Maria Esposito, M.D.

Maria E. Esposito, M.D.

Colonel, Medical Corps, U.S. Army Reserve January 21, 1939 – July 30, 2026

Colonel Maria E. Esposito, M.D., MC, U.S.A.R., passed away peacefully in Maryland on July 30, 2026, at the age of 87. Born Maria Elizabeth Quattromani in the Bronx, New York, Maria (or Mary, to her friends and family) lived a life of service whose quiet strength inspired those around her. She was a dedicated physician, military officer, educator, mentor, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend whose influence reached far beyond the countless patients, students, and colleagues whose lives she touched. Growing up in the Bronx, she lived just a few neighborhoods away from the man who would become her husband, Anthony Esposito, whom she first met while summering in Lake Erskine, New Jersey. Their marriage in 1961, which lasted over fifty years, was built on a firm foundation of love, mutual respect, and devotion to their family and Catholic faith. Mary attended Russell Sage College in New York. After college, Mary and Anthony moved to Italy, where they both earned medical degrees from the University of Bologna. Following medical school and completing her internship in Valhalla, New York, she and her husband moved to Germany, where Anthony had been drafted as a Captain into the United States Army. While in medical school, Mary gave birth to her first son Mark and later while living in Germany, she gave birth to her youngest son, Matthew.

Upon returning to America, Mary trained in Pediatrics while living in San Francisco before herself joining the United States Army. Mary, Anthony, Mark, and Matthew then moved and put down roots in Maryland in 1973. Mary completed her medical training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and became board certified in Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Neurology. Mary earned the respect of those who knew her for her kindness, intelligence, integrity, loyalty, and tireless dedication to medicine, education, and military service. She built an academic and military career that spanned decades and which culminated in her achieving the rank of Colonel. In 1980, she joined the faculty of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). There, she guided the clinical psychiatric education of approximately 170 medical students annually, shaping generations of military physicians with the same compassion and discipline that defined her own career. Mary was also the Residency Training Director at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where she mentored numerous physicians specializing in psychiatry, leaving a lasting imprint on the U.S. military’s medical service. Mary would found programs at USUHS to advance the professional development of female medical students, opening doors for future generations of physicians.

In recognition of her dedication to medical education, she received the American Psychiatric Association’s Nancy C. A. Roeske Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education in 1994, and in 1995 USUHS presented her with the Exceptional Service Medal in 1995 in recognition of her service.

Mary’s greatest joy was always her family. Through all the years of study, service, and moves across the world, Mary and Anthony raised two sons, Mark and Matthew, both of whom followed her and her husband into medicine. She adored her grandchildren and treasured every opportunity to spend time with them. She also enjoyed traveling the world with her husband and family and sharing a love of cooking and wonderful meals with family and friends, who were always welcomed into her home. Her curiosity never faded; she believed there was always something new to learn and embraced life with enthusiasm, humor, and grace.

Mary was preceded in death by her beloved husband of more than fifty years, Dr. Anthony Esposito, who passed away in 2018. She is lovingly remembered by her sons, Mark Esposito, M.D., and his wife, Rieyn DeLony, Esq., and Matthew Esposito, M.D., and his wife, Suzanne Caron, M.D. She was the cherished grandmother of Emma, Benjamin, Francesca, and Caroline Esposito. Her warmth and guidance will also be deeply missed by her brother, Frank Quattromani, M.D., along with her extended family, dear friends, former students, colleagues, and patients who meant so much to her.

Mary’s family finds comfort in knowing that her influence will live on through the generations of physicians she trained and the patients whose lives she improved. Mary’s family will forever cherish her love, kindness, devotion, and faith. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in her memory