Sarah Mary Lennon

LENNON, Sarah M. (nee Brennan) on February 26, 2014. Born 1914 in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, Ireland. Beloved wife of the late Francis "Frank" Lennon. Loving mother of Anna, Kathleen, Edward, Margaret, Eileen, Sarah and Sheila. Cherished grandmother of 16 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Reposing at Quinn-Fogarty Funeral Home, 162-14 Sanford Ave., Flushing, NY on Saturday 5-7, Sunday 2-5, 7-9. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:45 Monday at St. Andrew Avellino, Flushing, NY. Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Eulogy for Sarah “Nanny” Lennon (1914 – 2014)

(As delivered at St. Andrew’s Church on March 3rd 2014 by her grandson, Edward Linekin)

We are here today to pay tribute to and celebrate a life well lived.

Nanny Lennon leaves behind a legacy that includes 7 children, 16 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, 1 great, great grandchild and countless others who were blessed to have had known her in her nearly 100 years on this earth.

Sarah Brennan was born on May 14th 1914 in County Monaghan, Ireland. She was the middle child of 7 children of Dan and Catherine Brennan, two hard working farmers whose children were all expected to help run the family farm. Nanny spent much of her early childhood helping out on the farm and was required, among other chores, to milk the cows each morning before she went off to school.

Nanny never attended high school, for she took a job as a caretaker or “children’s nurse” to two young children, the McNaul’s, when she became a teenager. But what she lacked in formal education, she more than made up for in understanding the deeper meaning of life well lived; strong faith, a dedication to family and life of service.

I think it was best said by Dr. Donald McNaul, who had travelled to America when he was in his seventies to thank Nanny for being such a wonderful caretaker…and what he saidwas this “she was the kindest and most gentle person I have ever known”. I can echo that sentiment and I believe all of you in this church would do the same. Nanny Lennon was the kindest and most gentle person I have ever known.

Nanny’s father died when she was a young girl of 12 years old. After that event, she watched how hard she, her mother and her siblings worked to take care of the family farm. It was the memories of those hard years that led her to form one of her earliest convictions; she did not want to be a farmer’s wife; and for a young woman in 1930’s County Monaghan, there wasn’t much else.

It was in 1936, after having spent the prior 10 years working in America, that Frank Lennon returned home to Ireland with the purpose of buying a farm so that he could start his life. He came across a beautiful plot of land for sale that fit all that he was looking for. Fortunately for us, it was slightly more expensive than he had money in his pocket; for back then, there weren’t many mortgages or banks to loan you money. You either had enough to buy the land or you did not, and Frank did not. So he went to his father to ask him for a small loan to bridge the gap, but his father said no. Whether his father did not have the money or, perhaps, wanted his son to return to America, we’ll never know.

What we do know is that at the same time he was trying to buy the land, Frank Lennon also noticed that his neighbor, Sarah Brennan, was no longer the little girl he had left in Ireland 10 years ago. She was now a beautiful 22-year-old young woman. It was after a party at his family’s home that he first approached her and asked to walk her home. It was that first encounter that led to a 2-year writing campaign when Frank returned to America 2 weeks later.

In one of those trans-atlantic letters, Papa posed a question to Nanny composed of 8 simple words that changed his and our lives forever…and the question was this…“have you ever thought of coming to America?” Nanny’s response was immediate, “Yes, I have” she replied.

Papa, upon receiving her response, immediately went up to Auntie Bids, who was Nanny’s older cousin living in the Bronx, and asked if Sarah could stay with her when she came to America? “Of course” was Auntie Bids reply. Papa then went down to the docks in Battery Park and purchased a one- way ticket on a steamship from Ireland to New York and mailed it to Nanny in his next letter back to Ireland.

Sarah Brennan arrived on the shores of New York with $600 in her pocket on June 30th 1938. Papa met her at the dock and took her up to Auntie Bids where there were multiple days of celebration.

