Cecelia F. (Houde) Carey, age 86, of Brockton, died on February 27, 2022 at Good Samaritan Medical Center. She was the loving wife of George H. Carey for 47 years. Born and raised in Waltham, she was the daughter of the late Joseph L. and Mary “Agnes” (Chisholm) Houde. After Agnes passed away unexpectedly, Mary (Spellman) Houde became her step-mother. Cecelia (also fondly known as Celia and Auntie CeCe) was a graduate of Waltham High School, and at the height of her career she was an Executive Assistant to the President of Tyco Company. Upon receiving the long-awaited news she & George would be adopting a child, she chose to redirect her exceptional talents to be a stay-at-home mother to their daughter.
Always open to new experiences, Celia and a few friends joined a Catholic singles club through which she became part of a bowling league. The first night of joining a team, she found herself connecting with the team’s captain who turned out be George. Shortly after that night he took her on their first date to see Danny Kaye live in Boston, setting the tone for the next 50 years of adventures. From driving across the country and back (twice!), to countless cruises and trips to Europe, to seeing everyone from Frank Sinatra to Dean Martin, skating at Rockefeller Center and dinner at The Rainbow Room in NYC, the two shared a truly remarkable romance and marriage others only aspire to.
As parents, they instilled their appreciation for the arts in their child and spent many hours volunteering with the various theater programs their daughter was a part of. A highlight for Celia was volunteering as a “costume lady” with Cardinal Spellman High School’s drama program, an experience through which she made many fond memories. She had also warmly recalled the time she spent helping with Saint Margaret’s Children’s Theater and the Capachione School of Performing Arts. In later years, Cecelia along with George enjoyed time spent with friends they made at the Old Colony Y in Stoughton and with other parents from Cardinal Spellman, a group with whom they met monthly for social gatherings and many exciting trips throughout the world.
Beyond raising her own child, Cecelia was devoted to her beloved nieces and nephews for whom there was nothing she and George would not do.
In addition to her husband, Cecelia is survived by her daughter Rosemarie “Rosie” Fayard and her husband Asa of Worcester; her two grandchildren Ian and Isla Fayard; and nieces and nephews Stephen DallaCosta and his wife Monica of Florida, Richard DallaCosta and his partner Suellen DuBac of Connecticut, Brian Preston of Las Vegas, Karen Preston Walsh and her husband Jeremy of Maryland, Maureen Santo and her husband Joseph of New Hampshire and Ellen Guarini of Mendon. She is also survived by many great nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Joseph L Houde, Jr., Carol O’Brien and Elizabeth “Betty” Preston.
Visiting Hours will be held in the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) Brockton, Monday, March 7, from 3-7pm. The funeral procession will gather at the funeral home Tuesday at 9am for a Funeral Mass in the Chapel of Mary at Stonehill College at 10am. Burial will follow in Melrose Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Cecelia's name to the charity of your choice.