Mary Margaret (Kenneally) Montminy of Quincy, a beloved wife, mother, nana, sister, aunt, neighbor, and friend, formerly of Dorchester, died peacefully surrounded by her loving family at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston on November 26, 2024.  She was 102 years young.

Born in Boston to a large Irish family, she was one of 9 children and the daughter of the late Jeremiah and Mary (Oram) Kenneally. Mary graduated from Dorchester High School with the Class of 1938.  She worked as a bookkeeper and later as a secretary for many years. She was a devout Catholic who loved the Mass, receiving the Eucharist, and praying the Rosary each day.

Mary had a wonderful sense of humor, a quick wit and was always full of life, brightening any room she entered. She was a terrific homemaker, a passionate baker, and an avid reader of newspapers and any cooking themed magazine.  She loved travel, especially, visiting Ireland with her daughter, Maureen, and family trips to Naples, FL. She always retained a sense of curiosity, enjoyed meeting new friends and participating in all the community activities at the Hancock Park Assisted Living Residences. She was selfless in doing for others.

One of her greatest joys was spending time with her grandchildren, including her twin granddaughters, Jackie and Julie Montminy, with whom she shared a deep and loving bond from the day they were born when Mary was 75.  Mary always said that they kept her young – and she was right.

She overcame many hardships in life and leaves a meaningful legacy of faith, love, resilience,  humility, grace, compassion, and good humor. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Mary was the wife of Alphonse A. Montminy who died in 1994.  She is survived by her daughters, Maureen Tocchio of Quincy,  Carol Hyland of Weymouth and Louise Kelly of Braintree, and her son, Thomas Montminy and his wife Amy of Quincy.  She is also survived by her beloved sister, Claire Armstrong, of Dorchester and  by many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews - all of whom she is very proud.

Mary was predeceased by her parents, Jeremiah and Mary (Oram) Kenneally, her brothers, Joseph Kenneally, Francis Kenneally, Robert Kenneally, Edward Kenneally, Paul Kenneally, and Gerald Kenneally, and her beloved sister, Eleanor Collier.

Mary’s family is very grateful for the exquisite care provided by her caregivers at the Hancock Park Assisted Living Facility and the Harbor Health PACE Program staff. Their compassion, kindness, gentleness, and geriatric knowledge allowed Mary to live comfortably and joyfully  as a centenarian.

In lieu of flowers, Mary would want you to be kind to each other and spend time with your family and friends. Life is precious – even 102 years can be brief. For those who wish, donations may be made in Mary’s honor to Father Bill’s and Mainspring, 430 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301 or online at HelpFBMS.org/donate/

Mary’s wake will be held in St. Agatha Church, 432 Adams Street, Milton Saturday morning November 30 from 9:30 to 10:30 am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial starting at 10:30 a.m.  After the Mass, a burial ceremony will be held at Blue Hill Cemetery, 700 West Street, Braintree.  A celebration of Mary’s life will then be held at the Common Market Restaurant, 97 Willard Street, Quincy following the burial where family and friends will gather to share cherished memories of Mary.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Alfred D. Thomas Funeral Home, 326 Granite Avenue, Milton, MA 02186.

In August 2023, Sue Scheible, a journalist with the Patriot Ledger wrote a feature on Mary’s life that can be found here https://www.patriotledger.com/story/lifestyle/2023/08/01/quincy-cambridge-dorchester-75-when-twin-granddaughters-born-101-tight-bond/70434365007/