Winifred (Minnie) Montgomery obituary: A ‘typical Irish mammy’ who always had a smile on her face

This article is one of a series about people who have died with coronavirus in Ireland and among the diaspora. Read more at irishtimes.com/covid-19-lives-lost. If you would like a friend or family member included in the series, please email: liveslost@irishtimes.com.

Winifred (Minnie) Montgomery 1923-2020

Winifred Montgomery, known to everyone as Minnie, radiated positivity and always had a smile on her face, especially for her 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

"She was absolutely brilliant," says one of those grandchildren Brian Gregan. "She was just so kind, there was nothing she couldn't do for you, whether it was making food, or looking after the house or minding you – a typical Irish mammy."

That typical Irish mammy raised seven children, six girls and a boy – Sylvia, Daphne, Marian, Gaye, Tina, Joe and the late Lorraine who died of cancer – with her husband Andrew, who was called Joe Boy.

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They lived all their married life in Crumlin, Dublin, at Windmill Park behind St Agnes's Church, Minnie looking after the children and Joe Boy, who died 24 years ago, working for the gas company.

At all the big family events like weddings “she was the centre of attention because she was such a warm personality”.

“She always supported you and she was absolutely delighted” when her grandson, an athlete, won the under-23 400 metres European Championships silver medal.

Great care

He recalls one time as a child when she was minding him and “I threw a rock messing and hit a window of the car unintentionally. I was terrified to tell her and the guy knocked on the door and my granny ran him.

“She told me: ‘Don’t worry about it, people make mistakes’.”

Born on June 23rd, 1923, her family reckoned “she would have seen it out” and made it to 100, says her grandson.

As she got older and became frailer she eventually moved into Padre Pio nursing home in Clondalkin, where the family says she got great care.

She spent 10 years there, during which her memory started to go and she developed dementia.

But “every time you went to see her she’d always have a big smile on her face and give you a big kiss on the cheek”.

When she contracted Covid-19 she became very weak and had a temperature but then it cleared and she had five good days. Then “out of the blue on Sunday morning April 19th at 8 o’clock, she died”.

She was buried at Bohernabreena with her husband.