Obituary of Mary L. "May" (Dunleavy) McDermott

Mary L. “May” (Dunleavy) McDermott PEABODY – Mary L. “May” (Dunleavy) McDermott, 100, longtime Peabody resident passed peacefully on Monday afternoon, March 21, 2016 surrounded by her family. She was the wife of the late Harold McDermott who was the love of her life. May was devoted to her family who in turn were devoted to her. May lived life to the fullest and loved and enjoyed the people around her. She was a born “hostess with the mostest” whose door was always open. Many a cup o’tea was poured and homemade blueberry cake shared with friends and family on her sun porch or at her kitchen table. May was an avid sports fan who loved watching Red Sox baseball and the Patriots, Boston College and Notre Dame football games. May was a lifelong member of St. John the Baptist Church in Peabody, and was a member of the Ladies Sodality. She was also a past board member in the early years of Bass River, Inc. in Beverly, an organization that assists adults with developmental disabilities and who cared for her daughter throughout the years. May embraced her Irish heritage. Every Saturday, without fail, she would tune into the Irish music on WROL radio. Everyone who knew May would call her on St. Patrick’s Day just to hear her answer the phone with “Top of the Mornin’ to you.” She would get over 50 calls on that day and would bring a smile to the face of all her callers. The McDermott Family would like to thank the staff of Hathorne Hill in Danvers, where May resided for the past seven years, for their great loving care and kindness. May is survived by her three sons (each one believing they were her favorite): Robert & his wife Dianne of Raymond, NH, James & his wife Mary of Danvers, and Michael & his wife Anne of Wenham along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and her very special cousins the Morrisons. She was predeceased by her daughter Maureen, brothers Joseph, John and Frank Dunleavy, sisters Marguerite Manning and Celeste “Sister” Cronin and many other close relatives, friends and neighbors. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to gather on Thursday March 24, 2016 at 10 AM from the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody, followed by a Funeral Service Liturgy at 11 AM in St. John the Baptist Church, Peabody. A visitation will be held Wednesday from 5 – 8 P.M. in the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to May’s favorite charity Bass River, Inc., 437 Essex St., Beverly, MA 01915.