Mary Theresa Flaherty

Beloved wife of Richard (Dick), loving mother of Mary-Jo Atkinson (Dan), Rick Flaherty, and Theresa Bates (Adam).

Always fun Granny to Mick, Colleen (Ned) and James Atkinson, Lauren (Rob) and Chris (Laura) Flaherty, Andrew Keown, Keith and Laura Hetherington. Great Granny to four Flaherty children, Drew, and soon to arrive, Jack.

Mary grew up in Toronto the daughter of Margaret and Charles Morrison along with her six siblings. Predeceased by George (Fran), Margaret (Art), Shirley, Thelma, and brothers-in-law Jim & Sam. Survived by her sisters Thora & Kathleen. Mary & her siblings always remained close with annual reunions and visits that united up to four generations together, filled with fun & laughter. The support her family members were to each other was significant and an ideal model for each of their children that followed.

One part of her life that Mary always counted as her greatest success was falling in love and marrying Dick. The love she had for him was not typical; it was committed, life-long and resulted in a 71-year marriage.

Those who knew her may recall her love of dancing. This began in childhood with Highland dance competitions with her sister continuing onto the dance floor with Dick. Yes, the height difference was always evident but that didn’t matter. They would float as if on a cloud. She had a beautiful singing voice and she and Dick were quite comfortable singing in church and in their home. She also loved athletics whether in the bowling alley (very skilled), on the squash court (killer instinct), curling rink (not bad) or golf course (admittedly not her strongest sport).

She loved bright colours in her home and her clothes. She was a very talented seamstress / tailor and made everything from pyjamas and nighties at Christmas to the best Halloween costumes to matching dresses for her daughters. For herself she made most of her clothes for everyday and for parties. She even made sports jackets for Dick and her son. She could knit and crochet beautifully. She knit baby bonnets and booties for preemies in hospital. She crocheted afghans for gifts but not often as they were so time consuming.

She loved sunshine year-round and a fireplace in the cooler weather. She was never too warm. She loved reading; the Dune series was reread many, many times. She loved Star Trek right from the first TV episode.

Mary’s dedication to Dick, family, friends, the Church and her community were constant as was the care and attention she paid to creating a home for her children on an idyllic street in Scarborough giving them all lasting friends & memories. She loved playing euchre and bridge with her friends for fun or in the club. She loved to host parties for friends and family. She loved decorating cakes for every special occasion and was known for her many gingerbread houses at Christmas.

As Mary & Dick welcomed grandchildren, they decided to purchase “The Little House” in Ennismore and shared this retreat with family & friends for many years.

We would like to thank The Wexford 2nd floor team for their loving & gentle care of Mary for many years.

A visitation will be held at Paul O'Connor Funeral Home, located at 1939 Lawrence Ave. E, Scarborough, ON, M1R 2Y8, Canada, on Friday January 30, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The funeral mass will take place at Precious Blood Parish, located at 1737 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON, M1R 2X7, Canada, on Saturday January 31, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Spring interment in Ennismore.

Donations may be made to Alzheimer Society of Canada.