Obituary of Mary Theresa Flahie

Mary Theresa Flahie

January 11, 1934 – October 14, 2019

Mary was born in Toledo, Ohio, to Margaret Kelly (O’Sullivan) and Edward Kelly, the eldest of two daughters and three sons.  She met her husband of 62 years, Thomas Flahie, at Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio.  They married in 1956, after she graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in Toledo, Ohio.  After Tom’s service at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Mary and Tom moved their family to Tucson, Arizona, where they lived for 58 years.  Mary worked at Tucson Medical Center in various capacities and medical units her entire working life, only taking time off when her children were very young.  Mary maintained the household, raised four children, and helped three grandchildren with their homework after school until they were in high school.

The most important aspect of her life was her family.  She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and “Gigi,” and she was the host of nearly all holiday gatherings, family dinners, and other events.  She loved to have her family around her and she made every event special.  The welcome mat was always out and there was an extra place at the table for whoever stopped by.

Mary and Tom raised four children: Thomas (Janice), Colleen (Patrick), Maureen (Henry), and Irene (Mark).  She was blessed with eleven grandchildren: Carlo, Anneliese (Jason), Brigid (Travis), Kelly (Michael), Ryan, Jason, Dominic, Anthony, Mary Margaret, Nicholas and Anne Marie, and six great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother (Edward), daughter (Colleen), and two grandchildren (Dominic and Mary Margaret)

Friends and family will celebrate her life at a funeral mass to be held at St. Joseph Catholic Church (215 S. Craycroft Rd.) on Monday, October 21, at 10:00 AM and interment will follow at All Faiths Memorial Park (2151 S. Avenida Los Reyes) in Tucson, Arizona.

Donations in her memory can be made to Casa de la Luz Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports end of life care in Tucson, Arizona.