Mary (Maureen) T. Fogarty, née Sheehy, passed peacefully on June 21, 2025, surrounded by her children. Maureen died from complications with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy at the age of 85.
Maureen was born in New York on February, 14, 1940. She was the oldest child and only daughter of Margaret Buckley Sheehy (Knocknagree, Co. Cork) and Bartholomew Sheehy (Ballyduff, Co. Kerry). Maureen grew up in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, a neighborhood made up of predominantly Irish immigrants, where she met her life-long friends and her husband, Martin D. Fogarty.
Maureen was a graduate of St. John’s Elementary School, Cathedral High School and Berkeley Secretarial School. She was employed at Saks Fifth Avenue, and as a secretary for the marketing firm Dancer Fitzgerald-Sample, Inc.
In 1963, Maureen and Martin were married at St. John’s Church in Kingsbridge and started a family in the Bronx. They moved to Blauvelt in 1967, where Maureen became a stay at home mother to their five children. Maureen was a parishioner of St. Catharine’s parish for 58 years, a founding member of the Irish American Cultural Center, and the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians.
In 1982, Maureen joined the work force again, establishing herself as an administrative assistant in the South Orangetown Central School District. She secured a position as the building secretary at the Palisades Preschool Early Childhood Development program for many years, where she ran a tight ship in a well-respected, stern and nurturing manner that only Maureen could implement. She later took on different clerical roles throughout the district before retiring in 2010.
Maureen was proud of her Bronx, Irish-Catholic upbringing and identity. Her family, friends, faith, and heritage meant everything to her and shaped the values that guided her life. She had a deep love for Irish music and dancing, and she was a devoted fan of the New York Yankees, the County Kerry Irish football team, and the Albertus Magnus Falcons. In 2005, Maureen became an Associate of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill—a commitment she embraced with heart and purpose. She remained a faithful and active presence at the Dominican Convent, generously offering her time, energy, and compassion in support of the Sisters and their mission. Her dedication to the Dominican community was a true reflection of her faith in action.
Maureen was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Martin, and her brothers, John Joe and Brendan Sheehy. She is survived by her five children, Mary (Michael Pagano), Annemarie, Martin (Kathleen), Marguerite (Dave Fusco), and Kerry. Maureen also leaves behind her grandchildren, who brought her great joy and pride, Christopher and Katherine Pagano, John and Margaret Fogarty, and Collin, Kayleigh, and Noelle Fusco.
Maureen’s family would like to thank her home health aides, Magda and Alma, and the staff from United Hospice for the exceptional care and compassion they extended during her illness.