Obituary of Catherine Pearson

PEARSON, Catherine, age 86, of Bedford, NH died Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at the Elliot Hospital after a sudden illness. Mrs. Pearson was born on October 17, 1922 in New York City; the daughter of the late John and Catherine (Kelly) McMahon. She was raised and educated in New York and after graduating from high school she married Donald Pearson. After Donald came home from his service in the military they moved to Wantagh, Long Island where they lived and raised a family. They later moved to New Jersey where she lived for over 30 years. Mrs. Pearson was a volunteer at the Valley Hospital for over 25 years. She was an avid reader who kept a log of the thousands of books she read. She also loved visiting her local library. She enjoyed baseball and was a true Yankee's fan. She moved to Bedford, New Hampshire two years ago to be near her son and found the Riverwalk Community a delightful place to live. Mrs. Pearson was preceded in death by her husband Donald in 1978 and her parents. Her family includes two children; Douglas Pearson and his wife Terry of Bedford, NH, Donna Shea and her husband Bill of Danville, CA; five grandchildren, Gavin Shea, Gregory Shea, Ryan Shea, Kelly Pearson, Allison Pearson; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Shepard and two nephews. Visiting hours are Friday, August 28, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Goodwin Funeral Home, 607 Chestnut St., Manchester, NH, (www.goodwinfh.com). There will also be visiting hours on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ (www.vpfh.com). A graveside funeral will follow at the Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood, NJ. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made in Mrs. Pearson's honor to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, Gift Processing Center P.O. Box 29119 Phoenix, Arizona 85038-9119.