Theresa Herlihy Meade

Theresa Herlihy Meade passed away Saturday, January 19, 2019, at the age of 85 years after a long fight to recover from a stroke suffered 4 years ago. Family and friends surrounded her at her passing.

Theresa was preceded in death by her husband of 34 years, Patrick Joseph Meade, Jr., and sister Margaret Morris (William).

Theresa will be lovingly remembered by her children, son Paul Gerard, daughter Regina Mary, son Christopher John (Carolyn), son John Garvey (Claire), her brother, Michael Herlihy (Lucille), grandson Jackson Maguire, grandson Cavan Mangum, grandson Evan Joseph, and grandson Jacob William. Theresa will also be forever remembered by her numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and many friends.

Theresa was born on January 4, 1934 in the Borough of the Bronx, New York, the second daughter to Joseph Herlihy and Mary “Molly” Herlihy (nee McTigue). She, her older sister, Margaret, and younger brother, Michael, grew up in College Point, New York. Theresa was a graduate of Hunter College and began her career teaching elementary school children. She traveled the world with her mother and sister before she married, visiting countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Theresa loved exploring new places and traveling throughout the United States and overseas - a passion continued with her family throughout her life. She married Patrick Joseph Meade, Jr. on June 30, 1962, at Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in College Point, New York; the couple then settled in Arlington, Virginia.

Patrick’s work for the U.S. government took him and Theresa to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain from 1966-1971. While overseas, Theresa gave birth to two children, Paul and Regina. The family returned to Annandale, Virginia in late 1971 where Theresa had two more children, Christopher and John Garvey. On November 11, 1976, the family moved to a home they designed and built on 5 acres in Fairfax Station, Virginia, so that Theresa could realize her childhood dream of owning and caring for horses and a menagerie of other pets. Theresa had many interests and hobbies, including riding horses; caring for animals; volunteering; helping others; swimming; woodworking; teaching children; ceramics; arts and crafts; reading; recycling; singing, playing and listening to music; baking; gardening; finding unusual and whimsical gifts for her grandchildren; and collecting odds and ends. Theresa lived in Fairfax Station, Virginia as a vibrant member of the community for the remainder of her life.

Theresa was a board member, trustee, life member and volunteer in many organizations in the northern Virginia area, including the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, the Girl Scouts, the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, the Clifton Community Woman’s Club, the Dominion Valley Garden Club, the Fairfax County 4-H Program, the 4-H Extension Homemakers, the Women’s Auxiliary for the Centreville Volunteer Fire Department, the George Mason University Center for the Arts, the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the Reston Community Center, the Bull Run Civil War Roundtable, the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, the Fairfax County Board of Elections, the Glenverdant Homeowners’ Association, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, Saint Leo the Great Catholic Church and Saint Clare of Assisi Catholic Church.

A Funeral Service in memory of Theresa will be held on February 8, 2019, at 10am at Saint Clare of Assisi Catholic Church in Clifton, Virginia. A wake is also planned for Thursday, February 7, 2019 from 5pm to 9pm at Demaine Funeral Home in Fairfax, Virginia. The family will receive condolences and celebrate Theresa’s life at a reception to follow the services at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum beginning at 2pm on Friday, February 8, 2019.

While floral arrangements are kindly appreciated, the family requests memorial donations in Theresa’s memory to any or all of the following organizations: the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (www.nvtrp.org or via check to NVTRP, 6429 Clifton Rd., Clifton, VA 20124), the Centerville Volunteer Fire Department (http://www.cvfd.org/ or via check to CVFD, P.O. Box 157 - Centreville, Virginia 20122), the Clifton Community Woman’s Club (http://cliftoncwc.org/ or via check to CCWC, P.O. Box 229, Clifton, Virginia 20124), and the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum (www.fairfax-station.org or via check to Friends of Fairfax Station, 11200 Fairfax Station Road, P.O., Box 7, Fairfax Station, VA 22039).