Mrs. Marion Elaine Kearns

Elaine “Gommy” Kearns passed away at home in the house her son-in-law built her, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren on Monday afternoon, November 16, 2020. She lived a long, fulfilling life, passing away at the age of 101. Elaine was born in 1919 to Daniel and Marion Delorey. She had a happy childhood, spending summers in Nashua, New Hampshire with her Grandma and Grandpa Delorey, and with her Grandma and Grandpa Goddeau in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She adored her parents and had a strong bond and close friendship with her brother, Daniel “Buddy” Delorey Jr. Buddy’s wife, Monica Delorey, would become Elaine’s lifelong friend, bringing their families together well into their 90s. Always sharp with a love for learning, she graduated as the Valedictorian of St. Joseph’s High School in 1937 and continued on to join the 1941 graduating class of UMass Amherst. She married her high school sweetheart, Wallace G. Kearns, in 1941 while he was home from the war, and together they built a family that would become her absolute pride and joy. Elaine started her career as a teacher in 1961 in the Pittsfield school system before completing a 25-year tenure at Richmond Consolidated School where she was fondly referred to as Mrs. Kearns. She was the definition of a strong woman. Born just a year before women’s suffrage, she lived through the Great Depression, her brother and husband serving in WWII and her son in Vietnam. She was extraordinarily resilient. She fought to live to an age that allowed her to share in her family’s many milestones and she cherished being with them until the very end. Truly one of a kind, her strength was conveyed through a gentle kindness, deep faith and unrivaled sense of compassion. Elaine wrote in her 1937 Valedictorian speech that “we realize fully that knowledge and culture are not all-sufficient for happiness. There must be a deep abiding faith in the principles of right living. Our intellects and our wills must be so blended that the advantages we have enjoyed will not be unappreciated in the future.” 93 years later, she leaves behind a legacy founded upon these very values - a large family woven together through the generations with an understanding that our love and commitment to each other will bring us happiness and appreciation for what we have been given. It would be completely impossible to communicate what Elaine accomplished in her life. There is no way to quantify what she’s given to her family and friends, and no way to memorialize the extent in which she has cared for us over the years. She was a deeply devoted mother and equally amazing in her role as “Gram” and later “Gommy.” She broke the mold in what it meant to be a grandmother when she boarded a school bus and rode it with her nervous great granddaughter all the way to her first day of school. Her love knew no generational boundary, and her friendship no age difference. She kept her door open and a seat on her couch, always lending a sympathetic ear, loving advice and heartwarming laugh. We will always remember that special, radiating laugh. Elaine leaves behind her four children and two daughters-in-law, Daniel Kearns of San Antonio Texas, David and Carol Kearns of Pittsfield MA, Debbie Harrington of Dalton MA, and Timmy and Sandy Kearns of Pittsfield MA. She is also looking over her 7 beloved grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and her great great grandson. She was welcomed in Heaven by her grandson Chris and granddaughter Colleen, her husband Wally, son-in-law Timmy, brother and sister-in-law Buddy and Monnie, her parents whom she loved dearly, and the many friends she’s amassed throughout the decades. Funeral Notice: Due to recent COVID concerns, funeral services for Mrs. Marion Elaine Kearns will be by invitation only, with a Liturgy of Christian Burial on Friday, November 20 at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes Church, celebrated by the Rev. Christopher Malatesta, Pastor. For those who would like to view the service through a live webcast, please visit www.saintagnescc.com. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery. Calling hours at St. Agnes Church will also be private. Elaine’s family asks that you make any donations out to HospiceCare in the Berkshires in care of the Dwyer Funeral Home. In lieu of sending flowers to her family, please consider sending flowers to a local nursing home for residents isolated during quarantine. Donations CANNOT be made online, but may be made through the Dwyer Funeral Home.

Mrs. Marion Elaine Kearns

May 31, 1919 - November 16, 2020