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BEVERLY- Mrs. Eileen Rebecca (Corry) Gilligan, 81, of Beverly, beloved wife of 58 years to the late Michael Robert Gilligan Sr., died May 3rd, 2021 at Beverly Hospital.
Born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Ireland, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Ann (McCue) Corry. She was raised and educated in Ireland and immigrated to the United States in 1959, settling in New York City. Eileen met the love of her life Michael, at Schrafft’s Chocolates where they both worked. Eileen, her husband and their young family moved to Boxford in 1972 and have since called the North Shore home.
Mrs. Gilligan began her professional career as a caretaker at the Josephine Murray Farm in Boxford. She, alongside her husband worked diligently to care for the grounds and animals on the farm. In 1975, Eileen moved to Beverly and began a long career as the Cook and Care taker of the Rectory at St. Mary Star of the Sea church in Beverly. She truly ran the house and took great pride in supporting the priests in their daily lives. She was beloved by many Pastors and Reverends and was especially known for her immaculate cleanliness of the rectory. She was a great friend and support of the Parish.
A long-time resident of the City of Beverly, Eileen was a member of American Legion Woman’s Auxiliary, Herman Spear Post of Beverly. As a young woman Eileen learned to Dance. Learning to dance at a young age, it became one of her life’s true passions and pleasures. A winner of many awards for her style and grace on the dance floor, Eileen and her husband enjoyed cutting a rug for fun and sport. She was a proud Irish woman, she was devoted to her family, was hard working and easy to smile. Above all else, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who will be deeply missed.
Eileen is survived by her daughters, Mary B. Gilligan of Peabody and Bernadette P. Gilligan of Beverly, her son, Michael R. Gilligan, Jr. and his wife Nicole of Newmarket, NH, her grandchildren, Allen Delisle of Beverly, Richard LeBlanc of Salisbury, Sarah LeBlanc of Brentwood, NH, Roisin A. Gilligan of East Boston and Michael R. Gilligan, III of Newmarket, NH, her 2 great-granddaughters Ava and Lily, her siblings, Jane Hitchman and her husband, Tony of Reading, England, John Corry and his wife Alice, Mick Corry and his wife Nora and Thomas Corry and his wife Biddy all of County Fermanagh, Ireland, her beloved Goddaughter, Olive Breen of County Tyrone, Ireland and many nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Willy and Bridget Corry.
ARRANGEMENTS: Her funeral will be held from the Peterson-O’Donnell Funeral Home, 167 Maple St., (rte 62) Danvers, Saturday, May 8th at 10 A.M. followed by her funeral Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 235 Cabot St., Beverly at 11 A.M. Relatives and friends invited. All attendees must register to attend the funeral Mass by visiting her tribute page at odonnellfuneralservice.com or by calling the funeral home (978-774-6600) Burial in North Beverly Cemetery, Beverly. Visiting hours Friday, May 7th from 4 to 7 P.M. All are required to wear face coverings and are kindly asked to practice social distancing. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Eileen’s memory to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the American Heart Association at Heart.org. to share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Eileen Rebecca (Corry) Gilligan, please visit our floral store.
Please note
Attendance at St Mary Star of the Sea for the Funeral Mass is limited to a maximum of 100 people. Family and friends planning to attend are kindly requested to RSVP to reserve their place
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105
Tel: 1-800-805-5856
Web: http://www.stjude.org/