Frances Moriarty

Frances Marie(Harney) Moriarty, age 91 of Abington passed on Sunday morning October 13, 2019 peacefully from this life, surrounded by family.

Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Faithful Follower of the Good Shepherd, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The family acknowledges the superb compassionate care provided by the lady caregivers during her period of declining health with noted special care from her daughter-in-law, Nurse Roberta.

Frances was born and raised in South Boston(Southie) to the late Joseph and Mary (Barnes) Harney. Her Catholic education was from St. Augustine's in South Boston. She married her husband of sixty years, the late Paul F. X. Moriarty, in 1954 and gave birth to ten children(five boys, five girls). She supported her husband through his career as a lawyer, state representative and judge until his death in 2014. She labored selflessly and tirelessly as a homemaker to afford her children the best opportunities to receive a full Catholic education.

Frances was an accomplished pianist, organist and violinist. She was the church organist for St. Bridget's Parish in Abington for decades, accommodating weddings, funerals and Sunday Mass. She was a devout Catholic communicant at St. Bridget's as well as Holy Ghost Church, Whitman. She had also been a member of the women's Sodality of the Blessed Mother at St. Bridget's for many years. After her years as church organist, she continued her love for children as a volunteer for the Leaps In Literacy program at the Plouffe School in Brockton where she taught reading to elementary school students with learning disabilities. She spent her recent years doting on her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Frances enjoyed her weekly ladies' bowling league at Timber Lanes in Abington where she solidified many more friendships. Attending and supporting the Abington Summer Concert Series was her great pastime and her outstanding performer was Dan Clark, the Singing Trooper. She enjoyed attending the Fatima Procession at St. Thomas Aquinas in Bridgewater every year and was an ardent Pro Life supporter, attending the annual March For Life every year until she was physically unable.

Frances was emboldened in her faith as she buried two daughters, Nancy(age 19) in 1982 and Kathleen(age 39) in 2011. She also held a special decades-long bond with her neice, Virginia(Ginny) Kenney who died in 2017. Frances was predeceased by her husband Paul F. X. Moriarty in 2014. She is survived by her sister Margaret (Margie) Hoenshell and her husband Les Hoenshell of Stow, Ma, Her late siblings are Agnes Bassett, Eleanor Nee, John(Buddy) Harney and Dorothy Flaherty. Her surviving children are Mary, Eileen O'Connor and her husband Jay, Paula Murray and her husband Shawn, John, Robert and his wife Irene, Joseph and his wife Roberta, Michael and Christopher. Her grandchildren are Daniel and his wife Jennifer, Paul Moriarty, Kerri and her husband Chris Taylor, Katie O'Connor, Colleen O'Connor, Kristen Murray, Jason Moriarty, Matthew Moriarty, David Moriarty, and Maxine Moriarty. Her great grandchildren are Cailin and Wesley Moriarty.

The Moriarty family welcomes friends and loved ones to celebrate Frances' life on Thursday, October 17 from 4-8 p.m. in the MacKinnon Funeral Home, 760 Washington St., Whitman.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Holy Ghost Church,  Whitman at 9  a.m. Friday, October 18.

Burial will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Rockland.

Donations may be made to Mass Citizens For Life, The Schrafft Center 529 Main Street, Suite 205 Boston, MA 02129.