Mary Parnell SHE was the sky diving great grandma who will be fondly remembered as the two times mayoress of Southampton. Mary Parnell has passed away at the age of 89 following a brave ten year battle with Leukaemia. She was married to former mayor of Southampton Brian Parnell for 64 years and was a loving mother to their children Fiona and Graham, caring grandmother to Lucy, Kate, Ed and Cecilia and a recent great grandmother to Rosalind. Together the mayor and mayoress carried out hundreds of civic engagements during their two year-long periods as the city s top citizens in 2002 and 2008. And Brian is happy to say that his wife outshone him with her ability to talk to anyone and put them at ease.