Frank Lennon, being blessed with the legendary romance of an Irish farmer, proposed soon thereafter. On July 24th, 1938, 24 days after Nanny first set foot in America, they were married. She moved into an apartment in Brooklyn the very same day and became pregnant with her first child, two months later.

To put all of this into perspective, Nanny left everything that she knew in Ireland and traveled to America…moved into an apartment in the Bronx…got married…moved into an apartment in Brooklyn…and conceived a child, all within a span of 3 months. Courage is not the first attribute that comes to mind when we think about Nanny…and that is because her kindness was so overpowering…but she was the real deal.

Over the next 9 years they would have 7 children, Anna, Kay, Eddie, Margie, Eileen, Sarah & Sheila.

In August of 1945, 19 years after Papa first set foot in America and 3 months after the end of World War II, Nanny and Papa purchased their first and only home on 160th street in Flushing. They paid $8,000 for what would eventually become home base and a place of comfort for generations of friends and family.

Part of the reason why Nanny Lennon’s story is so compelling is because it is really the story of America. An immigrant travels to the shores of the U.S. with very little in her pocket…to marry, raise a family and practice her religion. For it was Nanny’s generation, those people born in America and around the world in the early 1900’s, whose men fought in great wars for great principles and whose women, none better exemplified than Nanny Lennon, raised families built on a foundation of hard work, faith and character.

Faith was one of the great joys of Nanny’s life and she had a very special connection with God…so much so that it became almost a ritual to ask her to light a candle and pray a rosary whenever someone became ill or pregnant or was trying to become pregnant. It always seemed to work out when Nanny got involved.

She first started coming to this church in 1945, sitting right over there with Papa. She wanted all of her children to be well grounded in the Catholic faith, and sent them all to school here at St. Andrew’s. Her faith was the core of her foundation.

Along with faith, family was paramount in Nanny’s life. Her innate desire to help and serve others made her a wonderful mother and grandmother. Over the last few years, whenever I was fortunate enough to talk about Nanny with one of her children, there was always a common thread in their replies…one, that she was a great mother and two, that they had a wonderful childhood. What a testament to a life well lived.

Of the many beautiful attributes that Nanny possessed though, one of the most unheralded was her ability to listen. She was a great listener, a skill that’s in too short supply in today’s world. I think part of the reason why Nanny was such a good listener is that she understood the uselessness of pining over yesterday or worrying about tomorrow. Her faith allowed her to know, at a very deep level, that God does not reside in the past or the future. She intuitively knew that God only resides in the present, which is where Nanny chose to spend her time…with God and us, in the present.

She would put on a pot of tea, break out some social tea cookies, and sit down and listen…and if things got intense, she might reach for the ice cream and Cool Whip in the freezer…all the while, talking occasionally, nodding her head often and throwing a few “Ach No’s” just to let you know you were being heard. And only after you had said more than your fair share of words, would she offer her advice or comments….a truly wonderful display of humanity.

Perhaps that is why God smiled on her so often…for she was really good at life. You know, we can look at a flower, or a painting or a sunset and be in awe at the beauty, but very rarely can you look at the summation of a person’s life and say “that was a thing of beauty”…beautiful in the context that you know God is saying the same thing right now.

As we stand on our shores, even though we know it was the right time for her to go, we still mourn because Nanny has left us…but that is only half of the equation. For on the other shore, they have joyfully awaited Nanny’s arrival for many years.

I can envision Nanny walking up to the gates of Heaven…and as she approaches, St Peter reverently whispers “she’s here”...and heaven becomes quiet…and a crowd begins to form…and the crowd is filled with her parents…her brothers and sisters…her childhood friends from Ireland…her many friends from America…and Papa…and Matthew…and they are all smiling…and the crowd slowly begins to part….and Jesus walks towards Nanny with His arms wide open and says…“Well done Sarah, well done”…and then He hugs her tightly….and whispers in her ear………………………”Thank you.”

We will miss you Nanny, and on behalf of everyone in this church, I say thank you…thank you for the love…thank you the kindness….and thank you for the compassion that you have shared with us throughout your life.

Peace