Obituary of Theresa Mary Leonard

Theresa Mary (McDevitt) Leonard, 77, a long-time resident of Woburn, Massachusetts passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, October 15, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. Terry, as she was known to her family and friends, was born in Arlington, MA, on July 1, 1934, and eventually made her home in Woburn with her late husband Thomas C. Leonard in 1964. She began her Nursing education at St. Elizabeth’s Nursing School in 1952, but decided to postpone her education to start a family. After having six children, she returned to Nursing School and received her Degree from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, School of Practical Nursing in Waltham, MA in 1973. She immediately made Winchester Hospital her second home, where she worked as an LPN and then later in Quality and Patient Safety until her passing. Terry was always eager to learn and continued her education by taking night classes and receiving her Associates Degree at Middlesex Community College in 1995. She was one of four children born to the late Patrick and Ethel McDevitt. Terry will forever be remembered by her beloved brother John McDevitt & his wife Nancy of Milford, NH, devoted children Terri Comeiro & her husband John of North Reading, Mary Ann Monahan & her husband Michael of Woburn, Maureen Crockford & her husband Gene of Coventry, RI, Kathleen Roy & her husband Michael of Kissimmee, FL and Tricia Anderson & her husband Bill of W. Nyack, NY; cherished grandchildren Christopher & his wife Colleen, Karen & Steve, John William, Michael, Bryan & his wife Celia, Meaghan, Krystin, Stephan, Kevin, Sarah and Nick; adored great-grandchildren Cameron and Colby; caring sister-in-law Irene McDevitt; treasured best friends Anne Barry, Ann DiSarcina and Dot Eklund, along with countless family and friends who were blessed to know her. Terry was predeceased by her brothers James and Harvey McDevitt and her sister-in-law Margaret McDevitt. Terry was an active member of St. Anthony’s Church, loved listening to country music on Sunday mornings, spending time with her friends, watching the Red Sox, visits to Cape Cod and Disney World, and she knew how to make Christmas magical for anyone that entered her home. Her real passion though was always her family. Terry touched the lives of many people with her smile and generosity and she will forever be loved and missed. Her family will cherish her memory, her lifelong accomplishments, her loving, tender disposition and her love for life. Although her accomplishments were many, her legacy is us, her family. We will forever love you Mom/Nana! Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday Oct. 20 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Anthony’s Church, 851 Main St., Woburn at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday 4-8 p.m. Interment in North Cambridge Catholic Cemetery, Cambridge. Memorial contributions may be made to either of the following charities, both of which were close to Terry’s heart. Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Attn: Donor Services, P. O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309 or Merrimack Valley Hospice, 360 Merrimack Street, Bldg 9, Entrance I, Lawrence, MA 01843. Our Mom, Our Nana For a long time I struggled with what to tell you about our mom, about our nana, because there is so much to tell… she was a large part of our lives and we all have so many stories and so many memories that I thought how can I possibly do her life justice in just a few minutes. So I asked Father John for a direction and he said to try to focus on things that were important to her and maybe share some life lessons that she tried to teach us along the way. So for now I will leave most of the stories and the memories for when someone might ask us “Tell us a story about your mom” ~ “Tell us a story about your nana”. I hope in this brief time that I can give you a sense of what a remarkable life she lived. Theresa Mary McDevitt was born on July 1, 1934; and along with her 3 brothers, she was raised in Cambridge, MA by her parents Ethel Lillian Harvey of Leicester, England and Patrick Joseph McDevitt of Letterkenney, Ireland. She was very proud of her heritage, especially her Irish one. She attended St. Johns school and shortly after met and married Thomas Leonard. They would eventually move to Woburn, buy a home and it is here that she would reside for the next 47 years. If you knew our mom, our nana, then you knew that family and friends were important to her. She loved her older brother Jim, who is no longer with us, and he adored her, called her the Precious Princess. Now when her baby brother John heard this, he said “What are you talking about she is the Prickly Princess!” Now in fairness to our Uncle Johnny our mom would delight in telling anyone that would listen how she prayed for a baby sister but got HIM instead. But we all have no doubt that she loved the Precious Prince and was very proud of him. She loved being with her children whether it was a day at the beach, birthday parties, or holidays, especially Christmas; Christmas was always held at her home and in her heart. As many of you know one of her favorite days of the year was the day after Thanksgiving, where for 29 years “just the girls” would go down the Cape and stop at every Christmas Tree Shop along the way; she loved that time; she will always be our co-pilot. She loved her many trips to Disney World with her family, her favorite place on earth, where her face would light up as she walked down Main Street and where I secretly believe she enjoyed torturing all of us by making us go on “It’s a Small World”, her favorite ride, over and over again. Yes she loved her children… but… she ADORED her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. On any given day over the last 30 years you would find NANA on a soccer field, at a track meet, at a gymnastic meet, or a school function – whatever her grandchildren or her great grandchildren were doing Nana would be there to cheer them on; she will always be their #1 Fan. She was very proud of each and every one of them. Anyone that knew her grandchildren knew NANA; over the last few days many have come to honor her. She loved her many, many friends and had a busier social calendar than most of us, but she loved her quiet time in her home, where she would knit or crochet or just sit on the back porch in the sun and read her kindle. She loved her work at Winchester Hospital where she was an employee for 38 years. Starting out on the floors as an LPN and ending her career in Quality and Patient Safety. To let you know just how much she loved her work she did not go part time until the age of 75. She had a great sense of humor and was really very funny… well in fairness she did not always know just how funny she was, but she could make us laugh. I can still hear her saying “Who are you girls going to make fun of when I’m gone?” I would be remiss if I did not mention her dog Midnight; she loved and missed her longtime friend and companion and we have no doubt that he is with her now. I believe that our mom, our nana, tried to teach us that no matter what age you are or what obstacles might get in your way, you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to. She was born with scoliosis and had multiple back surgeries throughout her life, but that never slowed her down. At the age of 39, after having 6 children she went back to school and got her LPN license. At the age of 60, she earned an Associates Degree from Middlesex Community College, with high honors and as she walked proudly across that stage to receive her diploma all of her children AND her grandchildren cheered HER on. We were so proud of her. She was an inspiration. She had a very forgiving soul and I believe tried to teach us to forgive, to let go and to always try to be a better person because after all life is too short. She truly lived her faith. She led a simple, yet full life; filled with family, friends, home, faith, and work. We all want you to know that she faced her last challenge in life as she faced every challenge in life with courage, with dignity, with grace and with a little bit of humor and she never let it get the best of her. Mother Teresa once said: “We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do” But I think we know, because that “simple smile” is our mom, our nana’s - legacy. With that simple smile she touched so many people… and in return you prayed for her, you cared for her, and you loved her. She was truly blessed with a wonderful life. One of her grandchildren recently sent her a note that said it all she said - it is not my intention to ever say goodbye but rather to say THANK YOU for showing us a life well lived. My family and I would like to thank everyone and we would like to ask all of you that in the days and months ahead not to be too sad that our mom, our nana has passed but rather to find some happiness in the thought that she was ever here at all. I would like to leave you with a short poem by Henry Van Dyke: Gone from my Sight I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says: &quote;There, she is gone!&quote; &quote;Gone where?&quote; Gone from my sight, but that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: &quote;There, she is gone!&quote; There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: &quote;Here she comes!&quote; So mom, nana, watch for us for one day we will all see you again when our ships sail for your shores.