Teresa loved visiting her parents’ native Sligo
Teresa Finley, nee Mulkeen, 76, died on Sunday January 27 th in Albany NY. Teresa was born on 5 June 1942, in Brooklyn NY to Patrick Mulkeen of Aghamore and Sligo, and Bridget Mulkeen, nee Feeney, of Graffeymore and Sligo. However, the part of her youth spent in Ireland would have a lasting effect.
Teresa trained as a nurse at Paddington General Hospital in London. After emigrating to the U.S., Teresa got her RN license at Brooklyn State Hospital. Teresa then did paediatric nursing at Polyclinic Hospital in NYC. In 1968 she met and married her future husband, Barry.
Their first child, Catherine Maeve, was born in 1973. After the family moved to the Capital District area of upstate NY, their son, David Patrick, was born. By nature Teresa was quiet and reserved.
Because of her, Teresa’s family took delight in light, often self-deprecatory, banter. She loved playing games and didn’t care who won or lost.
Teresa was indefatigably curious and had a wide range of knowledge. The first quality she got from her father, who, before emigrating to the US, had fought in the Irish Revolution. Arguing, complaining, or rehashing things were alien to Teresa’s nature.
For her, money’s only use was to enjoy life and to share good times and meals with family and friends.
Teresa’s independent and open-minded spirit enabled her to support any path her children chose.
She loved true crime stories, fiction by Agatha Christie, Celia Fremlin, and the Bronte Sisters. While driving, Teresa and her husband Barry listened to their favourite books and together, watched scores of old -and American noir - films. They also attended the Schenectady Civic Theatre, Theatre Voices, events at Proctors, and opera at Glimmerglass.
Ireland continued to exert a strong influence on Teresa. The couple visited there often, and travelled widely to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Bolivia, Turkey, Israel and China.
In 2000, as the first leg of their first multi-country trip, they attended this century’s first World’s Fair in Hanover, Germany. Most often their self-guided trips were meticulously researched and planned down to the last detail by Teresa, in- cluding film festivals in Ireland, Switzerland and Montreal.
In 2018 shortly after the couple had celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary, Teresa was no longer able to drive the couple to their exercise and yoga classes at the Glenville Sr. Centre.
But the discovery of a caring community and countless volunteers so ready to help others proved heartwarming.
The passing of so bright a star, so blithe a spirit, leaves a space in the hearts of all who knew and loved her that will not be easily filled.
Teresa leaves behind her husband, Barry, her children Catherine Maeve and David Patrick, her son-in-law, Glenn, her nieces Siobhan Mulkeen and Mary Kate Cunningham (Joe, Billy, Julia, John, Margaret), her cousins Philomena McLoughlin (Bobby, Sharon, Rhona, Trisha), Tanya Kilfeather (Brian, Dylan), Anne Colreavy (Sean), Tommy Conway ( Vera), John Conway (Mary), Mary Eaton, Noeline Harrington (Joe), Anne Colreavy (Tom), Tommy ( Vera), John Conway (Mary) and childhood friends Kathy McGetrick, Myra Doonan and Catharine Langan.