GILFORD-----Mary Susan (Aylward) Keohan, 65, died on Monday, March 16, 2020, at home surrounded by loved ones after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.
Mary was born on November 5, 1954, to the late Thomas J. and Phyllis T. (Cunningham) Aylward. She grew up in Melrose, Mass. as the eldest daughter of eleven children.
Mary attended St. Mary’s Grammar School and graduated from Melrose High School, Class of 1972. She earned a nursing degree from Catherine Labouré College in 1978 and began her career as a registered nurse specializing in geriatric care. This experience cultivated Mary’s lifelong devotion to helping elderly neighbors. Her heart always reached out to the elderly who needed it most, whether that meant a haircut, a trip to the grocery store, doctor’s office, or someone to call a friend. Mary especially enjoyed welcoming those who would otherwise have spent holidays alone to share meals at the family dinner table.
In 1981, Mary married her high school sweetheart, Kevin M. Keohan, her loving husband of 39 years. After the birth of their twin daughters, Mary left her nursing career, and assumed her role as a full time Mom, proudly boasting she was “promoted to Motherhood.” She was a devoted mother to five children; Gregory, Julia, Kristin and Kelley (twins), Andrew, and a beloved mother-in-law of Bruno Da Silva. She was a modern-day Mary Poppins for her grandchildren, Madelyn and Hayley (twins), and Oliver.
Mary was an active participant in the St. André Bessette Parish in Laconia, NH, where she was a member of the St. Therese Prayer Group and the Ladies Guild. Mary had a great devotion to Our Blessed Mother and the Rosary. As a Lector and Eucharistic minister, her faith was deepened and enriched by bringing the Eucharist to people at hospitals and nursing homes. A staunch advocate for unborn children, Mary was a passionate member of the Culture of Life Ministry and a courageous and peaceful “Prayer Warrior” outside abortion clinics in Manchester, NH and Sarasota, FL.
Throughout her life, Mary had a competitive spirit. She never let up an easy point in tennis, tetherball, badminton, or ping pong. Known for her sweet tooth, she loved chocolate in many forms, ice cream smorgasbords, and never went easy on the maple syrup on her blueberry pancakes. She loved to laugh, always. We will miss the sound of her delightful laughter and the sight of her vivacious smile.
Please view Mary's memorial website Here.
Services and burial will be private. The family requests prayers, Rosaries, and Holy Masses be said in her honor.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s memory may be sent to the St. André Bessette Parish Capital Improvement Fund at 277 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.