Marita (Eagan) Downing, 86, the wife of the late James L. Downing and the proud mother of five sons, died Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, at the Taunton Nursing Home, where she had been a resident for the past three years.
Mrs. Downing was born in Taunton on Feb. 5, 1924, the only child of Louis and Lillian M. (Ryan) Eagan. She was a graduate of Immaculate Conception School in Whittenton and a 1941 graduate of Taunton High School. She earned a certificate from the Bristol County Business College in 1942.
Mrs. Downing married her husband on Jan. 18, 1944, while he was serving with the Army in World War II. As a young couple, they lived in New York City, where Mrs. Downing worked in the retail industry. She returned to Taunton for the birth of her first son, which occurred while her husband was stationed in Bethlehem.
Mr. and Mrs. Downing raised their sons at 98 Cedar St. in Taunton. She worked for many years as a cook and housekeeper for priests at Roman Catholic parishes in Taunton, including Saint Mary, Holy Family, and the former Saint Paul and Saint Joseph churches.
She was also employed as a clerk by the former Bristol County Trust Co. For many years, she was a poll worker during elections in Taunton and was a census taker for the U.S. Census. She and her husband enjoyed a vacation trip to England and regular escapes to Cape Cod.
Mrs. Downing was a long-time president of the Queen’s Daughters and a member of the St. Mary’s Women’s Guild, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and the Gaelic Society of Taunton. She was a communicant of St. Andrew the Apostle Church, where she was honored to serve as a Eucharistic minister.
Mrs. Downing was a woman of deep faith. She loved the beaches and salt air of Cape Cod, old movies on television, the delights of a well-cooked meal, lunches out with her friends and following the activities and accomplishments of her grandchildren.
She leaves her five sons, Kevin Downing and his wife, Nancy, of Taunton; Brian Downing and his wife, Helen, of Raynham; Paul Downing and his wife, Gail, of Easton; Neil Downing and his wife, Vicki-Ann, of North Dighton, and Taunton Police Patrolman Terence Downing and his wife, Rosemary, of East Taunton. She is also survived by nine grandchildren. Her husband died in 1992.
The funeral will be on Friday from the O’Keefe-Wade Funeral Home, 70 Washington St., Taunton, at 10 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at Saint Andrew the Apostle Church, 19 Kilmer Ave., Taunton. Relatives and friends are invited to calling hours at the funeral home from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday. Burial will be in the family lot at Saint Joseph Cemetery, Taunton.
In Mrs. Downing’s memory, donations would be appreciated to the Taunton Nursing Home, where she received excellent care in her final years, or to Hospice Care of Greater Taunton.