Mary H. Flaherty, 89, of Cold Spring, died June 27.
She was born in Peekskill on Aug. 2, 1931, the daughter of Michael and Mary (Ryan) Guzi. On Feb. 20, 1954, at the Assumption Church in Peekskill, she married William “Bill” Flaherty of Verplank. The couple moved to Cold Spring, where they raised five children.
Mary graduated from Hendrick Hudson High School in 1948 and the Cochran School of Nursing in 1951. She also held a master’s degree in nursing from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.
She began her career as an RN at Peekskill Hospital. After starting a family, she earned her accreditation in teaching from Russel Sage College and began a new career as a school nurse teacher at Haldane and the Garrison School. She then returned to Hudson Valley Hospital and retired as its director of quality management.
After retiring from the medical field, Mary became an artist, painting in oils in the style of the Hudson River School.
She was always available to give guidance, love, and care to her family and anyone else, her family said. She cooked, baked and hosted every Thanksgiving for a large gathering of family and friends for more than 60 years. Another great joy was spending time with her husband, and they traveled the globe while building a stable home to come back to after a long journey, her family said.
Mary is survived by her children: William Flaherty (Deborah) of Beacon; Timothy Flaherty of Norwalk, Connecticut; Joann Sherman (Jamie) of Cold Spring; Robert Flaherty (Annette) of Cold Spring; Bridget O’Brien (Kevin) of Cohasset, Massachusetts.
She is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Meghan Mekeel (Kenneth); Erin, Morgan, William Flaherty of Beacon; Rachel McNamara (Joseph) of Abington, Massachusetts; Kelsey Flaherty (fiancé Ray DiFrancesco) of Cold Spring; Connor, Thomas and Caroline O’Brien of Cohasset; and James Sherman of Cold Spring; and two great-grandchildren, Hunter and Harper Mekeel of Beacon.
Friends may call on Thursday (July 1) from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Clinton Funeral Home, 21 Parrott St., in Cold Spring. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday (July 2) at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Loretto in Cold Spring, with interment to follow in Cold Spring Cemetery.
