GLOUCESTER: Virginia Carolyn (Friend) Flannagan, 85, found peace in the Lord as she passed over from death to life on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
She was the loving wife of Thomas G. Flannagan for twenty four years, until his untimely death in January, 1969. Virginia will be remembered as a beautiful person who touched the lives of everyone she came to know with a positive attitude and much love.
Virginia was born in her beloved City of Gloucester on March 7, 1924, daughter of Roscoe and Catherine (Stack) Friend. An all A’s student, she graduated from Gloucester High School in 1942. She married the love of her life, Thomas in 1944, and raised and educated three children, dedicating all she had after her husband’s death to her family and to service to others.
A most familiar face on Main Street, she managed Empire Clothing for many years, with her store being first in sales year after year in the company.
Virginia was elected to four consecutive terms on the Gloucester City Council from 1968 – 1975, serving as vice-chairperson for two years under Plan E, with one of those years as acting Mayor. During those years Gloucester went through considerable infrastructure growth and improvement, with new industrial parks, a new police station and schools to name just a few. She was also instrumental in saving and preserving the Fitz-Hugh Lane House, and creating a beautiful park on the waterfront.
Virginia was past treasurer of the Gloucester Business and Professional Women’s Club, past president of the Gloucester Emblem Club No. 339, member of the Capt. Lester S. Wass Post No.3 American Legion Auxiliary, the Gloucester Council on Aging, Junior Women’s Club during World War II, an affiliate member of the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce and a former Corporator of the Cape Ann Savings Bank.
She loved to travel, and would be found walking the streets of St. Petersburg, Russia, visiting Europe or helicoptering onto the glaciers of Alaska. Virginia loved life and despite some very difficult losses, celebrated the gift God had given her every day.
She is survived by her daughter, Kathleen Flannagan-Hawe and son-in-law, Timothy Hawe of Sandown, NH, her son, Rev. Bruce G. Flannagan, St. Richard Parish of Danvers, six grandchildren, Thomas, Liam and Padraick Flannagan and Erik, Brendon and Rory Tebou, ten great-grandchildren, a sister and brother-in-law, Catherine and Robert McKechnie of Gloucester and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her son, Thomas W. Flannagan, three sisters, Natalie Anthony, Shirley Gemmellaro and Ellen O’Maley and two brothers, Horace “Bud” Friend and Roscoe “Jack” Friend.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday in the Holy Family Parish, St. Ann Church, Pleasant St., Gloucester at 11 a.m. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday in the Pike-Grondin Funeral Home, 61 Middle Street, Gloucester from 5 - 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be held in the Beechbrook Cemetery, W. Gloucester. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Holy Family Parish, St. Ann Church, “Restoration Fund”, 60 Prospect, Gloucester, MA 01930.