Mary F. (O'Day) Mulcahy
Mary Frances Mulcahy died at her long time home in
Hamilton on December 23, 2008, one week shy of her 88th birthday.
Born Mary Frances O’Day on December 30th
1920 in Brookline, MA to John R. O’Day and Mildred Dyer O’Day, she
attended Miss May School and became the first class president of the
newly formed Brimmer and May School. A former Boston debutante she was
presented in 1940. In 1943 she married Charles William Mulcahy Jr. a
naval aviator who after World War II graduated from law school and then
joined his father’s firm. The couple lived in Chestnut Hill, MA with
their four children where Mary cared for her family and volunteered at
the Boston Lying-in Hospital. In 1971 they moved to Hamilton, MA.
Longtime members of the Myopia Hunt Club, Mary was an enthusiastic
supporter of Myopia Polo and could be seen any given Sunday summer
afternoon at ‘the field’ cheering on her son ‘Billy.’ She also enjoyed
spending summer days with her children and friends knitting on the beach
at the “B & T” in Magnolia.
Dubbed “Whamo” by the first of her seven
grandchildren, Mary would become the ultimate grandmother. She loved
nothing more than the sound of children laughing in her home and often
with their help provoked her unique brand of benign chaos. An eager
co-conspirator in their numerous childhood adventures, Mary was their
very own “Auntie Mame.”
She is survived by her four children Ann Mulcahy
Andrew of Gloucester, Charles William Mulcahy III of Hamilton, Carol
Kennedy and husband B. Mack Kennedy of Alameda, CA, and Joan Hersey and
her husband Dana of Ipswich. Along with her seven grandchildren, she is
also survived by a brother John O’Day of Framingham and a sister Ann
O’Day Farrington of CA. She was the sister of the late Walter Chapin,
formerly of CT, George O’Day, formerly of Dover and Dorothy O’Day Noyes,
formerly of Darien, CT.
Her enormous heart, profound sense of humor and
unconventional manner were inspirational to all who knew her. She
lived to brighten the world of those around her and will be so dearly
missed.
A private
graveside service will be held at the Walnut Hills Cemetery in
Brookline. Arrangements by the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home of Ipswich.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to
Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA
01923.
