Marion F.E. (McLaughlin) McCarthy– Beloved mother of her sons, Everett McCluskey and Kevin McCluskey (both deceased), and her daughter Jennie McCarthy of New York, NY. Marion peacefully passed away at 89 years young on December 5, 2019 in New York City.
Marion is survived by her sister Joyce (McLaughlin) Castaldo and her husband Frank of Naples, FL and numerous beloved nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and friends across the US and Canada. Marion was predeceased by her husband William O. McCarthy of Lowell, MA and was a longtime resident of Tewksbury, MA.
Marion was born and raised on a potato farm in Grand Falls, New Brunswick Canada, and moved to United States at 17 years old. She pursued and completed her LPN at the Tewksbury State Hospital and served as the Treasurer of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. While raising her children, Marion worked as a Nurse at Westford Nursing Home, New England Rehabilitation in Woburn and after twenty years at Tewksbury State Hospital retired.
Marion’s skill in caring transcended her career. She was known for opening her home to family and friends for extended stays. She loved summering at her cottage at Hampton Beach, The Red Sox and grape-nut® ice cream. Marion was a big hit on social media. Her handle, @memedontsendmetoshadypinesmccarthy, made her a fan favorite. She was a serial “liker” and it is safe to say that Marion didn’t pass by a photo on a friend’s wall without giving it a like. Throughout her life Marion was thoughtful, determined, loving, hard-working, generous, quick with a laugh, and resilient. She was Yodaish in her wisdom, a trusted counselor, a known puzzle-doer, laundry-activist, hospital corner enthusiast, Bruce Springsteen fan, beach lover, and bread lover. Marion became involved in the issues that mattered to her and those she cared about.
Marion read three papers a day, never missed a Red Sox game (even when living in NYC where she wore her Red Sox gear proudly) and went to more concerts and shows than could be mentioned. There wasn’t much left on her bucket list. She could have written a how-to book on enjoying life while getting old, but she was too busy enjoying life.
No immediate services are planned. A celebration of Marion’s life will be held in the Spring of 2020 (date TBD). Marion was particularly interested in organizations that cared for those with intellectual disabilities and adopted The Center for Discovery in Sullivan County, New York as her charity of choice. If you are interested in making a donation in Marion’s memory, please contact The Center for Discovery at https://thecenterfordiscovery.org/donate-today/ or call (845) 794-1400. Remember “I Love You With All My Heart”.