Rosemary Downey, 71, of The Villages, FL, passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday, December 10, 2016. Born March 12, 1945, she was the daughter of the late James and Rose Cronin of Brockton, MA. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Bridgewater State College in 1967 and dedicated her life to children, teaching at Bryantville Elementary School in Pembroke, MA for 35 years. She married the love of her life, Joseph Downey, in 1968 and rarely ever spent a day apart from him for the next 48 years. They resided in Hanson, MA and spent summers on Cape Cod in Dennisport, MA before retiring to The Villages, FL in 2004. Rosemary was a loving and kind woman who was known for her compassion and her cooking. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. She is predeceased by her sister, Beverly Mennino of Avon, MA and brother, Robert Cronin of Dubuque, IA. She is survived by her husband Joseph; children, Timothy Downey of The Villages, FL and Megan Downey of Harwich, MA and her sisters Claire and Elaine Cronin of Fort Myers, FL. She also leaves behind her nieces, nephews and their families. The family will receive relatives and friends at a visitation to be held at the Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, The Villages on Sunday, December 18, 2016 from 2 to 4 p.m. A Mass of the Resurrection will be held in St. Timothy Catholic Church, The Villages on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 8:30 a.m. A memorial mass in Massachusetts will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America 322 Eighth Ave, 7th floor New York, NY 10001 (alzfdn.org).
