Mary Joan Foley
FOLEY, MCTIGUE, BYRNE, DRAPE, POWER, NICPON
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 3/9/2021 at 08:44:08
Mary Joan Foley died Monday, March 1, 2021 at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. She was born on August 14, 1935, in Chicago, Illinois, to William and Catherine McTigue who immigrated to the United States from Ireland. She attended grammar, high school, and college in Chicago. She excelled in English and Math.
She married Walter Foley on May 31, 1956, and had six children, Jeanne, Cathy (Thomas Byrne), Joannie, Thomas (Dana Drape), Michael (Mari Power), and Megan (Jamie Nicpon). Walter and she moved to Iowa City in 1965, and they considered Iowa City to be their home. She had ten grandchildren: Ryan, Catie, Tyler, McKenzie, Ethan, Molly, Joanie, Daniel, Connor, and Grace. She was preceded in death by her husband Walter, her parents William and Catherine, her sister Patricia, and her daughter Joanie.
She was an avid golfer, reader, and bridge-player. She enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren play sports. Walter was a full professor at the University of Iowa College of Education, and she was involved in many University of Iowa clubs and activities. She remained an enthusiastic Iowa Hawkeye fan until her death.
She was a committed member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church and an active part of the Regina community. She cherished her Irish roots, and, over the years, became a strong feminist. Her family and her religion were the two most important things to her. She loved being with people, and she believed it was a sin to speak ill of anyone. She was kind, graceful, and the epitome of elegance.
The Funeral Mass will begin Thursday, March 4th, at 10:00 am, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. (Social distancing guidelines are in place at the church and masks are required for all in attendance). A private burial will be held in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois, at a later date.
For those unable to attend the Mass in person, the service will be recorded and posted to the St. Mary's Catholic Church Iowa City You Tube page. Please follow this link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpkVO3tvRiWu-Dt_HOVsQzg
The recording will be available after noon on Thursday.
Instead of flowers and plants, the family suggests memorials to St. Mary’s Church or The Regina Foundation.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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