Margaret Gleason Cunningham of Amenia, NY and formerly of Norwich, CT
passed away on July 27, 2013. She was born April 11, 1923, the daughter
of the late John D. and Rose Noyes Gleason.
Peg received her
early education at St. Patrick's School, Class of 1936, and Norwich Free
Academy, Class of 1940. Upon graduation, she entered St. Francis
Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford, CT. While there, she joined the
Cadet Nurse Corp. in 1944. Following graduation, Peg attended Catholic
University in Washington, DC. In 1944, she joined U.S. Navy Nurse Corp
Reserve. She was assigned duty in Chelsea Naval Hospital, Boston, MA,
and Millington Naval Hospital, Millington, TN. She was released from
active duty at the end of 1946 and returned to continue her studies at
Catholic University. Her release from active duty in reserve was in
1951. In 1947, she accepted a position as R.N. in the newly formed
Sharon Clinic, Sharon, CT, where she remained until after her marriage.
On October 12, 1949, she married Lawrence Cunningham of Amenia, NY in
St. Patrick's Church, Norwich, CT. He predeceased her in February 1974.
Mrs.
Cunningham is survived by six daughters and three sons: Deirdre
(Robert) D'Souza (Amenia, NY and New Jersey), Mary (Roger) Hedman
(Salisbury, CT), Sheila (Denis) O'Dea (Salisbury, CT), Nancy (Michael)
Hodgkins (Falls Village, CT), Alicia (William) LaTorre (Sharon, CT),
Jane (William) Callahan (Dover Plains, NY), Lawrence Cunningham
(Cornwall, CT), John (Kenda) Cunningham (Amenia, NY) and Timothy (fiance
Jill) Cunningham (Sharon, CT).
She is also survived by one
sister, Rosalie Kasper, and a foster brother, William Poglitsch; twenty
grandchildren, and one great grandson. She is also survived by two
sisters-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by
two brothers, John Gleason and Edward Gleason, and her son, Charles A.
Cunningham on June 12, 2009. A granddaughter, Margaret Jayne Jordan,
also predeceased her.
When her children were young, Peg kept
active with Brownies and Cub Scouts. She also acted as a gym teacher at
the Immaculate School in Amenia for a few years. Following her husband's
death in 1974, Peg returned to nursing, doing part-time duty until her
retirement in 1993.
With time on her hands, she enjoyed her
grandchildren, reading, crossword puzzles, cryptonotes, travel, music,
her cats, and her IPAD with WWF.
Peg was a member of Immaculate
Conception Church in Amenia, Saint Francis School of Nursing Alumni,
NENN Corp., National Navy Nursing Corp., and for a while, she served as a
proud member of the Amenia Fire Company Emergency Squad.
Calling
hours will be held at the Kenny Funeral Home, 41 Main Street, Sharon on
Tuesday July 30th from 5pm-8pm. A mass of Christian Burial will be held
at the Immaculate Conception Church in Amenia, NY on July 31th, 2013 at
11am. Burial will follow with full military honors at the Immaculate
Conception Cemetery in Amenia.
Memorial contributions may be made
to: Immaculate Conception Church, Lavalle Rd, Amenia, NY 12501; Saint
Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, 501 St. Jude Place,
Memphis, TN, 38101; the Amenia Fire Company; and St. Edmond's Mission.