Obituary: Mary Angela (Wall) McGivney, 92

The following obituary appears on the McDonald Funeral Homes website: 

Mary Angela (Wall) McGivney, of Wakefield, formerly of Lynnfield, died on Sunday, December 22, surrounded by family, on the eve of her 93rd birthday, following complications from a fall.

Mary was the wife of the late Hon. William A. McGivney, and the devoted mother of Dr. William T. McGivney and his wife Nancy of Wayne, PA, Dr. Anne McGivney Powers and her husband Dr. Randolph Powers of Danvers, and Attorney John J. McGivney and his wife Laura Marie of Lynnfield. Mary was also the loving grandmother of Erin and William A. McGivney II of Wayne, PA, Attorney Susan DeLeo of Ardmore, PA, Attorney William Powers of Washington, DC, Jeanne Powers of Springfield, MA and Rebecca Powers of Burlington, VT. She was also the great grandmother of Isabelle DeLeo. Mary was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Lillian (Marshall) Wall, and her sisters Louise Clements, RN, and Evelyn Hanson, RN. She also leaves many cherished nieces and nephews.

Mary was born in Lynn in 1921, and graduated first in her class at Saugus High School, Class of 1938 also becoming the first in her family to attend college, graduating with honors from Radcliffe in 1942 and earning her Masters in Classics from Harvard in 1943.

Mary was an accomplished linguist in four languages, Latin, Greek, French and German, and an exacting grammarian in English. She initially taught at prominent preparatory schools for girls in Lake Forest, IL, and Brookline, MA before teaching languages at North Attleboro High School. It was in North Attleboro that Mary met her late husband William, who died in 1957. With their three children, Mary moved to Newton and began teaching at Boston College, later becoming a tenured professor of education in the UMass system. Mary was a born teacher who taught only the very best and most beautiful things she knew. Mary was also predeceased by her second husband, Bennett Cohen, whom she married in 1965 and who died in 1983.

Mary's family is grateful to the caring doctors, nurses and their assistants at Melrose Wakefield Hospital for their kindness during her recent hospitalization.

A private funeral mass and burial will be held.

Gifts in Mary's memory may be made to the St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA, 02110. - See more at: http://www.mcdonaldfs.com/obituary/Mary-Angela-McGivney/Wakefield-MA/1325330#sthash.VQKVuyOH.dpuf