MAUREEN MCNAMARA

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MAUREEN MCNAMARA November 3, 1919 - March 3, 2007 At last, Maureen has passed into the safety of her Lord's arms following a lengthy struggle with the devastation of Alzheimer's. She has gone on to join her beloved Jim, her husband of 48 years, who predeceased her in 1987; and her parents Thomas and Ellen Dolaghan. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Maureen came to Canada in 1956 to leave behind the sectarian problems and poor employment opportunities for Irish Catholics. Canada became her adopted home and she celebrated the greatness this country had to offer her young family. She worked all of her life in the retail sector beginning with the Saxone Shoe Company in Belfast and moving on to a 25-year career with F.W. Woolworth's and Woolco. Maureen loved her positions with Woolco, helping to open 19 stores in Western Canada. In addition to her many personal accomplishments there is one that stands out as a remarkable achievement. She overcame the struggle with alcoholism through her own inner strength and the power of our Lord. This triumph led her to reconnect with her church, becoming an important part of her later life. Maureen is survived by her son Tony (Helen) in Texas, son Greg (Anne) in Regina; grandchildren, Lisa (Paul) in Calgary, Shamus in Vancouver and Jeffrey (Daisy), Owen (Andrea), and Liam, all of Regina. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Austin, Zoey and Emma Rose. We wish to extend our most heartfelt gratitude to Roseann White, Rhonda Tityk and her beautiful children Alyssa and Melissa who spent countless hours with Maureen; as well, our gratitude to the amazing staff at Eastview Lodge in Neepawa who provided exceptional care to Mom. A private family service was held in Neepawa. A Requiem mass for the repose of her soul will be held at Our Lady of Victory in Winnipeg in June. In keeping with her biting Irish humour, Maureen always joked that she hoped to be in Heaven a half an hour before the devil knew she was dead. Congratulations Mom, you got your wish. Donations may be made to the Manitoba Alzheimer's Society.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 06, 2007