcomb III "Neil" of Alexandria, VA and Sean Holcomb of Mill Valley, CA and four grandchildren.
A visitation will be held at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home in Alexandria, VA on Sunday, April 11th from 4pm to 6pm.
Interment will be held on Monday, April 12th @ 10 am at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 4, Grave 2707-A.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to American Parkinson’s Disease Association at:
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/0000d4l/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAiAg8OBBhA8EiwAlKw3kszL1aNn0RgSlcpc03phFAGcApmiM7E3uecjHRUTcIJ4nKJ4LJYMQRoCiZ4QAvD_BwE
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