Eleanore Theresa (Fraizer) Flaherty

Eleanore T. (Fraizer) Flaherty, 91, of Young Street, Pawtucket passed away peacefully on June 30, 2018 at her home with family by her side.  She was the wife of the late John “Jack” Flaherty. Eleanore was born in Providence, a daughter to the late George and Irene (Plunkett) Fraizer.

Eleanore is survived by her sons, Kevin (Hanne), John and Dennis (Denise) Flaherty, her daughters Kathleen Berard and Mary Flaherty, four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and brothers, George and John Fraizer.  She is predeceased by her son, Michael Flaherty, grandson, John Berard and sister Eileen Carr.

A person of great generosity and acceptance, she was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother as well as an active member of her community.  A dedicated member of the St. Joseph’s parish for 69 years where she taught youth religious education. Through the years she volunteered at the St. Joseph’s Christmas Bazaar, the Pawtucket Congregational Church thrift shop and the Notre Dame Hospital gift shop in Central Falls.  She was active with the Friends of the Pawtucket Library, the Woman’s Auxiliary at St Raphael’s Academy and was an Eucharistic Minister at Memorial Hospital. In  2007 she traveled to the Valley of the Incas in Peru to assist in a charity that provided vision care and glasses to the remote region.  In addition to the eye care provided, she was able to raise contributions of hundreds of tubes of tooth paste and tooth brushes to provided to the local population.

An avid reader, she was involved in many book clubs.  She enjoyed travel and camping.  During the height of the Cold War she traveled to the former Soviet Union as a chaperone for a student exchange program where she became a shrewd barterer of Western goods for Soviet products and souvenirs.  She famously traded a pair of dungarees she was wearing for a tea set.  

Highly accomplished in the crafts of sewing, knitting and embroidery, she was an award winning quilter who traveled as far as Hawaii to participate in a workshop held by a master quilter.  Many of her quilts were donated to various charities to help raise money for their causes.

A homemaker for 25 years, she returned to the workforce as an assistant to the toy buyer at the Apex department store. She later worked in several administrative positions at Pawtucket City Hall.  Her final position was secretary to the fire chief for the Pawtucket Fire Department before retiring in 1994.  

The funeral for Mrs. Flaherty will be Saturday, July 7th at 9:00 am from the Manning-Heffern Funeral Home, 68 Broadway, Pawtucket. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial in Holy Family Parish, St. Joseph’s Church, 195 Walcott Street, Pawtucket at 10:00 am. Her burial will immediately follow in Mt. St. Mary’s Cemetery, 661 Prospect Street, Pawtucket. Calling hours will be Friday, July 6th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rhode Island charity “A Wish Come True” , 1010 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI 02888 (awish.org) in her memory.