Mary Patricia (Callahan) Tierney, 75, of Manchester, died peacefully at Manchester Memorial Hospital with her husband, P.J., by her side on March 21, 2011 after a long illness. Born in New Haven, CT, to the late John P. and Elizabeth (Rickey) Callahan, she is predeceased by her sister, Elizabeth Callahan. Mary attended St. Michael's School in Hartford, The Mount in Hartford, and graduated Manchester High School in 1953. She also attended Hillyer College. Upon graduating, Mary worked at Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance, Pratt & Whitney, the Manchester Board of Education and was a longtime paraprofessional in the Manchester public schools system. She was a past president of the local paraprofessionals union. Mary will be long remembered for her loving, caring nature, her compassion to help others, and her tireless dedication to her family. She was a friend to everyone she met. A survivor of the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944, Mary was an avid sports fan who faithfully cheered her favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, She also was a big fan of the Boston Celtics and the University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball teams. Saratoga Racecourse held a special place in Mary's heart. Her favorite pastime was attending the morning workouts at the track. In her spare time, Mary was a longtime member of the Manchester Democratic Town Committee, She served on the Cheney Brothers National Historic District Commission and was First Secretary of the United Irish Societies. She was a life member of the Irish American Home in Glastonbury. Mary also served as a selectman in Manchester and was a Justice of the Peace for several years. She also participated in the St. Jude Mothers' Circle in Manchester where she forged lifelong friendships. In addition, Mary was a member of the Manchester Parade Committee. She was a prime mover in bringing the world famous "Artane Boys Band" from Dublin to Connecticut in 1974 for the St. Patrick's Parade in Hartford. She also was involved in the 1977 Joint Manchester Project, which enabled local families to host children for the summer from Northern Ireland. Mary was the chairperson of the "Return of the Winners" event for the Manchester Road Race in 1986. She and her husband hosted several world class Irish runners and Irish musicians over the past 40 years in their home. During her illness, Mary's beloved niece, Cindy Mulveen, of Galway, Ireland, acted as her caregiver last summer. Mary is survived by her husband, P.J., her brother, Michael Callahan and his wife, Gail, of Manchester; her daughter Kathleen (Tierney) English of Bolton, and her husband, Mark, and their two daughters, Maggie and Kelly; and two sons, Patrick, of East Hartford, and his girlfriend, Cheryl Deschaine, and her two sons, Maxwell and Tyler; and James, of Wallingford, and his wife, Amy (Johannes) Tierney, and their daughter, Sadie, all of whom she adored. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews, and good friends. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Bridget Church, 80 Main Street, Manchester. Everyone is asked to go directly to the church. Burial will follow at St. James Cemetery. Calling hours will be Thursday from 4-8 p.m at Tierney Funeral Home, 219 West Center Street, Manchester. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mary's memory to the Alzheimer's Association , P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011. For online condolences please visit tierneyfuneralhome.com