Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home, Canton, MA 02021
Virginia Callanan
1/28/2015

Virginia Corcoran Callanan of Canton passed away at home January 28th surrounded by her loving family. The cause of her death was non-hodgkin’s lymphoma. Mrs. Callanan was the beloved wife of the late Paul E. Callanan for 60 years. She is survived by her children, Frances Callanan and her husband Dr. Gary Kaplan of Falls Church, VA; Jane M. Callanan and Stephen R. Hall of Wellesley and Nantucket, MA; Paula Callanan of Wellesley, MA and Peter Laytin of Fitchburg, MA; Chad Paul Callanan and his wife Lynne Anderson of Bartlett, NH and Naples, FL; and Andrea Callanan Giroux and her husband Don Giroux of Wellesley, MA. Also survived by 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandson.
Born and raised in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester, MA, Virginia was adopted by her paternal grandparents at the age of three when her mother died of tuberculosis and her father was hospitalized with the disease with no hope of recovery. Her younger brother George eventually was adopted by a paternal aunt in New York. At the age of 19, with both grandparents deceased, she supported herself by working at the phone company in Boston, and she rented the first-floor apartment in a three-decker owned by the parents of her lifelong friend Lucille Kelley. They invited her to join them every week for Sunday dinner, a kindness that she never forgot.
She met her husband, Paul, in high school, while she was working as a waitress at the Harvard Club in Boston, but because one of his friends had had a crush on Virginia, Mr. Callanan never asked her for a date until years later after he had completed his service with the Navy and, more importantly, his friend Buddy had become engaged.
A stay-at-home mom, Mrs. Callanan never stopped working. In addition to teaching, listening to, disciplining and enjoying her children, she was a fabulous cook, always experimenting with more delicious and nutritious recipes. She always had a deep appreciation for beauty, and with a young family, she created a beautiful home on a tight budget, making flower arrangements from her own garden, creating her own Christmas decorations, displaying new artwork in the house that she had taken out on loan from the Canton Public Library, and even refinishing furniture herself.
For many years, she and Paul were members of St. John’s Catholic Church and participated in a discussion group of twelve couples that met regularly to talk about the changes ushered in by the Second Vatican Council. Virginia was an active member of the Canton Garden Club, helping to landscape public green spaces in the town and organize annual the Club’s Christmas House Tour. She also served on the board of the Canton Nurses Association.
When her youngest child, Andrea, entered high school, Mrs. Callanan channeled her appreciation for beautiful homes and her excellent communication skills into her work as a real estate agent for the Audrey Fields and Company in Canton. She was the company’s top-selling agent for many of the 10 years that she worked in real estate.
Mr. and Mrs. Callanan belonged to the Milton Hoosic Golf Club for over 20 years. Although she described herself as “a lousy golfer,” she admitted she was “a pretty good bridge player.” Regardless of how often she won, she was genuinely amazed and pleased. Mary Sheffield said, that although she “may have founded the Hoosic’s Bridge Club, Virginia was the one who kept it going.”
An avid reader, Mrs. Callanan was proud of her ability to take in new information and change her mind. At a dinner party or over a cup of coffee, friends could expect Virginia to break the rule about never discussing religion, politics and sex. Over of the course of her adult life, she changed her views on many topics, most importantly the Catholic Church’s authority to tell people how to live. Nearly 30 years ago she and a friend also created a women’s discussion group that still meets bi-weekly to talk about current events, books and films.
A keen and unblinking observer of life, Virginia was quick to see the humor in a situation. She got a huge kick out of someone acting haughty or ostentatious. She always told the truth. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Visiting hours at the Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home, 455 Washington St., Canton, Friday February 6th, from 4-7 pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Virginia’s Life at the Milton Hoosic Club, located at 193 Central Ave., Milton, on Saturday morning, February 7th, at 10:30 am. A reception will follow. Burial private.
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Dockray & Thomas Funeral Home
455 Washington St.
Canton, MA USA 02021
781-828-0811