Mary Christine McCarthy (née Carroll), beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on May 19, 2026. She was 93 years old.

Born on December 29, 1932 in New York City, Mary spent her formative years in Ireland, where she moved with her mother and brothers to Abbeyfeale in County Limerick. Her childhood there, surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins, shaped the woman she would become: deeply rooted in her Irish heritage, her faith, and her love of family.

After World War II, Mary returned to New York City with her family, settling on the West Side of Manhattan in the Holy Name Parish community. She graduated from Cathedral High School and went on to work for the telephone company in New York City. It was in the city she loved that fate intervened: at a County Limerick St. Patrick’s Day dance at the Manhattan Center on 7th Avenue, she met the man who would become her husband of 61 years, Tom McCarthy.

Together, Mary and Tom built a life and a family, beginning in a small apartment on Cummings Street in Inwood, upper Manhattan, followed by a move to their first house in Montclair, New Jersey. They eventually made their forever home in Westport. Over more than 50 years, Mary created something truly special, a place of warmth, laughter, and open doors, where seven children and all their friends always felt welcome. Her annual St. Patrick’s Day party—complete with her homemade Irish soda bread and Irish coffee—was a cherished tradition for family, friends, and Westport neighbors alike, a celebration as warm and generous as Mary herself.

In the years that followed, Mary and Tom lived in London, where she once again brought her gift for warmth and hospitality to their Mayfair apartment, making it a home away from home for family and friends. She and Tom embraced the adventure of those years fully, traveling extensively across Europe and Asia together.

Mary was a proud Irish-American and a devout Catholic whose deep faith fueled her passion for social justice and progressive causes. She volunteered for many years at the Gillespie Center, where she and Tom served dinner the fourth Monday of each month for many years. Most recently, she found joy and purpose in attending protest rallies on Westport’s Jesup Green and the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge. But above all, she was known for her extraordinary kindness and her boundless, unconditional love as a mother, grandmother, neighbor, and friend.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Tom, who passed away in 2021 after 61 years of marriage. She is also predeceased by her parents Anastasia and John Carroll, her beloved brothers Patrick, Neasy, and John, and her dearest friend and cousin, Ann Ahern.

Mary is survived by her cherished children: Christine, Tommy, John (and his wife Susan), Maggie, Michael (and his wife Stacy), Paul (and his wife Ann), and Stacey. She was the proud and loving Nana to her nine grandchildren: Kathleen, Thomas, and James Casey; and Crissy, Patrick, Siobhan, Sean, Jack, and Danny McCarthy. She is also survived by her cherished nieces and nephews, John Carroll, Madeleine Richmond, Sarah Richmond, Liam Richmond, Dorothy Carroll, and Rob Nelson.

The family will receive visitors at Harding Funeral Home in Westport on Friday, May 22, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, May 23, at Assumption Church in Westport at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at Assumption Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s memory may be made to Nourish Bridgeport (www.nourishbpt.org).