Mary Ellen Dooher, 77, passed away at home in Needham on December 2, 2023 in the company of her loving family. She was the beloved wife of Philip Dooher, with whom she shared a marriage filled with love and devotion for almost 55 years.
Mary Ellen was born on March 18, 1946, the eldest of eight children of the late William Minahan and Marie (Birge) Minahan. Raised in Stratford, CT, she enjoyed growing up as part of the close knit extended Birge clan of Stratford, two doors down from her grandparents, close to several aunts and uncles and 43 first cousins, of which she was the oldest.
She attended St. James Elementary School and graduated from Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, in 1964. She enrolled as a nursing major at Salve Regina College in Newport, RI, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1968.
Her education, under the auspices of the Sisters of Mercy at both Lauralton Hall and Salve Regina, and her Catholic faith served as a strong foundation for her career in nursing and case management at Newton-Wellesley Hospital over several decades. She spent her career providing her patients with the compassionate care and dignity she felt they rightly deserved.
In 1965, she met Philip Dooher at a Salve Regina-Providence College mixer at the Knights of Columbus in Cranston, RI. They were married on December 28, 1968, at St. James Church, in a Mass celebrated by her uncle Monsignor George Birge. After living briefly in North Providence, Phil and Mary Ellen settled in Needham, their home for the last 53 years, where they raised four sons and developed many close friendships.
A devoted mother, Mary Ellen provided a loving home to her four boys. Her side yard was always the center of neighborhood activity. She opened her Gibson Street home to all of her son’s friends, many of whom kindly remembered her gentle demeanor in recent days.
Mary Ellen was a voracious reader, a regular patron of the Needham Public Library. She enjoyed Masterpiece Theater on PBS. Also Christmas Music, but only during Advent, including the Daughters of St. Paul, where she attended concerts with her granddaughters. She loved fresh seafood, broiled or grilled, never fried, especially scallops. She enjoyed her long walks, registering millions of steps long before the advent of FitBit. Chocolate ice cream was her favorite; Brigham’s was her preferred brand, but only when it was on sale.
In retirement, Phil and Mary Ellen enjoyed traveling, including trips to Aruba, Canada, England, France, Italy, Scotland, Alaska and several of the National Parks. In 2018, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with college classmates on a cruise from Norway to Barcelona. Several weddings and baptisms were celebrated in County Mayo, Ireland with family. Lake Winnipesaukee held a special place in her heart, where she visited annually with her family, starting over 70 years ago at Sandy Island Camp. However the highlight of her retirement years was time spent with her 10 grandchildren. Countless Irish Step Dance recitals, Christmas concerts and graduations were witnessed with Gammy front and center. She had a recurring role as a guest on Special Person’s Day. She leaves her grandchildren to cherish the memories of Gammy rolls, candies in her purse, extreme couponing, the celebration of half birthdays and most importantly the unconditional love with which she showered them.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her sister Kathleen. Left to share her memory are her husband Philip; her four sons, Michael and his wife Jennifer of Fairfield, CT, and their children Elizabeth, Anne Marie and Eva; Timothy and his wife Maudy, of Needham, MA, and their children Caitlin, Shannon and Maeve; Matthew of Hyde Park, MA and his children Graham and Poppy; and Joseph and his wife Kristen, of Westwood, MA and their children Brendan and Liam. Her siblings, Jane of Stratford, CT, Therese of Milford, CT, Thomas of Milford, CT, John (Emily) of Dorchester, MA, Patricia (Robert) of Maynard, MA, and Elizabeth (Michael) of North Andover, MA. Sister-in-law Margaret Keating (Dwight) of Pittsburgh, PA and sister-in-law Sheila Walsh of Florida. Also many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visiting Hours will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home at 1305 Highland Ave, Needham, Friday, December 8, from 4 to 7pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph Church, Needham, Saturday morning, December 9, at 11:00 am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary Ellen’s memory can be made to Catholic Charities of Boston, 275 West Broadway, Boston, MA 02127.