Hon Mary Cynthia Burke Roche 1934-2023

 The Hon Mary Roche, who died 3 March, 2023, aged 88, was an aunt of Diana, Princess of Wales, and a scion of the Barons Fermoy.

The Hon Mary Cynthia Burke Roche was born 19 Aug, 1934, the elder daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy (1885-1955), and his wife Ruth, Baroness Fermoy, DCVO (nee Gill) (1908-1993), Woman of the Bedchamber to HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Her siblings were younger brother, Edmund, 5th Baron Fermoy (1939-84), and the Hon Frances Roche (1936-2004), wife of (1) the 8th Earl Spencer, MVO (1924-92), and (2) Peter Shand Kydd (1925-2006).

She married firstly, 25 Nov, 1954 (div 1966), the Hon Sir Anthony George Berry, MP (1925-84), who was killed in the IRA bomb at the Grand Hotel, Brighton, 12 Oct, 1984, sixth son of the newspaper properietor the 1st Viscount Kemsley (1883-1968), and his wife Mary Lilian Holmes (d 1928); and married 2ndly, in July, 1973 (div 1980), Denis Roche Geoghegan; and married 3rdly, in 1981 (div 1989), Michael Robert Fearon Gunningham (who died 5 Apr, 2019, aged 94).

She resumed her maiden name after her second and third divorces. From her first marriage to Anthony Berry she leaves a son, Edward (born 23 June, 1960), and three daughters, Alexandra (b 9 Sept, 1955), Antonia (b 2 Aug, 1957), and Joanna (twin with her sister Antonia).

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