Mary M. (Russell) McGonagle, of N. Berwick, ME, formerly of Malden, June 13, 2014. Beloved wife of Philip P. McGonagle. Loving mother of Patricia Amirault & her husband Gerald of Malden, Jimmy McGonagle & his wife Mary Ann of Wilmington, Kathleen Spencer & her husband Michael of N. Berwick, ME, John McGonagle & his wife Janine of Medford and Mary Frances Lee & her husband David of Barrington, NH. Cherished grandmother of Bryan and his wife, Jennifer, Gerrilyn and her husband, Michael, Katie and her husband, Eric, Justin and his wife, Laura, Michelle and her husband, James, Philip and his fiancé, Jaime, Lauren, John, Jessica, Brendan, Brody and predeceased by grandson Jimmy. Devoted great grandmother of Drew, Kayla, Kyle, Jimmy, Emma, Brayden, Caroline, Zoe and Ava. Sister of Ann Harrington & her late husband Arthur of ME, the late Joseph Russell & his late wife Georgine, the late Francis & Stephen Russell. Sister in law of Kathleen Duffy & her late husband John of Stoneham, Lois Russell of Stoneham, and the late Phyllis McGonagle. Also survived by many nieces & nephews. Funeral from the Gately Funeral Home 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Monday, June 23rd at 8:45AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary's Church, Herbert St., Melrose at 10AM. Relatives & friends respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours on Sunday from 2-6PM. Burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mary's name to the James M. McGonagle II Scholarship Fund, C/O Brookline Bank, 430 High St., Medford, MA 02155. Mary grew up in Malden and lived in the house she was born in until eight years ago when she moved to North Berwick, Maine. A graduate of Girls Catholic High School class of 1946, Mary still kept in touch with many of her high school friends. She married the love of her life, Phil, on May 2, 1953 in the midst of a hailstorm and would often joke, "It's been hailing ever since!" Together Mary and Phil raised five children and their home was always full of nieces, nephews, and neighborhood kids who all loved to hang out at "The McGonagles". For several years Mary worked outside the home, but her focus throughout her lifetime was always family. The bigger the family became the happier it made her. She cherished her twelve grandchildren and nine great grandchildren and made sure she called at least daily to get updates on everyone's life. She loved to hear stories of something cute or funny one of the little ones had done or said, or a about a milestone they had reached. With her at the hub, her large family stayed connected. She planned family weekends each year in Maine, New Hampshire, or the Cape, which brought the entire family together for several days of fun and nonsense. Through many trying family tragedies Mary was the glue that held her family together. Ever the optimist, she always had an encouraging word of support or thoughtful advice for anyone in need. Her personal trials, of which there were many, were handled with the utmost strength and dignity. Mary and her husband Phil recently celebrated 61 years of marriage. In their early-married years, Mary managed the home while Phil worked two jobs. Together they relished the simplicity of their life wanting not for "things", but for adventures and experiences that made memories. In 1968 Mary and Phil put a $10 deposit down on a piece of land in Conway, N.H. and although Mary worried about that $10 the entire drive home, "Chalet Magoo" proved to be the best purchase they ever made. It is there that the family enjoyed, and still will enjoy, idyllic summers, winters skiing in the mountains, and the breathtaking beauty of the colors of fall. It is there that she and her husband met some of their most cherished friends. Mary's recipe for a successful marriage had laughter as the main ingredient, and she and Phil shared a wonderful sense of humor. Mary enjoyed taking trips to Foxwoods and Oxford casinos with her family, and visiting Washington DC to see the World War II Memorial, as her husband is a WWII veteran. She enjoyed "splitting dinner" or having "pickies and a glass of wine" at a local restaurant, Girls' Weekends, and talking to people wherever she went. On Thursday nights she could always be found on the porch with the "Porch People". It is on the porch that she spent her last night after enjoying a Maine lobster and one last round of calls to family. Mary was everyone's Nana, everyone's friend, the one everyone wanted to spend time with. Though small, with a size 4 ½ shoe and tiny little hands, she had the biggest heart and a giant personality. In those tiny hands she held her family close, and those tiny shoes will be hard to fill.