Ann M. (Healy) Cafferty, 78, of New Bedford died unexpectedly on her birthday at home on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. She was the devoted wife of the late George V. Cafferty. George and Ann were high school sweethearts and married for 52 years.
Born in New Bedford, she was the daughter of the late Thomas F. III and Ann (Johnson) Healy. She lived her early years in Fairhaven but moved to New Bedford at the beginning of high school.
Ann was a 1960 graduate of Holy Family High School. She worked at Hathaway Oil Company for several years following high school. After years of dedicating herself to raising her family, Ann decided to pursue a teaching career starting with West End Day Nursery as a teacher’s aide. She served as an aide for many years before accepting an offer to be the Head Preschool teacher for a new preschool program at Holy Family-Holy Name School. She shaped and molded the program for more than 20 years before retiring in August 2017. While at Holy Family-Holy Name School, Ann also volunteered tirelessly every year organizing and running the very successful Annual Penny Sale fundraiser. She thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her family, watching cooking programs, planting flowers and faithfully watching golf every weekend and rooting for the New England Patriots and Boston Celtics. Her family was her pride and joy.
She is survived by her sons, Shawn Cafferty of New Bedford and Peter Cafferty and his wife Amie of Tewksbury; her loving grandchildren Devin Rutter of Danvers, Julia Cafferty and Liam Cafferty both of Tewksbury; her sisters, Mary Ducharme, Dorothy Tweedie, and Kathleen Greely and her husband, Wallace, all of New Bedford, Martha Monti and her husband, Anthony of Holbrook, Marsha Rego of Hanson; her brother Thomas F. Healy IV and his wife, Susan of Wareham; 13 nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. She was the sister-in-law of the late Dennis Tweedie and Arthur Ducharme.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 11 AM in St. Lawrence Church, 565 County Street, New Bedford. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Fairhaven. Visiting hours will be on Sunday, March 8, 2020, from 3-7 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home, 495 Park Street, New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made in Ann's memory to Holy Family-Holy Name School, 91 Summer St., New Bedford, MA 02740. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.