Mary-Louise (Drapeau) Fitzgibbons passed away peacefully on Friday morning November 9, 2018. Mary-Louise was born in Holyoke on July 19, 1931, the third child of Attorney Charles E. and Mary “May” (Boozang) Drapeau. She was predeceased by her husband of 44 years, Patrick J. (“Paddy”) Fitzgibbons, who passed in 2002 and her siblings Barbara (Drapeau) Fennessey, Joan (Drapeau) Locke, Charles E. Drapeau, Jr. and Peter J. Drapeau.
Mary-Louise attended Holyoke Schools, graduating from Holyoke High School in 1949. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1953 with a degree in English and French Literature. After raising her family, she resumed her career as a teacher in the Holyoke Public schools while earning two Master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts.
Mary-Louise was a devoted teacher of ESL and reading until her retirement in 1993. Mary-Louise found her deepest love and sense of pride in the family that she created with her beloved Paddy. Mary-Louise and Paddy were parents to six children and grandparents to twelve beautiful grandchildren.
To cherish her memory, Mary-Louise leaves Ellen Fitzgibbons of Holyoke, Ann Fitzgibbons of Harvard, Rosemary (Mark) VanDorpe of Harvard, Beth (John) Fleming of Worcester, Patrick (Ruthann) Fitzgibbons of Hadley and Stephen (Maria) Fitzgibbons of Holyoke. She will also be dearly missed by her many friends in Holyoke, her nieces and nephews, and her neighbors, especially her many friends on the Circle. She also leaves behind the grandchildren whom she adored: Elizabeth Perkins, Madelyn, Rory and Peyton VanDorpe, Frances, William, Catherine and Grace Fleming, Patrick and James Fitzgibbons, and Colin and Aidan Fitzgibbons.
They will always remember her devotion and faith and be better people because of her example. Mary-Louise had a wonderful faith that informed her life in every way. She and Paddy were communicants of Sacred Heart parish where they were married on October 26, 1957.
They served the church selflessly in various ways through the years and were always grateful for the love and guidance of the parish. In recent years, Mary-Louise was a communicant of St. Jerome Parish and Jericho. The family would like to especially thank Mary-Louise’s loving caregivers from Homewatch CareGivers and Mercy Adult Day Health, who took exceptional care of her in recent years.
The love and dedication shown to Mary-Louise has been a true blessing. The funeral will be held Friday, Nov. 16th at 10:20 a.m. from the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, followed by a Mass in Saint Patrick Chapel of Saint Jerome Church, 169 Hampden Street, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be in Saint Jerome Cemetery.
Calling hours will be held Friday morning from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Saint Joseph, 577 Carew Street, Springfield MA 01104 or Jericho, PO Box 1039, Holyoke MA 01041-1039.
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