Mary C Flynn

Mary C. Flynn

On April 27, 2016, our mother Mary C. Flynn was called home by the dear Lord.  Mary Ina Cliche was born December 30, 1926 in Whitefield, NH, the oldest child of the late Ernest and Pearl (Baldic) Cliche, graduated from Whitefield High School in 1944 and Plymouth (NH) Teachers College  in 1948. She moved to Connecticut in search of a job, and started teaching at the North School in Torrington in 1949.
She joined the St. Francis Cotillion Club, and met the love of her life, Francis W. Flynn. They were married in 1956, and enjoyed 42 years together until his death on April 28, 1998. 
She left teaching in 1960 to start a family that would include three children, Timothy, Catherine and Margaret, but later was called to teach at the school they were attending, St. Francis of Assisi School.  She remained there for 23 years, retiring in 1992.  She also worked in the family business, Mount Claire Spring Water Company, answering the phones and doing bookkeeping.
When her grandchildren Christopher and Theresa came along, she became the doting Meme, never missing an opportunity to follow their activities, from Little League games and cross country meets to school plays, dance recitals and FIRST robotics competitions.
 A very social  woman, Mary was active in many organizations. Early on she was an officer of the Torrington Education Association and member of Torrington Junior Women's Club.  While her children were growing up, she became involved in their activities, and she was an officer of the St. Francis Home School Association. 
She belonged to the Torrington Woman's Club and its statewide organization, the GFWC/CT, and national affiliate, the Greater Federation of Women's Clubs. 
As President of the Torrington Woman's Club, her project was the planting of the Peace Garden including the installation of the Peace Pole at the corner of Main Street and City Hall Avenue.
Mary was a faith-filled woman. She was a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Church, and served as Lector.
She was President of the Torrington Council of Catholic Women, and held various offices in  the Hartford Archdiocese Council of Catholic Women.  She served on the Board of Trustees for the local chapter of Catholic Charities, and was a representative to the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford, where she was awarded the Help & Hope Award.  She also sang with the Silver Belles and Beaux and enjoyed outings with the Scarlet Splashers Red Hat Society.  Mary was proclaimed Lord Mayor of Torrington for a Day in 2009 by the former Mayor Ryan Bingham. In her "spare" time, Mary loved to travel, attending many regional and national conventions throughout the United States with her different organizations, and visiting Ireland with her daughter Catherine, and Italy with her sister Joan.
Already dearly missing her are her children Timothy Flynn of Torrington, Catherine Flynn of Torrington and Margaret Perez and her husband Craig of Nashua, NH; her grandchildren Christopher Perez and Theresa Perez; her sisters Carolyn Livingston, and June Ceppaluni, both of Port Charlotte, FL and Joan Gontarz of Merrimack, NH; sisters- in- law, Maureen (Over) Cliche of Georgia, Barbara Cliche of Indiana and Claire (Flynn) Reardon of Torrington and many nieces and nephews.
She joins her husband Francis, and brothers Harold Cliche and Donald (Pat) Cliche, who predeceased her
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Francis Church, Torrington, CT, at 11:00AM on Tuesday, May 3rd, with entombment following at Saint Francis Cemetery.  Friends may call at Phalen Funeral Home 285 Migeon Ave Torrington Monday 2-4,  and  6-8 PM.  Memorial Contributions can be made to St. Francis Church,  Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Charities,  or The Heart Assoc.  www.phalenfuenral.com