Age 88, of Brewster, formerly of Melrose, died Nov. 10 at Cape Cod Hospital with family present after a brief illness. Mary grew up in Brighton, raised a family in Melrose, and delighted in everything about Cape Cod where she moved about 25 years ago.
A graduate of St. Columbkille's High School in Brighton, Mary was the daughter of the late Patrick F. and Anne W. (Linnane) Guerin of Brighton, and the sister of the late John Guerin of Winchester and the late Ann E. Hohmann of Newton.
She was married to James C. Mooney until his death in 1987, living for a few years in Natick before they moved to Melrose where they raised a son, Brian C. Mooney of Andover and a daughter, Lisa A McDonald of Third Lake Ill. In addition to her children, she is survived by their spouses, Rosemary Lappin Mooney and John J. McDonald, Jr., a granddaughter, Meredith Lappin Mooney Cunningham, of Brighton, and a granddog Sasha.
Mary traveled extensively with her first husband, Jimmy, and later with her former husband, the late Alex Silvagni of Peabody. She was a supporter of the arts, especially the Boston Ballet Company, the Cape playhouse and other summer theatre companies on the Cape. Her needlepoint pieces were extraordinary, and she loved reading, her book clubs, the movies, and Sunday morning political shows on TV. She cherished the tranquility of visits to Rock Harbor in Orleans and the scenic ocean overlooks at Fort Hill in Eastham and Chatham Light.
Mary's family thanks the staff and residents of The Woodlands Assisted Living community in Brewster for their care, compassion, and understanding late in her life.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 10 a.m. at Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., followed by burial at Wyoming Cemetery, both in Melrose. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in her memory to the Brewster Conservation Trust, 36 Red Top Road, Brewster MA 02631, or the Melrose Public Library, 69 West Emerson St., Melrose MA 02176.
