Obituary of Martha J. Flanigan

Martha J. Flanigan, a resident of Dover Plains, entered into rest Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at Sharon Health Care Center in Sharon, Connecticut, She was 73. Daughter of the late Thomas and Emma P. Yeager James, she was born February 8, 1938 in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Martha was a graduate of Hazelton High School, class of 1955. She received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and went on to receive her master's degree in Special Eduaction from Columbia University in New York City. She worked as the Director of Education at the former Wassaic Developmental Center; retiring in March of 1991. It was while working in Wassaic she met her future husband, Gordon Flanigan. They were married on June 27, 1969 at Immaculate Conception Church in Amenia by Father Peter McKowen. Mr. Flanigan survives at home in Dover Plains. Martha was a parishioner of Immaculate Conception Church in Amenia. She was a longtime lector at the Saturday Evening Mass where she read from her wheelchair. She was a member and former secretary for the Dover Chapter 576, OES. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sisters-in-law, Ann Anderson and her husband, Melvin of Ormond Beach, Florida, Nancy Monaghan of Ormond Beach, Florida and Patricia Monaghan of North Bangor, New York; her niece, Lauren Rose Anderson of Ormond Beach, Florida; her several cousins; her special friend of over forty years, Mary DeVito-Thomas and her husband, Charlie of Dover Plains; as well as her dear friend and former neighbor, Cheryl D'Octavio of Apex, North Carolina. She was predeceased by her brother, Thomas James in April of 1967. Family will receive friends on Sunday, December 11, 2011 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls. Members of the Eastern Star will gather for services at 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. on Monday, December 12 at Immaculate Conception Church, Route 22, Amenia. Interment will be at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13 in St. John's Lutheran UCC Cemetery, St. John's Road, St. John's, Pennsylvania. Gordon would like to thank the staff at Sharon Health Care Center especially the Upper Level Unit for their kindness and compassion as well as Bill and Shirley Diener for their daily evening phone calls. Memorial donations may be made in Martha's name to Immaculate Conception Church Building Fund, PO Box 109, Amenia, NY 12501 or you may remember Martha with Mass Cards. For directions to the funeral home or to send a personal condolence, please visit our website at www.StraubCatalanoHalvey.com.