Comments - ‘Birthday Boy’: Seeking Patrick O’Connor - The Wild Geese2024-03-29T11:37:42Zhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=6442157%3ABlogPost%3A79593&xn_auth=noMary Louise (O’Connor) Brooke…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2019-11-15:6442157:Comment:2445322019-11-15T19:11:06.457ZGerry Reganhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ger_regan
<p dir="ltr"><span><strong><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3714562751?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3714562751?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="275"></img></a> Mary Louise (O’Connor) Brooke, October 3, 2019, London, England.</strong> (Photo left) Born November 25, 1932, in Syracuse, N.Y.; her parents were the late Kathryn (Collins) and Francis E. O’Connor. Her father, a railroad man, </span><span>and</span><span> the family moved from Syracuse to Jersey Shore, Pa., and on to Toledo, Ohio,…</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><strong><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3714562751?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3714562751?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="275" class="align-left"/></a>Mary Louise (O’Connor) Brooke, October 3, 2019, London, England.</strong> (Photo left) Born November 25, 1932, in Syracuse, N.Y.; her parents were the late Kathryn (Collins) and Francis E. O’Connor. Her father, a railroad man, </span><span>and</span><span> the family moved from Syracuse to Jersey Shore, Pa., and on to Toledo, Ohio, where they lived many years. After attending Ursuline Academy in Toledo for three years, she finished high school at St. Anthony’s, Class of 1949</span><span>, </span><span>in Syracuse.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>In the early 1950s</span><span>,</span><span> Mary Louise moved to New York City, working for New York Telephone and eventually with advertising firm J. Walter Thompson. While in New York City</span><span>,</span><span> she had a son, whom she put up for adoption.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Mary earned her living as an executive secretary, living in Rome and Paris, before settling in London. She was briefly married to Guy Brooke. She often returned to her family at Christmas, practicing skilled needlecraft, with her favorite wine at her elbow. Her last visit was for a family gathering in the summer of 2007. Mary shared her life with a succession of dogs, especially shih tzus, most recently Princess. In the 1990s</span><span>,</span><span> she and her son, Gerald Reg</span><span>a</span><span>n, of New York City, were reunited.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Predeceased by her parents, and siblings Francis, Ann, Kathie, and Ellie; survived by her son, Gerald Regan; her nephew Sean Nevins, her brother-in-law Peter King, and nieces Kirsten, Wendy, Erika, Therese, Clair, Kathy, Bernadette, Celia, and their children, and her faithful friend Carla Silva of London.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Donations in her memory can be made to Amberations, 2345 Amber Rd., Marietta, N.Y. 13110, an experiment in fostering concern for environment, animal husbandry, and building community on the hills and creeks of </span><span>the </span><span>Skaneateles watershed.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Friends may call at All Saints Church at 1340 Lancaster Ave., in Syracuse, on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 9 a.m., prior to the funeral at 10 a.m.</span></p> Here's the sad denouement to…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2019-10-07:6442157:Comment:2437002019-10-07T11:49:34.246ZGerry Reganhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ger_regan
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3649928986?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3649928986?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> Here's the sad denouement to the story: My mother, Mary Louise Brooke (<span>née</span> O'Connor), seen here at the White Horse Tavern in Manhattan in 1999, died Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:45 p.m. in hospital in London. She was 86, and had lived in London since 1966. The last words she ever uttered to me were a few years ago, when I called after I heard she was…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3649928986?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3649928986?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a>Here's the sad denouement to the story: My mother, Mary Louise Brooke (<span>née</span> O'Connor), seen here at the White Horse Tavern in Manhattan in 1999, died Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:45 p.m. in hospital in London. She was 86, and had lived in London since 1966. The last words she ever uttered to me were a few years ago, when I called after I heard she was recovering from a stroke. As soon as she recognized my voice, she told me, "Get lost!" and hung up. Of course that pained me, and still does, but I insist on taking the long view, and choose to define our time together primarily by those five extraordinary years when she embraced me.</p> Beautiful Gerry, just beautif…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2019-02-28:6442157:Comment:2397172019-02-28T22:54:12.947ZPatrick Francis Deadyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/PatrickFrancisDeady
<p>Beautiful Gerry, just beautiful.</p>
<p>Another Patrick.</p>
<p>Beautiful Gerry, just beautiful.</p>
<p>Another Patrick.</p> Hi Gerry......As I have told…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2019-02-27:6442157:Comment:2397102019-02-27T11:54:37.501ZThat's Just How It Washttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/MaryThorpe
