Marie M. Cushing

April 17, 1926 - February 6, 2021

Hampton - Con amor. With love - the signature at the end of every card she sent, and the way she lived her life. Marie (Kathryn) Mulcahy Cushing, 94, of Hampton, died from COVID-19 on February 6, 2021. Marie was born on April 17, 1926, to Leo and Kathryn (Chisholm) Mulcahy in Malden, Massachusetts. A furrowed, determined independence threaded through her life, from Regis College graduate, to social worker for people with developmental disabilities at the Fernald State School, to pioneering American Airlines flight attendant. In 1950, Marie moved to Hampton, where - thanks to some meddling matchmaking by their parents - she met Robert Reynolds Cushing. The two were wed in the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church on October 6, 1951. Marie became a loving mother to seven children. She led a boisterous house filled with its own language of inside jokes and family legends with a renowned generosity - somehow, Marie always found room for another plate at the table. Her patience was legendary, well-tested by (some of) her sons, and relieved by the “Giddy Gaddy Girls” - Marie and her same seven friends gathered, first for cocktails, then for coffee, to play bridge together for more than fifty years. Once her youngest entered school, Marie began teaching reading in Newmarket. In addition to serving as a reading specialist, she later branched out to provide special education services, and took particular pride in her English language instruction to newcomer students. She was a respected educator, fondly remembered by students and fellow teachers for her kindness and love of books. After the death of her husband, Marie retired from teaching but held on to her love of learning, exploring, and reading. She was a dedicated Red Sox fan, cheering on her favorite players from Ted Williams to Big Papi. Her heart was in Ireland, its music and poetry - she took great pride in bringing her grandchildren to visit the ancestral home where her own grandmother was born. A devotion to pearls, lipstick, and glamorous sweaters never held Grammie Marie back from crawling on the floor alongside her grandbabies. She would do anything to make her family happy, even tolerating their pet cats. She found the deepest joy in watching a room full of her grandchildren reading books she had given them. Even in the waves of family and friends, she could gently hold your hand and make you feel cared for, as if you were the only person in the room. Her family experienced Marie as the teacher and the matriarch - then, as dementia moved her into another phase of life, her family learned to care in a new way for someone who cared so much for others. Her children thank the wonderful staff at Langdon Place of Exeter for the special care they took of their mother over the years. Marie’s presence is felt in every scoop of ice cream, every cup of Lyons tea, every bite of macaroni and cheese, every bird spotted from a porch, and every moment snuggled up with a good book. Among her last words was a special message to her family: “Have a good time, enjoy yourselves, have fun, but not too much fun. I love you and miss you.” Marie was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert of 37 wonderful years; her son Michael; and son-in-law Stephen McRedmond, cherished husband of Matthew. Marie is lovingly remembered by her six surviving children: Robert Cushing Jr. and his wife, Kristie Conrad; Matthew Cushing; Kevin Cushing and his wife Kathleen (Hanson); Marynia Page and her husband Richard; Christine Rockefeller and her husband Dale; and Timothy Cushing and his wife Janet (Batchelder). She is survived by her three younger brothers - William Mulcahy and his wife, Ann; Edward Mulcahy and his wife Marilyn; and Ronald Mulcahy - and innumerable beloved niblings, grandniblings, and great-grandniblings. She was a bright guiding light for her fourteen grandchildren: Eleanor Fulmer and her husband Ronald; Rose Murray and her husband John; Isaac Cushing and his wife Julia (Barkley); Marie Cushing and her husband Austin Beckford; Danielle Cushing; Abigail Rockefeller; Christine Page and her wife Uannya; Kathryn Rockefeller; Elizabeth Cushing; Alexander Cushing; Shannon Page; Kasey Cushing; Grace Cushing; and Hillary Cushing. Her joy lives on in her ten great-grandchildren: Katie Fulmer, Caleb Cushing, Ronald “Trey” Fulmer III, Isabella Cushing, Jesse Murray, Corrine Murray, Riley Fulmer, Avery Fulmer, Julian Cushing, and Ellie Fulmer. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be a private family service. On April 17, which would have been Marie’s 95th birthday, please take a moment in your day to remember and honor her. In lieu of flowers, her family humbly asks you to wear a mask and treat the pandemic seriously. Memorial gifts can be made in Marie’s memory to the Children’s Literacy Foundation at https://clifonline.org to continue her legacy of inspiring young readers. "Heaven knows no frontiers And I’ve seen heaven in your eyes." Jimmy MacCarthy