Marion Peg O'Leary

SOUTH PORTLAND - Marion "Peg" O'Leary, 99, formerly of Goudy Street, died peacefully on Saturday, February 8, 2014 at the South Portland Nursing Facility. She was born in Portland, Maine on April 22, 1914 the daughter of the late Robert V. and Marion L. Priestly Horan. She graduated from Dorchester High School, Dorchester, MA in the Class of 1932, furthering her education at Massachusetts Memorial Hospital becoming a Registered Nurse. On August 5, 1940 she married James E. O'Leary. Peg worked her entire career as a nurse, she served as a supervisor at the old Children's Hospital in Portland, an nursing instructor at Mercy Hospital, at the orthopedic and clinic at Maine General Hospital and worked as the office nurse and "Girl Friday" for Dr. Thomas A. Martin Sr. for thirty years, due to her hearing loss, Dr. Martin had a hearing assisted phone installed at the office and her home; the first in Maine. She retired in 1976. Being deaf in one ear as a child and then losing hearing in the other ear in the 1940's, never kept Peg from achieving her goals and being competent in the nursing field. In her spare time she served in the Maine State Nurses Association, Massachusetts Memorial Hospital Alumni, Treasurer of the Maine Medical Assistants Group, Cheverus Mothers Club, Holy Cross Sodality and a member of the 400 Club. She was a devout Catholic and a longtime communicant of Holy Cross Church in South Portland. She was an avid reader, completed daily newspaper crosswords, enjoyed knitting, kept a daily journal, Red Sox fan, Celtics fan. Peg was predeceased by her husband James E. O' Leary on March 6, 1992 and a brother Donald Horan. She is survived by a daughter Judith and her husband Robert Balko of South Portland; two sons Timothy and his wife Joyce O'Leary of Arizona and Robert O'Leary of South Portland; eight grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2014 from 2:00 to 4:00pm at the Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway. Prayers will be recited at 10:15 at the funeral home on Monday, February 17, 2014 followed by an 11:00am Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Cross Church 124 Cottage Road, South Portland. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. Those who wish may make contributions in Peg's memory to: South Portland Public Library, 482 Broadway, South Portland, ME 04106.Online condolences may be expressed below.