Elizabeth A. McDonough

WORCESTER-Betty McDonough, age 94, died peacefully on January 21 after months of declining health.  Betty was born and raised in Worcester. She and her husband Joe remained in Worcester to raise their children Joan, Susan, and Joseph. Later in life Betty enjoyed living among many friends at Westbrook Crossing in Shrewsbury. Her final residence was in Hingham surrounded by the endless support of the staff at the Residences at Penniman Hill.

Her husband of 38 years, Joseph W. McDonough, predeceased her in 1993. Betty was the daughter of the late Richard and Grace Hoey; daughter-in-law to the late John and Bessie McDonough. She was the cherished sister of Carol Hoey Kelleher, the late Richard (Ricky) Hoey, and the late Eileen Hoey Scannell. She was the beloved sister-in-law of Kathleen (Kathy) Hoey, the late Joe Scannell, and the late Frank Kelleher. Betty was the adored mother of Joan McDonough Perrault (Alan) of Hingham, Susan McDonough of Plymouth and the late Joseph McDonough, Jr., grandmother to Daniel Perrault of West Hollywood, Steven Perrault of Boston and Brian Perrault of Los Angeles and aunt to seven loving nieces and nephews. She was the dear mother-in-law of the late Mary Lebejko McDonough Roughan. Betty joins her best friends Peggy Conlin and Shirley Hayward who both predeceased her by only a few months.

Betty was a graduate of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital School of Nursing. She remained loyal to the school and connected to her classmates throughout her life. Betty devoted many years to nursing, predominantly at Worcester City Hospital School of Nursing as a floor nurse and then an instructor in the hospital’s School of Nursing. A life-long learner, Betty returned to school at age 50 to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Worcester State College. Two years later she earned her Master’s degree in Nursing at Anna Maria College. Betty’s curiosity about the world never diminished. She was an avid reader of non-fiction and she loved enrolling in college courses through the Assumption University WISE program, always excited by the variety of courses to choose from.

Holy Cross College played a prominent role in Betty’s life. She and her husband Joe, Business Manager of Athletics at Holy Cross for 38 years, made lifelong friends at Holy Cross and created many family memories, not the least of which were the many football and basketball games that were a constant among the family and friends. Additionally, Betty and Joe enjoyed traveling throughout the country and abroad, a passion that Betty continued after Joe was gone.  She loved Cape Cod in the summer and Delray Beach in the winter.  She enjoyed vacations in Sanibel with her children and grandchildren. She loved traveling to California to visit her grandsons. She cherished the memories of traveling with extended family to Bermuda and Ireland.

Though Betty was blessed with a long life, it is never enough. She will be deeply missed by family, friends and all who knew her.

Visiting Hours are Friday, January 26 from 4 to 7pm at Fay Brothers Funeral Home, 1 West Boylston St., West Boylston. A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, January 27 at 10am in St. Anne’s Church, 130 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Jimmy Fund at www.jimmyfund.org or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org