Obituary for Mary A. Riley (Meehan)
On Wednesday, June 28th, 2023, Mary Alice Riley, a beloved mother and grandmother passed away at her home surrounded by family. She was 91.
Born on April 26th, 1932 to Mary Jane and Thomas Joseph Meehan Sr., Mary grew up in Jamaica Plain, the eldest of four siblings. Mary graduated from Jamaica Plain High School in 1949 and later went on to meet the love of her life, Frank Riley, whom she would raise three beautiful daughters with. Before she graduated, Mary listed her greatest ambition at the time as, “To do everything to the best of my ability.” To say she accomplished this goal would be an understatement. At a time when women working was less common, Mary fought to be an active member of the work force and she succeeded. She completed clerical training and started her career at Boston City Hospital, and decades later two of her granddaughters would both become nurses, bringing Mary much pride. Mary would later work for 22 years as the Executive Assistant in the Public Works Department for the Town of Arlington.
Mary had an exuberant spirit and zest for life that she carried with her throughout her journey. She loved participating in her local bowling league, dancing with Frank, grabbing lunch with friends, shopping, and travelling the world. She even lived in Colombia for two years, and later went on to visit over 10 different countries. As the matriarch of the family, she also passed down invaluable life lessons, one of the most important being to, “Never say no to dessert.” Mary never knew a stranger and could make the toughest of critiques burst out into laughter with her witty humor. Mary was strong in her Catholic faith and a dedicated member of the St. Eulalia’s Church Choir for thirty years. She passed down her musical talents to her only grandson, Luis, and enjoyed attending numerous orchestral performances all over the Northeast. Mary also had a competitive streak which she displayed both at the bingo and card tables. She happily taught all of her grandkids gin rummy, and never let them win, no matter how young they were. Mary was the embodiment of living life to the fullest and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Frank and two brothers, Thomas and John Meehan. She is survived by her sister Ann Lally, three daughters, Elizabeth Riley, Alice (and David) Hemenway and Mary Riley-Jácome. During Mary’s final years, her daughter Elizabeth acted as her caregiver, providing her with around the clock love, support and ice cream. Mary also leaves behind her four grandchildren, Alicia (and Scott) McVay, Katie (and Ivan) Perun, Luis Jácome and Mariela Jácome. Mary’s family would like to give a special thank you to the Chateau Restaurant staff that kept Mary well fed, and the hospice team that compassionately took care of Mary in her final weeks.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Eulalia Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester on Saturday, July 1st at 11am. A Visitation will be held from the Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Chestnut Street, ARLINGTON, before mass from 9-10:30am. Her burial will follow in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Arlington, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Eulalia’s Church. For messages of condolence, please visit www.keefefuneralhome.com
Born on April 26th, 1932 to Mary Jane and Thomas Joseph Meehan Sr., Mary grew up in Jamaica Plain, the eldest of four siblings. Mary graduated from Jamaica Plain High School in 1949 and later went on to meet the love of her life, Frank Riley, whom she would raise three beautiful daughters with. Before she graduated, Mary listed her greatest ambition at the time as, “To do everything to the best of my ability.” To say she accomplished this goal would be an understatement. At a time when women working was less common, Mary fought to be an active member of the work force and she succeeded. She completed clerical training and started her career at Boston City Hospital, and decades later two of her granddaughters would both become nurses, bringing Mary much pride. Mary would later work for 22 years as the Executive Assistant in the Public Works Department for the Town of Arlington.
Mary had an exuberant spirit and zest for life that she carried with her throughout her journey. She loved participating in her local bowling league, dancing with Frank, grabbing lunch with friends, shopping, and travelling the world. She even lived in Colombia for two years, and later went on to visit over 10 different countries. As the matriarch of the family, she also passed down invaluable life lessons, one of the most important being to, “Never say no to dessert.” Mary never knew a stranger and could make the toughest of critiques burst out into laughter with her witty humor. Mary was strong in her Catholic faith and a dedicated member of the St. Eulalia’s Church Choir for thirty years. She passed down her musical talents to her only grandson, Luis, and enjoyed attending numerous orchestral performances all over the Northeast. Mary also had a competitive streak which she displayed both at the bingo and card tables. She happily taught all of her grandkids gin rummy, and never let them win, no matter how young they were. Mary was the embodiment of living life to the fullest and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Frank and two brothers, Thomas and John Meehan. She is survived by her sister Ann Lally, three daughters, Elizabeth Riley, Alice (and David) Hemenway and Mary Riley-Jácome. During Mary’s final years, her daughter Elizabeth acted as her caregiver, providing her with around the clock love, support and ice cream. Mary also leaves behind her four grandchildren, Alicia (and Scott) McVay, Katie (and Ivan) Perun, Luis Jácome and Mariela Jácome. Mary’s family would like to give a special thank you to the Chateau Restaurant staff that kept Mary well fed, and the hospice team that compassionately took care of Mary in her final weeks.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Eulalia Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester on Saturday, July 1st at 11am. A Visitation will be held from the Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Chestnut Street, ARLINGTON, before mass from 9-10:30am. Her burial will follow in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Arlington, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Eulalia’s Church. For messages of condolence, please visit www.keefefuneralhome.com