Frances McNulty

Frances Elizabeth Toohey McNulty 

January 2, 1930 – September 16, 2025

Frances Elizabeth Toohey McNulty passed away peacefully on September 16, 2025, Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 95.

Born on January 2, 1930, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to Frank Joseph Toohey and Harriett Elizabeth Watterson, Frances lived a remarkable life defined by love, service, adventure, and dedication to education.

While visiting her brother, William Toohey, in Takoradi, West Africa, Frances met William K. McNulty. The two married on February 27, 1960, in Williamsport, PA, and honeymooned in Rio de Janeiro before beginning a life abroad together. They lived in Lagos, Nigeria; Monrovia, Liberia; and finally settled in Accra, Ghana, where William worked for Texaco.

A graduate of Lycoming College with a B.A. in Psychology, Frances had a remarkable and varied career. She worked in marketing for Coca-Cola, served as an administrator for the Girl Scouts and for the Williamsport School for the Deaf and Blind, and taught elementary school both in Maryland and in West Africa. Her lifelong dedication to education and inclusion was reflected in two of her proudest accomplishments: helping her parents establish The School of Hope in Williamsport, PA, a school for special needs children and adults inspired by her beloved brother, Joseph Toohey, and later becoming a co-founder of The New Horizons School in Ghana. Frances was also instrumental in founding Lincoln Community School (K–12) in Accra, Ghana, which opened its doors in 1968. All six of her children attended the school, which continues to thrive more than 50 years later.

Frances’s greatest joy was her family. She raised six children and was actively involved in her grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s lives. Alongside family life, she pursued many passions. She was an accomplished seamstress, creating elaborate costumes for her children and grandchildren; an avid knitter, crafting Christmas ornaments for friends and family, and baby hats for hospitals in Tucson and Williamsport; a competitive tennis player, captaining several league teams; a dedicated hiker who proudly completed a rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon in her seventies; a proud Irish baker who lovingly baked Irish soda bread each St. Patrick’s Day, a tradition that brought joy to all who shared it; a devoted Golden State Warriors basketball fan; a keen reader and an unbeatable Scrabble player. 

Frances was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Harriett Toohey; her beloved husband, William K. McNulty; her sister, Harriett Heilig; her brothers, William, John, and Joseph Toohey; her grandson, Angelo McNulty Portnoy; her niece, Killian Randle; and her nephew, John-Michael Toohey.

Frances is survived by her children: Maureen Sutterfield of Tucson, AZ; Kerry Perlman (Bruce Perlman) of Tucson, AZ; Kevin McNulty (Carol McNulty) of Houston, TX; Erin McNulty (Sean Hyde) of Mesa, AZ; Sheila McNulty of Danville, CA; and Patricia McNulty of Tucson, AZ. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, who will carry forward her legacy of love, determination, and curiosity.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025:

• Funeral Mass: 10:00 a.m. at Immaculate Heart Novitiate, 3820 N Sabino Canyon Road, Tucson, AZ.
• Burial: Immediately following at All Faiths Cemetery, 2151 Avenida Los Reyes, Tucson, AZ.
• Reception: Following services at the Perlman Residence, 3956 N. Foothills Club Loop, Tucson, AZ 85750 (Gate Code: 6774)

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CMT Research Foundation cmtrf.org or The New Horizons School, continuing Frances’s lifelong dedication to special education. To learn more and take a virtual tour, please visit newhorizonsspecialschool.com. and to donate visit https://gofund.me/b3f482c40 

Frances’s life was a testament to compassion, perseverance, and the belief in the transformative power of education. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.