SOUTHWICK: Martha Mary (McCue) Merrill, 92, (1928 – 2021) passed away on January 20, 2021 surrounded by her loving family. Martha was born in Fox Harbour, Newfoundland Canada on September 3, 1928 to the late Daniel and Agnes (O’Leary) McCue. At age seventeen, Martha and her family emigrated through Ellis Island, leaving her home country, and had moved to Dorchester MA. In the U.S. is where she met the love of her life William L. Merrill at a USO dance where he was a young military guard assigned to the entrance. They soon married and after many years of a military career life traveling to various military bases, together with their four children, had returned to her husband’s home area of Western Mass. In her later years Martha went on to achieve her A.S. in Business from Fischer Jr. College. Martha was proud of both her Newfoundland heritage and her Bostonian background. She loved to sing and dance to Irish songs and loved to share her many ‘newphie’ style adages such as “here’s to the girl on the hill…”. She enjoyed her bowling league friends, playing card games, cribbage (with a win only mindset!), cookouts, seafood and going to bingo nights. She took pride in restoring their colonial home in Westfield to its’ former glory. She was a devoted mother, and when her first born son Brian was in an automobile accident at nineteen, which left him a quadriplegic, she devoted her life to his care and wellbeing, helping him to live to fifty-seven. She loved her entire family and looked forward to spending time with each of them at her summer beach home in Marshfield, MA (aka Marsh-Vegas!). She was funny, smart, quick-witted, and a feisty Irish girl who was never shy to let you know what was on her mind!
She will be deeply missed by her daughters Karen Merrill-Cartier and Ray, Leslie Merrill, Lorna Merrill, and her fiancé Michael, her six grandchildren Kyla, Kevin, Clifford, Lena, Brian, and Caitlin, her seven great-grandchildren, her siblings Mary Frances Fleming, Catherine Leonard and Joseph McCue, and many nieces, nephews, and extended family. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her loving husband William L. Merrill, her son Brian Merrill, and her brother John McCue. The family would like to thank all the staff at Baystate Hospice and Landmark at Monastery Heights for their dedicated and sincere care of Martha. She loved you all!
Calling hours will be held on Monday, January 25, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in Southwick Forastiere Funeral Home, 624 College Highway, Southwick MA with a private burial at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
PLEASE VISIT WWW.FORASTIERE.COM TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO PERSONALLY VISIT THE FAMILY AND SHARE YOUR APPRECIATION FOR MARTHA’S LIFE DURING VISITING HOURS. A celebration of Martha’s life will be held later this year at her summer home. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed for two causes close to her heart. The Holy Family Church, 5 Main St., Russell MA 01071 or to the Special Olympics Massachusetts, 512 Forest St., Marlborough, MA 01752. To leave a message of personal condolence, or more information visit www.forastiere.com.
