Obituary of Margaret Mary Celestine Grutchfield

Margaret Mary Celestine (Mullins) Grutchfield, 81, Registered Nurse (RN), known by many as Celestine, lovingly called, 'Cel'. After struggling with cancer, she passed away peacefully on Thursday July 14, 2016 at Sawtelle Family Hospice House, Massachusetts. She was born February 18, 1935, in Cahir, County Tipperary, Ireland, the eldest daughter of parents Andrew Mullins and Josephine (Haddick) Mullins. She is survived by her sisters Monica Mayhew, Geraldine Parkinson, and Dolores Mullins, all of England, and by her brother, Eamonn Mullins of Ireland. She was married to Frank Arvid Grutchfield on January 16, 1965, in Revere, MA. He preceded her in death on March 14, 2003. Loving mother of Dolores Josephine (Grutchfield) Waclawik and husband James of Blackstone, and Annmarie (Grutchfield) Maliya and husband Brij of Burlington. Proud grandmother of Teresa, Sean, Catherine, Patrick, Mark, Monica, and David Waclawik. Celestine, a talented and avid Irish Step dancer, competed in many feiseanna, winning several medals over her dancing career. A highlight of her career included dancing for the President of Ireland, Eamon de Valera. Upon deciding to become a nurse, she began her training in Dollis Hill in N.W. London. She completed her training in Ryde, Isle of Wight, off the coast of England, becoming a Registered Nurse. She spent many happy years as a nurse on the island before crossing the 'pond' to the United States by boat on June 6, 1962. Only committing to a year long stay, at the request of her father, plans changed after she met and nursed her future Mother-in-Law, Katherine, 'Kitty' Grutchfield, who arranged for her and Frank to meet. After dating and marrying Frank, the U.S. then became her lifelong home, although her love for Ireland remained. Celestine worked as a RN for many years at Grover Manor Hospital in Revere and Lynn Union Hospital in Lynn before that. She then went on to work through a private agency nursing and caring for elderly patients, including some with Alzheimers. She retired in the early 1990's. Cel will be remembered fondly for her great sense of humor, dry wit, fun escapades, her great and entertaining story telling, her ability to make everyone laugh, her love of family--immediate and extended--both here and abroad, her Irish temper, and her great smile. A Celebrated Requiem Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 10 a.m. at St. Margaret Church, 111 Winn Street in Burlington, Massachusetts. Father Jiwon Yoon will officiate the services. Burial will be in Pine Haven Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, July 22, 2016, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home in Burlington, MA. Memorials in memory of Margaret Celestine Grutchfield may be made to the Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA, 6397 Drexel Road, Philadelphia, PA 19151 www.lejeuneusa.org, or the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226 www.dana-farber.org.