Mary Rose Lynch was born on May 24, 1907, to Daniel and Octavia Lynch of Lowell. She was predeceased by nine siblings. Mary died on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at Windemere Nursing Home at the age of 103. She had enjoyed a wonderful celebration of her 103rd birthday in May with many former students and teaching friends, among them John Stevens, Principal of Edgartown School, who brought along his fourth grade report card and her great-niece Ann Serpa Rossi who was in Mary’s last fourth-grade class before her retirement.
Mary attended Lowell Normal School and Lowell High School. She graduated from Salem State College.
Mary arrived on Martha’s Vineyard as a young woman out of college to teach at the Edgartown School where she was a remedial reading teacher and retired as a fourth grade teacher. Mary was married to Ellsworth Fisher in October of 1940 and she joined the Fisher and O’Neil family on Fuller Street. Mary and Ellsworth had no children of their own, but they doted on their nieces and nephews. In August of 1998 Mary fell and fractured her hip. She then joined the family at Windemere Nursing Home for the last 12 years of her life.
Mary had never driven a car until Ellsworth became ill and she was forced to learn. She persevered through trimming the back corner of the house and the center island stand at the gas station among other trials. But she stayed with it and was able to get herself around with her friends in tow.
Mary enjoyed her years as a teacher and then her retirement years. She also enjoyed reading and knitting. She was a devout Catholic and took much pride in St. Elizabeth’s Church. For many years she cleaned the church and took care of the linens. She was a catechism teacher, a lector, member of the guild and a Eucharistic Minister. The staff at Windemere will recall how Mary ate bacon at breakfast one morning and realized it was a Friday. They were in a frenzy trying to locate Father Nagle to come and hear Mary’s confession.
Her final years at Windemere were spent taking advantage of the many activities offered. She enjoyed seeing her name on the Bingo board, outings to Menemsha, concerts and the Ag Fair. She also rode a bicycle for the first time and dipped chocolates, something she had always wanted to do.
Mary’s funeral service took place at St. Elizabeth’s Church on Thursday, October 14, and she was buried with Ellsworth in the New Westside Cemetery in Edgartown.
Mary was predeceased by her parents, siblings and her husband, Ellsworth. She is survived by nieces and nephews; Margaret Serpa, Sharon Willoughby, Stephen O’Neill, and Elizabeth Herrmann of Edgartown; Richard O’Neil of Florida; John (Jack) Lynch of Lowell, David O’Reilly of Ohio, Judy Skaltsis of Rhode Island, and Nancy O’Reilly of Kentucky. She is also survived by many great nieces and nephews.
