Mary Fidelma Loughran

Mary Fidelma Kennedy Loughran, 90, of Portland, passed gently from this life in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, April 4, 2019. She received her final few weeks of care at Maryville surrounded by her husband, children and grandchildren with visits from the Sisters, music and song from her grandchildren, and ministered to by “Her Deacon”, her youngest son, Dermot from Fairport, N.Y.

Mary was born in Limerick, Ireland on May 2, 1928 to Christopher and Agnes Kennedy. She was the first of six girls. The tiny home they lived in doubled as a neighborhood shop where Mary helped her grandmother sell sods of turf, coal, cabbages, and potatoes to the neighborhood from the early age of four. Her father labored in the gasworks. Ireland was terribly poor in those days and even though Mary showed a great aptitude for her studies she left school after the eighth grade to begin earning a wage to help support the family. She often recalled her job working for a well to do shop owner during World War II. The young girl often rode a bicycle 12 miles into the countryside, during driving rain storms to trade goods with other merchants. It did not take her long to catch on to the fact that the shop owner was dealing in black market commodities – while her family and others were going hungry.

Mary had a deep conviction to her Catholic faith, and it sustained her throughout her life. She was active in St. John’s Cathedral Choir in Limerick. It was there she met her husband James (Seamus) Loughran. He was a dashing figure in his woolen overcoat and fedora, having won the Limerick Welter Weight Boxing Championship. His dog Swanky was always at his heels. They dated for six years before she finally asked Seamus, “Would you like to kiss me?” He responded in the affirmative. Seamus would later tease her “Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder.” They attended daily mass together for three years and were married on Sept. 30, 1957 in St. John’s Cathedral. The choir was in attendance. Swanky, the dog, was not invited.

Poor economic conditions in Ireland motivated the young couple to emigrate to America. And in 1960 with their firstborn child, Siobhan, and $500 they left friends and family and set out for Oregon. The first move to Oregon was unsuccessful as they were overcome with homesickness and after their second child, Una, was born they returned to Ireland. But Oregon kept calling. And in 1965 they returned to Oregon and never looked back, thanks in a large part to the friendship and support of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and their faith community in St. Cecilia parish.

Today she is survived her husband James, and her children: Siobhan and David Taylor of Lake Oswego; Una Patricia Loughran of Portland; Fergus and Tammy Loughran of Astoria, Sean and Kristen Stallman Loughran of Portland, Dermot and Janene Loughran of Fairport, NY.

Grandchildren: CPT James Taylor, Army JAG, Joseph Taylor, Maggie, Liam and Abril Romero Loughran and Rory Loughran; Maeve and Caitlin Loughran; Aidan, Linnea, Brendan, Aileen, Callista and Seamus Loughran. She was preceded in death by her grandson John Paul Loughran. She has numerous nieces and nephews and family members in Alaska, Oregon, Ireland and El Salvador.

A Vigil Service will be held on Wednesday, April 10th from 4-7 p.m. at Pegg, Paxson & Springer Funeral Chapel, 4675 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton. All are invited to stop by and pray with the family by Mary’s side and meet and greet family members, sing a song and share a story.

A Rosary will be prayed before the Funeral Mass on Thursday April 11th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 5105 SW Franklin Ave, Beaverton. The Funeral Mass begins at 11 a.m. The family invites you to join them for a reception and hospitality immediately following the funeral in the St. Cecilia Parish hall. We will depart to Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 333 SW Skyline Blvd. Portland, OR 97221 for the Rite of Committal and Burial at 1:00 p.m.

Anyone wishing to honor Mary’s memory can donate to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, www.ssmo.org