<p>Hi Gerry......As I have told you previously, we have something in common... I have an adoted son, that I truely love with all my heart....I love the way in which yo give credit and lots of appriciation to your adoptive Mom , and acknowledgeing the fact that it was not easy for your birth Mom to give you up., not many adotped childern have this capicity for understanding , and the fact you you do says much about the way in which you were raised ....For me , it shows just how much your…</p>
<p>Hi Gerry......As I have told you previously, we have something in common... I have an adoted son, that I truely love with all my heart....I love the way in which yo give credit and lots of appriciation to your adoptive Mom , and acknowledgeing the fact that it was not easy for your birth Mom to give you up., not many adotped childern have this capicity for understanding , and the fact you you do says much about the way in which you were raised ....For me , it shows just how much your adopted Mom loved you and how this love shines through you.... .. Finding your birth Mom, must have been a great joy for you .... Your adoped Mom & Dad has done a grand job of raisging you.. You have been blessed with love and care and long may that continue </p> wonderful story Gerry, opens…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-22:6442157:Comment:1922472016-05-22T12:45:23.922ZMike Houlihanhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/MikeHoulihan
<p>wonderful story Gerry, opens up a window into knowing you as well, God bless you and your entire family.</p>
<p>wonderful story Gerry, opens up a window into knowing you as well, God bless you and your entire family.</p> Wonderful story. Makes me gra…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-14:6442157:Comment:1917662016-05-14T19:17:03.035ZJohn Anthony Brennanhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/johnABrennan
<p>Wonderful story. Makes me grateful that as writers, we have the gift of being able to fully express our thoughts and emotions.</p>
<p>Wonderful story. Makes me grateful that as writers, we have the gift of being able to fully express our thoughts and emotions.</p> Gerry .... the is a lot I wo…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-13:6442157:Comment:1919432016-05-13T20:27:49.227ZThat's Just How It Washttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/MaryThorpe
<p>Gerry .... the is a lot I woudl like to say to you but on this site is not the right place .... keep them both in your heart as I am sure you were in theirs. </p>
<p>Gerry .... the is a lot I woudl like to say to you but on this site is not the right place .... keep them both in your heart as I am sure you were in theirs. </p> Patrick, please share with ou…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-12:6442157:Comment:1918232016-05-12T01:39:43.573ZGerry Reganhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ger_regan
<p>Patrick, please share with our fellow members and readers then the story of this search. I'd relish that.</p>
<p>Patrick, please share with our fellow members and readers then the story of this search. I'd relish that.</p> Had no idea of these parallel…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-12:6442157:Comment:1919292016-05-12T01:39:08.248ZGerry Reganhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/ger_regan
<p>Had no idea of these parallels in our lives, Mary. Thank you for sharing this. I do believe that a child belongs with his birth mother, is better off with his birth mother, if we lived in a culture where women in these circumstances were supported rather than demonized.</p>
<p>Had no idea of these parallels in our lives, Mary. Thank you for sharing this. I do believe that a child belongs with his birth mother, is better off with his birth mother, if we lived in a culture where women in these circumstances were supported rather than demonized.</p> Hello Gerry.. And yet again..…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2016-05-11:6442157:Comment:1917272016-05-11T19:49:17.953ZThat's Just How It Washttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/MaryThorpe
<p>Hello Gerry.. And yet again... I have something in common with you... I have an adopted son, from a very early age we told him he was very special... However ,, I did have two biological children when we adopted him.. We kept a scrap book of all the little things that his Mom had given him and lots of things that e had given him ... and on his 18th birthday we gave him these mementos...</p>
<p>We knew he had been born out of a liaison , His Mom was married and his Dad was single.. Mom chose…</p>
<p>Hello Gerry.. And yet again... I have something in common with you... I have an adopted son, from a very early age we told him he was very special... However ,, I did have two biological children when we adopted him.. We kept a scrap book of all the little things that his Mom had given him and lots of things that e had given him ... and on his 18th birthday we gave him these mementos...</p>
<p>We knew he had been born out of a liaison , His Mom was married and his Dad was single.. Mom chose to go back to her husband and two children , giving our son up for adoption, as her husband woudl not allow her to keep the baby..</p>
<p>I always feel sad for her on his birthday .... he now has two children of his own... and guess what , one of them is adopted... That for me was the icing on the cake, when he said to me ''' I know how much you loved and cared for me Mum.. so I am going to do the same of .M.... ... ..</p>
<p>You story was very poignant and, and I bet that both of your Mom's were very proud of your achievements , as I am of my sons...He is a Lecturer in a London University </p>
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