Lillian C. McPhail, aged 93, died peacefully at Oakland Grove Home on October 6th.
She was the last living survivor of a horrific natural gas home explosion on January 28th, 1924, on Mt. Pleasant Ave. in Cumberland, which claimed the lives of her parents, Michael and Sarah (Keating) Conway, and 14 others.
Lillian was the widow of the late Louis A. McPhail, the mother of Catherine McPhail-Andrews, and grandmother of Sally Webber-Balfour. She is also survived by her nieces, Theresa Conway Laverty, and Joan Menard Dombrowski. She also leaves two cherished friends, Wilfred Gailloux, and Barbara Taft Shea, to whom Lillian was a true “Anam Cara”.
Lillian possessed a great spirit. She was blessed with the ability to see the good in all people and the beauty of life, even in the most challenging of circumstances. She was, like a verse from her favorite song, “sunshine when skies are gray”. She graced many by her mere presence. Lillian will be sorely missed.
Her Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday at 9:00 am in St. Ambrose Church, School St., Albion. Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting hours are omitted and memorial donations may be made to St. Ambrose Parish, 191 School St., Albion, RI. 02802. Arrangements are by the Menard Funeral Home, 127 Carrington Ave., Woonsocket. Please find guestbook at www.menardfuneralhome.com.