Obituary of Mary E. Shaughnessy

Mary E. Shaughnessy, 86, formerly of 119 Price St. in Jamestown, passed away Friday, July 16, 2010 at St. Paul Homes in Greenville, PA after an elegant endurance of various chronic illnesses. Born on July 22, 1923 in Presque Isle, Maine, the daughter of the late Albert and Verna O'Brien Hayes, Mary graduated from St. Elizabeth's College in Convent Station, NJ in 1946 with a BA in English. She reported society news and general features for the Bangor (Maine) Daily News from 1946 until her marriage to fellow reporter William A. Shaughnessy in 1951, to whom she was lovingly devoted until his death in 1994. Together they raised six grateful children. Mary worked as a librarian at St. Bonaventure University from 1951 to 1953 and at the Health Science Library of WCA Hospital in Jamestown from 1983 until 1993. Mary loved God, prayed and worshipped frequently, took a passionate interest in the practical consequences of the Paschal Mystery, and was an active parishioner of Holy Apostles Parish, Ss Peter & Paul Church for decades as a lector and volunteer. She loved making music and listening to it, and instilled that love in those close to her, eventually serving on the Jamestown Concert Assoc. Board in her later years. She loved family and friends, and, as master of the one-on-one gabfest, the conversations that accompanied them. Cherishing children and their world, she volunteered extensively with friends in pro-life women's services, including the Choose Life Center of Jamestown. She treasured good writing, literature, and poetry - often giving books as gifts - and for several years volunteered to read for the visually impaired over the Radio Update Reading Service. She is survived by her brother Rev. James Hayes of Scarborough, ME; her five children: Mary Prunty of Arlington VA, Rev. William G. Shaughnessy of Washington DC, Dr. Patrick Shaughnessy of Greenville PA, Dr. Jim Shaughnessy of Long Beach CA and Annie Shaughnessy of Northboro MA; as well as thirteen grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Colleen, Maureen, and Kathleen Shaughnessy; Bill and Kevin Blatz; Nicole Knight-Eaton, Shantal Villarroel and Brian Prunty; Danny Shaughnessy; Cyonna and Mauricio Prunty; Alaina Prunty, and Anthony Villarroel. She was blessed by the good company of daughter-in-law Maggie Shaughnessy of Greenville, and son-in-law Perry Blatz of Pittsburgh, as well as many extended family members and loyal friends. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Kathleen Blatz and two brothers, Rev. Patrick Hayes and Jack Hayes. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 21st in Holy Apostles Parish, Ss Peter & Paul Church. The Rev. Shaughnessy and the Rev. Dennis W. Mende will be concelebrants, with committal in Holy Cross Cemetery immediately following. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Lind Funeral Home, where a Christian Wake Service will be led at 1:45 p.m. Memorials may be made to Holy Apostles Parish, Ss Peter & Paul Church, 508 Cherry St., Jamestown, NY 14701; St. Paul Homes Foundation, 339 E. Jamestown Road, Greenville, PA 16125; or St. Michael Catholic Church, Greenville, PA 16125.