Mary Pentcheff died on June 6, 2011 in Southbury, Connecticut at her home, the Watermark at East Hill.
Mary was born in 1927 in Crosby, a suburb of Liverpool, England, the child of Roy and Dorothy Dean. Her childhood was idyllic until the advent of World War II in 1939. At that time she was a boarding student at Dr. Williams' School in Dolgellau, Wales. In 1945 she attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Until 1952 she was continuously employed in repertory theatre, performing a full range of roles from Shakespeare to bedroom farce.
During that time, she was seen on the stage by a Bulgarian diplomat, Nicolas Pentcheff, who pursued her all the way to the altar. Nicolas became an exile from his country when Bulgaria came under communist domination. Mary and Nicolas owned and managed a small farm in Surrey from 1952 until 1956, when Nicolas was offered a job at Radio Free Europe in New York.
On arriving in New York, Mary took a job as a tour guide in the Secretariat of the United Nations, where she spent the rest of her career. Through her hard work, meticulous organizational skill, and broad knowledge of international affairs, she rose to become Chief of Information, Delegates' Aide and Reception.
In 1961, Dean, her only child, was born. In 1963, Mary and her family moved to the suburban town of Ardsley, New York. After her retirement, Mary worked voluntarily for Amnesty International from 1984 to 1993 as Coordinator for the Westchester Group, as well as at shelters and food kitchens for the Episcopal Church.
In 1993, Mary and Nicolas moved to Somers, New York. Mary was widowed there upon the death of her husband in 2002 after a long illness. In 2007, Mary moved to East Hill in Southbury, Connecticut, impressed by the friendliness and intelligence of the residents.
Mary has requested that memorial gifts be made to any of the following charities:
If you plan to attend, please contact Dean Pentcheff for specific details on time and location. He can be contacted by email at [email protected]/* */, by phone at 310-948-0341, or by post at 677 W 38th St., San Pedro, CA 90731.

Memorials: Amnesty International USA, 5 Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10001, http://www.amnestyusa.org Episcopal Relief and Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116, http://www.er-d.org US Fund for UNICEF, 125 Maiden Lane, NY, NY 10038, http://www.unicefusa.org Alzheimer's Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871, http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Services: A memorial gathering will be held on the afternoon of July 17 at her home, the Watermark at East Hill, Southbury, Connecticut.

Visitation: There are no calling hours.