Grace FitzSimmons Fay, 92, a resident of Winchester for 62 years, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family, April 11, 2013 at the Winchester Nursing Center. Born in Boston, MA, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Henry J. FitzSimmons and E. Grace (Rogers) FitzSimmons.
Grace attended the Segar School and Jamaica Plain High School. Shortly after graduation from Simmons College in 1943, with a degree in nursing, she joined the U.S. Navy serving as a Navy Nurse during WWII. While stationed in Trinidad, as one of nine nurses, she met her husband, Alexander J. Fay, who was also serving in the U.S. Navy Sea Bees [Construction Battalion] and was one of 10,000 Troops stationed there. They married in 1949, and raised their family of seven children in Winchester.
The family loved spending weekends in the summer at their cottage in New Durham, NH. Grace enjoyed being a room mother and teaching CCD , she was also active in the church as a member of both the Mr. & Mrs. Club and Sodality at St. Mary’s. She later worked for Macy’s in Burlington, and after retirement both she and her husband spent many hours volunteering at the Winchester Hospital.
Grace was predeceased by her loving husband of 59 years, Alexander; she is the beloved mother of Mary Fay Ciarcia and her late husband Michael of Ridgefield, CT; Patty Fay Dimetres and her husband Wayne of Annandale, VA; Jeannie Fay Barry and her husband Jim of N. Attleboro; Peggy Fay McMillan and her husband Jerry of Bethlehem, PA; Alexander J. Fay, Jr., of Winchester; Stephen J. and his wife Diane Fay of Wayland; and Paul G. Fay of Winchester. Devoted Grandmother of Michael, Nic, and Ryan Ciarcia and Mariah C. Murphy; Kevin, Kara, and Jaclyn Dimetres; Michael and Amy Barry and Megan B. Martinsen; Sean, Kyle, and Patrick McMillan, and Carla M. Tucholsky; Morgan F. Grogan and Caroline, Paul, Rachel, John, and Brian Fay; cherished Great-Grandmother of Amelie and Michael Ciarcia; Eloise, Charlie, Francie, and Winston Murphy; Savana and Liam Martinsen; Grace Tucholsky; Georgia McMillan; and Makenzie Grogan. Dear sister of the late Mary FitzSimmons, Elizabeth F. Scannell, Jean F. Kiszeli, and Ann F. Bulman. Also survived by many nieces and nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews.
The funeral will be held from the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St, Winchester, on Monday, April 15th at 10:00 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Mary’s Church, Washington St, Winchester at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held Sunday from 2-6 PM. Interment Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. As a veteran of WWII donations in her memory may be made to “USO/Wounded Warriors” www.woundedwarriorproject.org.