Mary Elizabeth Massey

1931 - 2021

Mary Elizabeth (Gannon) Massey
August 23, 1931 - August 22, 2021
Gold River, California - Mary Elizabeth (Gannon) Massey, 89, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2021, at her home at Eskaton Lodge Assisted Living Community in Gold River, California.
She was born on August 23,1931, to Leo James and Deloras Sarah Bridget O'Toole Gannon. Mary was raised on the family farm north of Welton, Iowa. She began school at a one-room schoolhouse near Petersville, graduating from Welton High School in 1949, and Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls in 1957 with a B.A. in Business Education. Mary taught in the business departments at Algona High School in Algona, IA, Laton High School in Laton, CA, and both Napa High and Vintage High Schools in Napa, CA. Mary and Leonard "Lenny" Massey were married on January 13, 1979, and enjoyed each other's company immensely until Lenny's passing on August 20, 1998. Mary retired from the Napa Valley Unified School District in 1989 with 31 years of service. In retirement, she kept close tabs on the farm ground that she owned near Welton, always interested in knowing if Iowa was getting enough rain.
Mary truly had a servant's heart and shared her time and talents with the Napa Community Projects Thrift Shop, American Cancer Society, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Napa, and the Napa Valley Genealogical and Biographical Society. She enjoyed researching her Irish roots and considered her work in publishing a Gannon Family Book as a huge life accomplishment in preserving the history and legacy of her family. Mary always kept fit and spent hours tap dancing and practicing tai chi. She enjoyed boating, fishing, RVing and traveling the world with Lenny.
Mary was cared for in her advanced age by her niece Julie (Gannon) Kashuba and husband Michael of Fair Oaks, CA. The family wishes to acknowledge the outstanding care provided to Mary by the entire staff at Eskaton Lodge Gold River.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Leonard "Lenny" Massey; brothers James, Richard and John; sisters Rita Gannon Enters and infant twin sister Sarah Bridget Gannon; sisters-in-law Jeanne (Jack) Gannon and Phyllis (Jim) Gannon; brother-in-law Ray Enters; and stepdaughter Loretta Massey. Mary is survived by her brother, Thomas (Judy) Gannon, and sisters-in-law Madonna (Jim) Gannon and Susie (Dick) Gannon; 17 nieces and nephews; stepchildren Danny Fajardo and Lillian "Tootie" Massey Nugent; step grandchildren Robert Fajardo, Jolene Fajardo, and Yesod Williams; and numerous grand nieces, nephews and cousins.
Arrangements by W.F. Gormley and Sons in Sacramento, CA and Schultz Funeral Homes in DeWitt, IA. Condolences may be expressed and a photo tribute viewed at www.schultzfuneralhomes.com.
A Memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 2, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in DeWitt, Iowa. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu other expressions of sympathy, the family requests donations be made to Community Projects, Inc., 715 Franklin St., Napa, CA, 94559.
The service will be livestreamed on the Schultz Funeral Homes website at https://www.schultzfuneralhomes.com.