Proud Marie adored her family
MARIE Leddy passed away surrounded by her loving family in Boyne View House on the 4th of August last. Marie had endured a long period of illness, during which time she received the love, attention and devotion of her husband Tommy and family.
Marie Healy was born on the 23rd of April 1940 and thereafter resided with her parents, Peter (Blossom) and Mary (May) Healy on the Chord Road for a short time before moving to Mount St Oliver. Marie had a younger sister, Dolores, who predeceased her.
Marie’s early education years were spent in the happy environment of Fatima National School on the Dublin Road. She then went on to enhance her office skills when she enrolled on a Secretarial Course which led to her employment with Bellew’s Seeds in West Street and later on in John Street.
Her destiny was to be determined here when her future husband, Tommy, who also worked in Bellew’s, had eyes on the future Mrs Leddy. Love blossomed and they married in St Mary’s Church James’ Street in August 1961 and set up home in Congress Avenue.
This was the beginning of a partnership that would go on to rear a family who would become a huge influence on the town of Drogheda and further afield through music and business. Marie’s great administration and accountancy skills aligned to her husband’s legendary music prowess meant, that it would not be too long before this would materialise into a business venture that would become ‘ The Sound Shop’ which opened on the North Quay Drogheda in May 1968.
Marie’s administration and accountancy acumen came to the fore when she worked in the bookkeeping department where she made a huge contribution to the success of The Sound Shop which became known to musicians the length and breadth of the country.
Not alone content to keep control on the Bookkeeping side of things, Marie was one of the instigators behind the setting up of the ‘Boyne School of Music’ which has taught scores of many of our present day musicians.
Marie’s demeanour was always friendly and her home was always a place of welcome. She was a fantastic wife to Tommy and mother to their seven children David, Patrick, Mary, Madeline, Adam, Emer and Ann-Marie.
The family relish in telling stories of how their mother excelled in the kitchen where her brown bread and fruit cake were legendary. She was adept as a seamstress and enjoyed knitting and crocheting which meant her family lacked for nothing in the cuisine and apparel department.
She took an active part in the education of her children and served on Parents’ Councils showing her proficiency as a fundraiser for the schools to which her children attended.
She shared a love of music with her husband Tommy and encouraged all of her children to take up music. She had a particular love for the Drogheda Pantomime Society and was an avid member. Memories are still recalled of her input to the Society as its Secretary and also for her famous egg and onion sandwiches.
Marie Leddy loved Congress Avenue where she valued the wonderful friendships she shared in the company of her neighbours over the years.
During the summer months she spent many happy hours in what the family regarded as their second home down in Port Oriel in Clogherhead with her husband Tommy and the family. These were idyllic days spent among the many friends she had made over the years.
Marie and Tommy also liked to take an annual holiday in France where they made many more friendships during those very happy days spent there.
Marie Leddy’s health began to falter at an early age and her mind began to betray her. But, she never let her own private suffering stand in the way of her family pursuing and enjoying whatever paths they chose to take. For as long as she could, she weathered those internal storms herself, her love for others always prevailing over darker thoughts or fears.
Her unwavering spirit meant she wrung every last drop out of life before illness and affliction seemed to wring every last drop out of her all too soon in her own life. But even during the families visits in recent years, occasionally there was a feeling that maybe she offered flashes of awareness as she fought on, perhaps showing she still enjoyed the presence of loved ones and their conversation, even when she could no longer respond.
Marie’s family are eternally grateful to the staff of Boyne View House, for giving her the best comfort and respite the family could ever have hoped for and the invaluable support to family & friends on their visits during the years she was there.
After all she’d been through, she can now rest in peace, assured she will be remembered, not as she was during her illness battles, but how she was in those earlier days, when she was better able to give expression to her boundless reserves of love, friendship and humanity.
Those days when she loved and supported her husband Tommy, adored and defined her family, cared for her beloved parents and sibling, forged and maintained lifelong friendships, welcomed and made time for any and all visitors, toiled to provide for her family and gave of her best to everyone and everything in a very fulfilling life .
The legacy left by Marie Leddy was inherent in her beautiful funeral Mass, celebrated by Fr Phil Gafney, in St Mary’s Church James’ Street. The Leddy family were united in their grief in the church where; just two days short of Marie & Tommy’s 57th wedding anniversary, they celebrated Marie’s life with a lovely ceremony, enriched by her family’s contribution to the readings and the magnificent music. Her son David conducted the Drogheda Male Voice Choir who performed so magnificently with Amie Dyer, along with her daughter, Emer, who was the accompanist in a truly moving service before her last journey to Calvary Cemetery.
She is sadly missed by her loving husband Tommy, her seven devoted children, her twenty grandchildren and her great granddaughter.