Mary A. McCullough

Mary A. McCullough passed away Saturday Nov. 8 peacefully in her own bed at home surrounded by family in Trumbull, CT: exactly where she wanted to be IFher first and only celestial journey in 95 years had to happen at all.
Born July 17, 1930, in Stamford and growing up near Sacred Heart Church, she happily recalled – decades later - yesteryear activities like being in-charge of (generous) ice cream scoops served to friends at the parlor on Broad Street and accompanying her father, Bill, to work at his furniture factory.
An "A" student and avid reader, Mary skipped two grades in high school and was the first of her family to attend college. She returned to Stamford a teacher and, in time, a bride to Robert McCullough. Their family grew (and grew) to eight children born between 1953 and 1966.
The teacher now had her own class - Team McCullough – yet Mary found time to volunteer at Holy Spirit School (CCD instruction), the Women's Guild, the Women's Auxiliary at St. Joseph Hospital, and the Ferguson Library.
Many summer days were spent at Roxbury Swim Club as volunteer timer or judge in races and otherwise shuttling between the "big" and "kiddie" pools to safeguard her own children and anyone else's. Once her youngest reached high school, Mary went back to work, retiring from Cadbury Schweppes after more than 25 years of dedicated service.
Grocery shopping and cooking for 10 (plus large dogs) were daily adventures, not tasks. Christmas and Easter time were special with cookies and carols; many hands making date, orange and poppyseed bread (the younger kids would sell the bread home-to-home for the neighbor's Holiday tables); and candy-baskets even for those who didn't find the hidden eggs or figure out the rhyming clues.
Teaching, motherhood and being a devoted wife and life partner were vocations, not jobs, for Mary. The light of understanding in a child's eyes and the tinkling sound of young laughter would bring a smile even in her 9th decade, the years falling away.
If at the end she recalled distant people and events more clearly than what happened yesterday or this morning, what's important is that we – at her side as she was at ours – recall her life and person. We're continuing what she started. Endings depend upon beginnings.
Mary never doubted that God in heaven received the prayers she sent all her life, answered some of them, and would say "Good morning, Mary!" when they finally met at the "pearly gates." She passed about 7 a.m. with just a trace of her last smile on her face.
Mary will be buried alongside her husband of 65 years who lies beside his parents.
She is survived by all eight children: Robert (Marlene), Edmund (Sue Ann), Susan (Bob), Marianne (Jeff), William, Jack (Tracy), Cathi, and Maggi (listed in birth order).
And by cherished nephews and niece: Greg (Julie) Horan and Suellen (Dennis) Riccardi; and Kevin (Rose) McCullough, Patrick (Victoria) McCullough, and Timothy McCullough.
She also leaves behind nineteen grandchildren: Claire McCullough; Victoria and Sophie McCullough; John McNulty, Lauren (Eddie) Johnston and Leanne (Chris) Garcia; Kevin and Carly Shapiro; Casey McCullough and Molly (Ethan) Bliss; Maxwell, Alexandra and Bennett McCullough; Tara Cleven, Paige (Vaibhav) Saparum and Brooke (Eddy) Guerra; and Daniel (Rebecca) Zacchilli, Nicholas and Peter Zacchilli.
And five great grandchildren: Luca Shapiro, Nolan Garcia, Lucy Bliss, Amado Guerra and Elowen Johnston.
The family thanks caregivers Cassandra, Nicole, Ileana, Mari and Sanchez and the Team from Executive Home Care – among others over the years including Sheila Duffy - for their loving attention, kindness and genuine care to our mother, grandmother and aunt.
And, especially, Jack, Tracy and Maggi without whom recent years of love and honoring one's parents in joy and hardship would not have been possible.
Mary's family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday Nov. 20 at Cyril Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT, from 4-7 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday Nov. 21 at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 220 Shelton Rd., Trumbull, CT.
Burial to follow at St. Michael's Cemetery, 2205 Stratford Ave., Stratford, CT.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mary's favorite charity, St. Jude's.
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