Maryanne Trump Barry, Sister of Donald J. Trump and Retired Federal Judge, Dies In New York

Maryanne Trump Barry, the older sister of former President Donald J. Trump and a prominent figure in her own right as a retired federal judge, passed away at the age of 86.

Barry, who had a distinguished career in the judiciary, died over the weekend while in hospice care due to cancer in New York City, sources close to the matter revealed.

Born in Queens, New York, Barry was the eldest child of real-estate mogul Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. She carved a notable path in the legal world, starting with her academic journey, earning an undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College and a master's in public law and government from Columbia University.

Barry's legal career was both groundbreaking and influential. After spending 13 years as a homemaker, she pursued law at Hofstra University, where she became the editor of its law review. Graduating in 1974, she joined the government as an assistant federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Her roles included chief of the civil division from 1977 to 1982 and first assistant United States Attorney from 1981 to 1983, making her one of the highest-ranking women in federal prosecution at the time.

Her judicial career saw her becoming an Assistant US Attorney in 1974, and she was later appointed to the US District Court for the District of New Jersey by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed her to the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, a position she held with distinction.

Barry's life, however, was not without its challenges. She retired in 2019 following a court investigation related to a New York Times inquiry into the Trump family’s tax practices. Despite these controversies, she remained a respected figure in the legal community.

Her personal life saw its fair share of ups and downs. Her marriage to David Desmond in 1960 ended in divorce in 1980, and she later married Mr. Barry in 1982, who passed away in 2000. She is survived by her brother, Donald J. Trump, a younger sister, Elizabeth Trump Grau, and a son from her first marriage, David William Desmond.