Brigid “Bridie” Hickey, 81, of Greenville, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully on December 30, 2020 at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Bridie was happily married to Robert Geary Hickey, the love of her life, for over 60 years.
Born in Tuam, County Galway, Ireland, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Mary Connolly. At the age of 19, Bridie immigrated to the United States. She began working at St. Mary’s Parish in Brookline Village, Massachusetts. Within a year of arriving in the USA, Bridie met and married Robert G. Hickey. Robert (Bob) was the store manager at F.W. Woolworth Company and Bridie came in to purchase items for the Parish and the Priests. They began a friendship that quickly led to a deep love that flourished for over 60 years. They lived in various locations throughout New England and New York as they worked together and raised a family of three boys and one girl. Bridie and Bob spent the last 48 years in Greenville, RI.
Bridie worked for many years in hospital administration services at Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence, RI. Bridie was selfless, simple in her needs and delighted in creating a loving home for her family. She enjoyed visits from Stephen, Anita and Sarah from California, Michael and Stefanie from Texas and anyone from Ireland. She and Bob also traveled to Texas, California and Ireland numerous times. She absolutely adored her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and wonderful friends. She cherished small family dinners, drinking wine from Irish crystal glasses and calls from distant family with those lovely Irish accents.
In her earlier years, Bridie, Bob and the kids spent summers with extended family in New England including the Hickey family in Kennebunk, ME, the Connolly family in Chelmsford, MA and the Carr family of Coventry, RI. She adored the Tiner family of North Smithfield, RI and waited all year for the Tiner family Christmas events. She enjoyed hearing stories of the Darwish family of Utrecht, Netherlands, the Jung family of Frankfurt, Germany, the Arce family of Buga, Columbia, the Hunt family of Flagstaff, Arizona and the Stewart family of San Angelo, Texas. She loved the Arsenault family and was so proud of Andy, Ben and John. A few years ago she enjoyed the amazing Arsenault - Laiho family wedding event. Most recently she hosted a Hickey - Connolly family reunion in the fall of 2019 that included all her children and grandchildren in the USA and her family from Ireland including Miriam Reilly, Berni Reilly and Anne-Marie, Padraig, Ciara and Emma Dolan of Galway, Ireland.
In addition to her husband she leaves her adored children, Robert E. Hickey and his wife Donna of Cumberland, RI, Michael V. Hickey and his wife Stefanie of Austin, TX and Stephen P. Hickey of Chula Vista, CA. She is grandmother to Meghan Hickey, John, Ben and Andrew Arsenault and Sarah Hickey. She was the mother of the late Mary E. Arsenualt married to David Arsenault of Chepachet, RI and mother-in-law of the late Anita Hickey M.D.. The losses of her sweet daughter Mary Arsenault, daughter in law Anita Hunt Hickey M.D. and grandson Ethan Hickey weighed heavily on her heart.
Bridie had 5 sisters and 2 brothers residing in the UK and Ireland. Mary Connolly, Helen Curley (dec), Teresa Fahy (dec), Julie Connolly (dec), Anne Reilly, Michael Connolly and John Connolly. She also leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins in the US, UK and Ireland.
Special thanks to Donna Teolis Hickey, Stefanie Stewart Hickey and the Arsenault family for the amazing efforts and support in the hospital and hospice systems over the past few months.
Her funeral services were private at Anderson Winfield Funeral Home in Greenville, RI. Burial was in St. Ann’s Cemetery, Cranston. In lieu of flowers and individual contributions, a donation has been made by the Hickey family to HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center 1085 N Main Street, Providence, RI 02904. HopeHealth is the major teaching affiliate for hospice and palliative medicine for The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.