Obituary of Mary U. (Leahy) Hudnall

Mary U. (Leahy) Hudnall, R.N., 95 of Peabody, died peacefully on Monday morning, August 10, 2015 at the Rosewood Rehab and Nursing Center, Peabody. She was the devoted wife of Clyde Hudnall for 68 years. Mary was born in Malden, MA on December 21, 1919, the daughter of the late Dennis and Theresa (Byrne) Leahy. She was a graduate of Girls Catholic High School, trained as a nurse at Carney Hospital, and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Boston College. Mary entered the United States Navy in 1943 and served overseas in the Pacific theatre operations including the landing at Iwo Jima. Following her discharge in 1947, she worked as a nurse at the Union Hospital in Lynn, the Hunt Hospital in Danvers, the American Red Cross in Peabody and finally at the Salem Visiting Nurse Association in Salem. Mary had been a member of the Peabody Women’s Club, the Peabody Historical Society, the Peabody Garden Club, AARP, and recently attended knitting classes at the Peabody Senior Citizens Center. She was also a member of Old Ironsides, Unit 17 and the Iwo Jima Survivor’s Unit. She is survived by her husband Clyde, a daughter, Denise Sokolsky and her husband, Joel, her four grandchildren, Michael Sirianni and his wife Tara, Jared Sokolsky and his wife Paige, Mark Sokolsky and his wife Alice, and Rachel Sokolsky, two great grandchildren, David Sirianni and Pierce Sokolsky, two sisters, Louise Dunn of Bedford, NH and Barbara Brownlie of Nahant, MA and many nieces and nephews. She was the mother of the late Donald Hudnall and the sister of the late Paul and Joseph Leahy. A Visitation will be held on Thursday from 4:00 until 8:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody followed by a Funeral Mass on Friday in St. Adelaide’s Church, 708 Lowell St., Peabody at 10:00 AM. Burial will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the National Coalition for the Homeless Veterans, 2201 P. St., Washington DC 20037 in her memory.