Maureen Sparrow

Maureen (McKenna) Sparrow, 89, formerly of South Hadley, passed away peacefully on Oct. 20, 2022. Born in 1933 in Providence, Rhode Island, daughter of Henry and Mary (Collins) McKenna, Maureen graduated from Brown University (Pembroke) in 1956 with a BS in Nursing and then went on to complete an MS in Public Health Administration from UMass Amherst in 1978. A dedicated public health nurse, she taught at Holyoke Community College and Elms College, passing down values of service and selflessness to future generations of healthcare workers. She retired as Director of the Easter Seals Visiting Nurses Association in 1998. The wife of the late Richard M. Sparrow, she is survived by daughters Elizabeth Sparrow-Tashiro and Jeanne Sparrow and son-in-law Will Biedron. She was predeceased by her eldest daughter Mary Ellen. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Alison, Lauren, Sarah and Andrew Biedron, and Hannah and Leah Tashiro. Maureen was a long time communicant of St Theresa’s Church in South Hadley where she served as a Eucharistic Minister and participated in the women’s group and bereavement committee. Maureen lived a long, beautiful life full of family, friends, service, and faith. Calling hours will be held at the O’Brien Family Funeral Home in South Hadley on Wednesday, Oct 26 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.  A funeral service will be held at St. Theresa’s Church in South Hadley on Thursday, Oct 27 at 11 AM followed by burial in Notre Dame Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. Theresa’s Ministry of Care (https://sttheresaparish.org/) or the Holyoke Visiting Nurses Association (holyokevna.org). For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com.