Mary Louise Quinn

Mary Louise Quinn, wife of the late H. Peter Quinn, died Saturday, January 11, 2014 at Bridgeport Hospital. She was born in New York City to the late George and Harriet Rafferty but moved to Connecticut at an early age and lived most of her life in Fairfield. Mary Louise graduated summa cum laude from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY and earned her Masters and Sixth Year Degree from Fairfield University. She was also awarded summer fellowships to Syracuse University and Harvard. As an educator she started her career as a high school English and Latin teacher. Later she served as the head of various programs, was an assistant principal at Bassick High School in Bridgeport and also at Brian McMahon in Norwalk. Mary Louise then became the youngest Assistant Superintendant of the Bridgeport School System. Mary Louise, wanting to get back in touch with students, spent the last twenty years in education as a guidance counselor at Staples High School in Westport. She spent a great deal of time helping others and volunteering. She was a lay reader at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield, served on the board of the Mercy Learning Center and the Meadows Condominium Association. She enjoyed helping out at Operation Hope each Wednesday and was a past officer in the Catholic Council of Women. Over the years Mary Louise loved playing bridge, golfing and other activities at the Patterson Club, reading, and traveling (especially to England). Survivors include two step-daughters, Gail Quinn and Marybeth Quinn; two granddaughters, Ashley and Samantha Tonan and one great-granddaughter, Zoe Parker. She will greatly missed by her cousins, Judith Forster and her husband Hans and Jerry Scully and his wife Helen and their families. She is also survived locally by many Robert Shea cousins and a myriad of dear friends. Her great faith was an inspiration to many. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. meeting directly at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Fairfield. Interment will follow in St. Michael's Cemetery, Stratford. Calling hours have been omitted. In lieu of flowers contributions in Mary Louise's memory may be made to Operation Hope, 636 Old Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824 or to St. Thomas Aquinas Church Development Fund, 1719 Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. For information or to sign an online guest register please visit www.SpearMillerFuneralHome.com