Connor-Healy Funeral Home
Margaret Mary Mongan, known as Mary, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2020, at the age of 94. She had a long and wonderful life.
Mary was born in Manchester on May 14, 1926, the youngest child of John and Ida (Bouchard) Mahoney. She grew up on Kidder Street in the corporate housing owned by the Amoskeag Mills, where both of her parents worked, her father as a firefighter. She attended St. Joseph Elementary School and St. Joseph High School for Girls, where she was captain of the basketball team. She also worked at the State Theater on Elm St., saving enough money for her family to buy a refrigerator. She was most proud of this accomplishment. During World War II she enlisted in the U. S. Navy Cadet Corps, and became a registered nurse after training at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Nashua.
During her nursing studies, a classmate introduced Mary to her brother, a young naval officer who had professed an interest in meeting Mary since purchasing a movie ticket from her at the State Theater. He was John C. Mongan of Manchester and they began to date, encouraged by Mary's beloved father who approved of the match. John and Mary were married September 27, 1947, in the chapel at St. Joseph Cathedral.
Mrs. Mongan's career as a public servant and health professional was varied and distinguished. She worked as a nurse in Boston, at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and at the Elliot Hospital in Manchester. After her husband John was elected Mayor of Manchester (1962-1964 and 1968-1970), she became not just his partner in politics but a public influence in her own right. She often described herself as a "doer", not a "politician".
She attended the University of Michigan to study gerontology while her children were in college, and participated in the annual White House Conference on Aging. While working as the director of social services for the Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, she became well-known for her advocacy for the elderly, and was responsible for the building of affordable housing units and development of much-needed health and social services.
As Commissioner of Health and Human Services for New Hampshire under Governors Sununu and then Gregg in the 1980s, Mrs. Mongan was a tireless champion for the vulnerable and underserved. She testified before the State Legislature on many occasions, helped the state to procure federal grants and healthcare dollars for multiple initiatives, advocated for and oversaw unprecedented HIV/AIDS education and outreach, and participated at the national level in related projects. Following her tenure in Concord, Mrs. Mongan became the first director of Hillcrest Terrace, a senior living community in Manchester.
Mrs. Mongan served on numerous boards and committees throughout the city and state, including St. Anselm College, Numerica Bank, Camp Mayhew, the Boys and Girls Club, United Way, the Department of Public Health, Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Elliot Hospital Senior Center and Catholic Charities. She received many awards and honors in recognition of her service to the community, including an honorary doctorate from St. Anselm College and the Manchester Citizen of the Year award. In 1986, Mrs. Mongan and her husband John, who was at that time the regional administrator for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Reagan, were included in the book New Hampshire Notables, and highlighted as a "power couple" in an article in the Boston Globe.
Mrs. Mongan and her husband had lived in their home at 22 Elizabeth Ave since 1953, and were communicants of Blessed Sacrament Church. She was a devout Catholic, and a devoted and energetic grandmother. Her grandchildren consider their Nana as an inspiration in their own lives. She loved the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots, as well as dogs, gardening, and the family house at Lake Winnipesaukee. She hated to fly, and so she and her husband enjoyed several cross-country trips by car.
She is pre-deceased by her husband John, who died in 2013, and by her brother Paul Mahoney and sister Anna Mahoney Furbush. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Kathleen and Robert Thies of Bedford; son and daughter-in-law Michael and Maurene Mongan of San Diego, California; grandson Evan Thies and his wife Melanie of New York City; grandson Conor Mongan and his wife Melissa of Austin, Texas; grandson Sean Mongan, also of Austin; granddaughter Julia Thies Moore and her husband Taylor of San Francisco; two great grandchildren, William and Mary Elizabeth Moore of San Francisco; and many nieces and nephews.
A graveside service for immediate family was held on June 3, 2020, at St. Joseph Cemetery, officiated by Monsignor John Quinn. A funeral Mass at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Bedford will be held at a future date.
Memorial donations may be made in her name to Catholic Charities New Hampshire.
The Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 537 Union Street, Manchester, NH is in charge of the arrangements.
For more information visit: www.connorhealy.com.
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