Mary Elizabeth McElhatton Ferrara, 91, of Damariscotta, a former resident of Stamford and Greenwich, Conn., died peacefully on May 30.
She was born in New York City on May 27, 1920. At two years old Mary traveled to Dunamore in Co Tyrone, Ireland with her parents, Elizabeth Ann Gillespie and Frank McElhatton and lived there with her five siblings until she was 18 years old. Always curious about the country of her birth, she traveled pre-WWII first to New York City, later to settle in Stamford in the early 1940s. There she met and married Joseph Ferrara of Old Greenwich who predeceased her in 1989.
Mary spent her career in varying aspects of the retail grocery business in Stamford, Norwalk and finally Greenwich and was proud to be a member of The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). She dedicated decades to volunteer work with substance abuse outreach, St Joseph’s Hospital Women’s Auxiliary and embraced her Roman Catholic faith and service in the Rosary Society at St. John’s Catholic Church in Stamford.
Mary is survived by her children, Claire, Kathleen and Joseph and their spouses Dan, Carmyn and Nikola; grandchildren, Daniel, Andrew and Jennifer Mocarski, Pauline Mary Lombardo and Brian Ferraro; brothers, John and Frank McElhatton in Ireland; and several nieces and nephews in the US, Canada and the UK.
Family and friends may call 4-8 p.m., Fri., June 3 at Leo P. Gallagher & Sons, 2900 Summer St., Stamford, Conn. Mass will be celebrated 9 a.m., Sat., June 4 at St John’s RC Church, 279 Atlantic St., Stamford, followed by interment at St. Mary’s cemetery in Greenwich, Conn.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Hodgdon Green, 6 Hodgdon St., PO Box 652, Damariscotta, ME 04543.
Online condolences may be made at www.leopgallagherstamford.com.
