Mary "Betty" FOLEY

1934 - 2017

FOLEY, Mary "Betty" 83, of Huber Heights, Ohio, passed away at her home on November 28, 2017, with her family by her side. Born on September 22, 1934, in New York, Betty graduated from the College of New Rochelle in 1956 with a degree in mathematics. She married her husband, Brendan, on December 29, 1956, and traveled the world with him before the pair settled in Huber Heights. A servant her whole life, Betty devoted her time and talents to those around her through her love of God and steadfast faith. Once honored as a Dayton Daily News "Mother of the Year," Betty was a dedicated parent while also spending a significant amount of her life sharing her gifts with others. She conducted weekend faith classes for children with developmental challenges, was a parent-volunteer at St. Peter Catholic School, and was a leading member of the Bergamo Center's Beginning Experience programs and the National League of POW/MIA Families. Betty continued her service to those around her as an active member of St. Peter Catholic Parish, contributing to the construction of the church and the development of its Stephen Ministry. She and her children were in-home sponsors of the Nguyen family of six refugees who came to the U.S. following the Vietnam War. Betty is preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Anne Ahearn, her sister Cecilia, her brother-in-law Dermot Foley, and her husband, Col. Brendan Patrick Foley, USAF, who was her guardian angel as she raised their five children. Her grateful children and their spouses are Brendan Jr. and Deb Foley, Moira (Foley) and Fred Dressel, Sheila (Foley) and Ed Murphy, Patty (Foley) and Quint Turner, and Kevin and Christine Foley. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Rev. John J. Foley, CSP, her sister and brother-in-law, Patricia and Robert Gillin, her sister-in-law, Margaret Foley, and their families. Betty was blessed with 14 grandchildren, Luke, Brian, Caitlin, Kyle, Claire, Sean, Mary Kate, Ben, Cate, Brendan, Megan, Ciara, Jack, and Brendan III. They were the lights of her life. Visitation will be Sunday, December 3, 2017, from 2 to 5 PM at Marker & Heller Funeral Home, Huber Heights Chapel, 5844 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights, Ohio 45424. A celebration of life and funeral mass will take place Monday, December 4, 2017 at 10 AM at St. Peter Catholic Church, 6161 Chambersburg Road, Huber Heights, Ohio 45424 with Father John J. Foley celebrant & Father Tony Cutcher co-celebrant, followed by a burial ceremony at Dayton National Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Paulist Fathers at https://www.paulist.org/give/, specifying the Fr. John Foley Seminarian Excellence Fund.