Theresa Juliette Mccarthy

"Palmer, Theresa J. (Palardis) McCarthy (Memere), 95, died peacefully after spending the day with her loving family by her side on Sunday, June 26th at Baystate Wing Memorial Hospital. Theresa was born in Biddeford, ME on March 29, 1921, she was one of ten children, the daughter of Wilfrid and Louisa Palardis. Losing her mother at a young age, she and her sisters were placed in St Andre Orphanage in Maine that was run by the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec. She went on to graduate high school while in the orphanage and then furthered her studies, receiving a college degree in teaching and was ordained a Nun and served in Quebec for many years. At the age of 36 due to illness, Theresa left the Order and reunited with her siblings in Springfield, MA. Theresa met the late Thomas F. McCarthy on a blind date, and they shared 46 years of marriage in the Hungry Hill section of Springfield. She was a faithful communicant of Our Lady of Hope for 50 years until at the age of 90 when she moved to spend precious time with her granddaughter Julie and her husband Antony in Michigan and then the North Shore. Theresa was thrilled to be there to welcome her new great grandchildren Grace and Liam. Spending countless hours near the ocean with the family, her bond with her great-granddaughter Grace was beyond explanation. Recently, Theresa moved to Palmer to live with her other granddaughter Charlann and her husband Bill and while in Palmer she attended the Bethany Charismatic Church in Brimfield, MA where she made many special friends. Theresa always greeted you with a smile and a kind word. Her answered prayers were legendary as we were all sure she had the direct line to God. Theresa enjoyed sitting on the porch with her buddy Bill while reading or crocheting for hours, or visiting with her friends Cathy and Darlene. She loved gardening and weeding if you can believe it and her roses were often grown for one special woman (her mother Mary) But Theresa's greatest love was for her Lord and her Family. She will be forever missed by her children, Patricia McKeon and her husband Kevin of Springdale, ME, along with a special niece Claudette Dufresne of Australia and daughter in law Alice MacDonald and husband Steve of Agawam. She also leaves grandchildren Charlann Griswold, Julie Parchment, Corrina Warton, John Storey, Tina Scott and Sandy McKeon along with twelve great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her daughter, Roberta Wing and many siblings. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 1 at 8:00 a.m. at Bethany Charismatic Church in Brimfield, please meet at the church. Burial will follow in the Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Agawam at 10:00 a.m. Calling hours will be held at the Beers and Story Palmer Funeral Home on Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff at the Baystate Wing Hospital for their compassion and dedication to their patients. For those wishing, donations in Theresa's memory may be made to Bethany Charismatic Church of Brimfield MA or the faith of your choice. Please visit www.beersandstory.com "