Margaret Blanchfield
1930 - 2024
Obituary
Margaret Mary Blanchfield, of DeWitt, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2024. Born in Boston on April 20, 1930, she was the youngest of 6, with 5 older brothers. Their parents, Patrick and Margaret Berry, immigrated from Connemara and the Aran Islands, Ireland to raise their family in South Boston. Margaret attended Regis College for a degree in actuarial science. Throughout her life she handled numbers and finance with great sophistication.
She met her husband, Stanley, at a softball game, where she convinced him she was a great first baseman and knew Ted Williams. Stanley predeceased her in November 2019, but not before they celebrated 66 years of marriage. Margaret and Stanley lived in DeWitt, NY for more than 60 years and were faithful congregants of Holy Cross Church in DeWitt.
Margaret's focus was her family, Catholic faith, Catholic education, and volunteerism. She attended daily Mass and held a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Most Holy Rosary.
She was an active supporter of Holy Cross School, The Franciscan Academy, and Christian Brothers Academy. She made many close friends through these schools. She also dedicated 40 years as a volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse. In addition, along with Stanley, she never missed a Notre Dame, Red Sox, or any other Boston team's game.
Her family, faith, and Irish heritage structured her life. There was never a time that Irish music wasn't playing. Her prayers would commonly end with "God Save Ireland." The memory of Margaret's ready and beautiful smile will be cherished by her many friends and family.
Surviving are her children, James (Sharon), Diane, and Maureen (Peter); grandchildren, Daniel (Chase), Mary (Chase), Patrick (Katherine), Timothy (Taylor), Kevin (Kim), Clare (Lars); and great-grandsons, John and Gabriel.
Special thanks to Hospice, Constant Care, and The Nottingham Residential Health Care Facility, as well as the many priests who visited and blessed her, especially Father John Haggerty and Msgr. Robert Yeazel.
A funeral Mass will be at 10am on Saturday, July 13 at Holy Cross Church, 4112 E. Genesee St, DeWitt. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in DeWitt.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Holy Cross School to further support Margaret's love of Catholic education.