Sunday, January 21, 2024
We would like to extend our gratitude:
To all the people who have called, sent texts & hugs from across the miles – it means so much to have the comforting words and tributes for our mom
For those who traveled to be with us today – from as far as Northern Ireland, Texas and Cape Cod...
Fr. Ariel for his prayers, support and guidance
We also wanted to do a shout out to our friends and family who are watching this via video stream…in particular mom’s brother Dominick in Belfast, sister Monica in Cape Cod, and brother in laws Stan in England and Frank in Florida and many extended family across the miles.
Mom would have been so happy to see the outpouring of love and support for our family.
So how do we summarize 97 years of life in 5 minutes….we’ll do our best.
Let’s start at the very beginning…
Mom was born in Belfast in 1926 – the oldest of 10 children – sadly, she lost two siblings when they were babies – Sonny and Rosaleen, but the other 8 were tight and although the miles kept them apart, their strong bond remained. Mom helped care for her siblings and told us many stories of her time in the city, as well as at her grandparents farm in Athlone. I’m sure most of you have heard about her dad bringing home a rooster and a monkey, or the boy who put the banana thru the mangle or the story of the one horned goat… Mom told stories of World War II as well, rationing and the devastating Blitz in 1941, where the windows in her family home were blown in.
Mom went on to work for the British Admiralty for a decade, although sometimes we wondered if she had some secret assignments – she would kid us that she was a spy – we really would not be surprised.
In 1956, she took the journey by sea to NYC where she lived with her sisters and aunts and worked at her cousin Gerry Toner’s Irish Pubs, including the Barleycorn – she also worked for the Dodge Corporation – I can just imagine the fun those girls had in NYC - Theresa, Monica, Marie & Mom knew how to live it up.
Then, she met my Dad – Gene – they married in 1966 and soon after had Kathleen. Then they moved to Teaneck, New Jersey and I joined the team. This was a whole new lifestyle for mom, who took initiative to get her driver’s license to gain more independence.
We then moved to 35 Debra Lane, here in Basking Ridge – their forever home. They lived here for 35 years, until the passing of my father, when mom came to live with Kathleen in Bernardsville and myself in Flemington. We were blessed to have that time with her over the past 12 years.
One of the things we loved best about mom was her generous and caring spirit. You could not come into our house without the kettle boiling, the sherry taken out, her serving triskets & portwine cheese or rye bread and butter “cut in fingers”. For the grandkids, it was ice cream cones, with sprinkles on the side.
One of the great surprises when we first moved to Basking Ridge was seeing our uncle Joe’s sister Margaret Carhart at Grand Union – not realizing that Liberty Corner was right around the corner, this was the start of a great friendship and mom ended up caring for Sarah and Christopher – they were like her second set of kids – and our little sister and brother.
Our family time included travel: to Florida to visit Theresa and Joe and later Uncle Frank, trips to Ireland and England to visit our grandmother, aunts/uncles and cousins and of course trips to the Jersey shore. In retirement, mom and dad also enjoyed traveling on ocean cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico and the West Coast. After Dad passed, she continued to want to see the world and with myself and Kathleen, we went to more than 10 countries after she turned 90 – she would devour the Viking Cruise catalog, dreaming of her next adventure. She also loved the time we spent in LBI – enjoying sipping Richie’s most recent concoction, heading over to Cabel’s or Poppies, playing a game of Jenga and of course, our time with Joan, Liam and Rhys. She also adored our trips to Cape Cod, where she would spend time with her sisters, Monica and Marie and our friends Jen and Ann. Mom loved the beach and the sunsets – but mostly spending time with her family and friends.
Mom was always there for us – whether it was making Halloween costumes, baking soda bread or cinnamon muffins on a cold day, or driving carpool - Who could forget the Dodge Polara, where the whole neighborhood could fit in the massive green leather back seat to head out to Pleasant Valley Pool, Lord Sterling or one of our friends’ houses. We’d usually ask mom to park a few blocks away – which she would remind us about years later.
Mom and Dad were so happy to see their family growing, with the addition of our husbands Richie and Jim, who both adored and cared for Mom as if she was their own mothers – thank you both for the love you gave.
And of course the grandkids: Erin, Owen, Sean, Luke and Annie – mom felt such joy seeing each of their achievements in school, sports, scouts, jobs and meeting their friends. Mom was also a great grandmother and enjoyed her time with Tristan. Each of the kids had special relationships with their Nanny and knew she was one of a kind.
One thing that was consistent throughout Mom’s life was her unwavering faith. When we were young, I remember her leading us each night giving thanks for our food and kneeling by our bed to pray for our family and friends. Whenever things were tough, she would explain how it was God’s plan and things would turn out for the best. At the very end, her final words were prayers and her final action was blessing herself. The fact that she passed on 1/11, was a sign to us that she is now with the angels.
A few of mom’s hobbies that I would mention – who hasn’t seen mom with a crossword puzzle in front of her – she did this every day and I believe it kept her sharp. She also enjoyed knitting and joined the Prayer Shawl ministry at our church, where they would make shawls for the sick of the parish – she also made dozens of scarves and baby blankets over the years.
Mom was the life of the party – one of the best was her 90th, where we danced and sang until the wee hours. She would always have us laughing with her quick wit and Irish sayings.
Mom was known by many names: Margaret Rita Philomena Mary Kelly McCann, Nanny, Auntie Rita, Rita, Mrs. McCann, Mom, but for today, we’ll just call her legend.
