Loretta B. (Ring) Downey, of Falmouth, formerly of Mattapoisett, MA died April 23, 2003 at the Atria Woodbriar of complications of a long, debilitating disease.
She was the wife of Dr. William S. Downey, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Downey were married on August 11, 1951 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Sharon, at a Mass celebrated by Rev. Michael Walsh, S.J., who later became president of Boston College.
Born in Sharon, the daughter of the late William and Anna (Claffey) Ring, she moved to New Bedford in 1953. Several years later she and her family moved to Mattapoisett. In 1985, she and her husband moved to Gainesville Fla., and in 1990, when her husband retired, they moved to Daytona Beach Shores, Fla.
Mrs. Downey was a graduate of Notre Dame Academy in Roxbury, and Simmons College in Boston, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. After graduation, she began her nursing career in the Emergency Room at Massachusetts General Hospital, and within a few months was named the night head nurse in the Emergency Room. Two years later she became one of three night-time nursing supervisors for all the facilities at MGH. In 1951, at the request of the East and West Surgical divisions at MGH, the hospital promoted her to a new position, that of joint Head Nurse of the Male Surgical Wards of these competing groups.
In 1967, Mrs. Downey and her husband were inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a Papal Order many centuries old, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City with Cardinal Cushing of Boston presiding. Since then she rose in rank from Lady of the Holy Sepulchre to Lady Grand Cross of the Holy Sepulchre, the highest rank a layperson can attain. In 1992, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her induction into the Order, Mrs. Downey made a pilgimage to the Holy Land and received the Holy Sepulchre pilgrim medal from the Most Rev. Michel Sabbah, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Israel and Jordan. In 1994, she was awarded the Silver Palm of Jerusalem medal, the first year the award had been given in the United States.
Survivors include her husband; 4 daughters, Teresa M. Downey of Sea Isle City, NJ, Patricia M. Downey of Colts Neck, NJ, Kathleen M. Downey of Mattapoisett, Bernadette M. Downey of Wayland; 5 sons, Dennis M. Downey of East Falmouth, David G. Downey of Chicago, IL, Jerome P. Downey of New York City, Brian J. Downey of Westford and Kevin I. Downey of Gainesville, FL; and 24 grandchildren.
She was the mother of the late Martin P. Downey and grandmother of the late Sean M. Downey.
Funeral from the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett, Tuesday, April 29th at 10 AM.Funeral Mass at St. Anthony's Church, Mattapoisett at 11 AM.Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
Visiting hours Monday, April 28th from 4-7 PM.
Interment St. Anthony's Cemetery, Mattapoisett.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Visiting Nurses Association Hospice of Cape Cod, 434 Route 134, South Dennis, MA 02660 or the Alzheimer's Association, Mass. Chapter, 36 Cameron Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140.