Mary Margaret Freeley Suhy was born Aug. 22, 1922, in England of Irish parents Annie Cashan and Mark Austin Freeley. She died at Careage of Whidbey on Aug. 26, 2014, at the age of 92.
She is survived by her son, Col. John M. Suhy, USMC (Ret.) of Alexandria, Va., and his wife, Patricia. She also leaves behind her grandson, John Mark Suhy Jr., his wife, Dorothee, and three great-grandchildren, Nathan, Benjamin and Emilie Suhy; her granddaughter, Erin Margaret Suhy, and her husband, Dan Wilke. Mary’s brother, Austin Freely, and sister, Josephine McAtarian, and their families are also left behind. Her husband, John, preceded her in death in 1987.
Mary spent the first 10 years of her life on a farm in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland, living with her beloved grandparents, Mary and Thomas Freeley. She then moved to live with her parents in New Jersey before moving to Detroit and working in the defense industry as World War II began.
She worked for the Ford Motor Company in the Accounting Department of Ford’s Tractor and Implement Division for 36 years before retirement.
Mary valued education. She completed an associate degree in liberal arts and also obtained her real estate license in Detroit.
She continued to learn by taking classes in fly-fishing, golf, computer science and the French language. She was also an avid reader; she collected books and read at least two newspapers a day to keep up with world events. She followed politics fervently — she was a staunch Democrat, a strong Union advocate and a supporter of the common working man all of her life.
Mary’s favorite pastime was gardening; year after year, she spent many hours working and beautifying her yard. She also loved to cook and bake. She left her “joy of cooking” legacy behind with her family.
She moved to Oak Harbor from Detroit in 1988. She was a member of Saint Augustine Catholic Church in Oak Harbor. She volunteered at the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. She also belonged to Friends of the Library. She studied French with a group of close friends. She enjoyed going on the Senior Center trips. She was known for her weekly treks to the local farmers’ markets and as a major supporter of all local Christmas bazaars. Mary adopted stray animals and had a friend in her dog, Missy, and her cat, Beauregard. We would also hear stories of her Irish animals, which included her dog, Major, her donkey and cows.
There will be a rosary at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 8, at Saint Augustine Church in Oak Harbor. This will be followed by a 10:30 a.m. Funeral Mass with Rev. Paul R. Pluth, J.C.L. officiating. There will be a reception at the parish hall after Mass.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary Suhy’s memory, to either the Wounded Warrior Project (P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675) or the Capuchin Soup Kitchen (1820 Mt. Elliott, Detroit, MI 48207).
She will be remembered lovingly as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt — an unforgettable individual who loved her family very much, indeed!
But most importantly to her, she was extremely proud of her Irish heritage and will be remembered as a true daughter of Ireland.
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home, Oak Harbor. To share memories or condolences, please visit Mary’s Book of Memories page on the funeral home website at www.wallinfuneralhome.com
