Obituary: Ann Crean, formerly of Ossining

From Dorsey Funeral Home

Ann Crean, formerly of Ossining, NY, died peacefully on November 12, 2019. Ann was born in New York, New York on August 24, 1930 to the late Patrick M. and Helen McMahon, formerly of Carrickmacross, Ireland.

She grew up in the Bronx, where she met and married Patrick J. Crean, who predeceased her in 1989. They had five children, Patrick of Litchfield, NH, Mary Ellen Smith (Tom) of Cary, NC, Jerry (Sue) of Danbury, CT, Kevin (Terry) of Northborough, MA, and Nancy Belcher (Bobby) of Islip, NY. She had ten grandchildren, Shaun, James, and Thomas Smith, Ryan (Kristen), Dan, Cory and Jared Crean, and Emilie, Kristopher and Robert Belcher.

Ann was a strong, independent woman who never forgot her Bronx roots. She spent many hours as a young girl sitting on a barstool at her beloved father and her 3 uncles’ Irish pubs in the Bronx. She loved to travel. At age 80, she traveled from NYC through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles and then took a train (another favorite!) cross country – all alone. She cruised several other times with her children. Some of her favorite places included Spring Lake and Cape May, NJ, The Irish Village in Cape Cod for live Irish music, Walt Disney World with her grandchildren, Orient Point, Long Island, Boston and Rockport Mass, and West “By God” Virginia. She also treasured her summer trips back to Ireland as a young girl, and then later in life to share Ireland with her children and see family.

Ann loved to learn. She graduated from Mt. St. Vincent in the Bronx. She was an avid reader, switching to the iPad and online libraries when trips to her favorite public libraries became difficult. She kept up with technology as it changed; transitioning her adult education typing class at Ossining High School to word processing one week at a time. (“You just have to stay one chapter ahead of them,” she once said.)

She worked for H&R Block for over 30 years, preparing taxes in the Ossining and Mount Kisco offices. She also worked for Dynatax, and Johns Manville in Manhattan. She waitressed with her children at Briar Hall Country Club, and substitute taught at St. Augustine’s School where all her children attended.

She loved living in Ossining, overlooking her beloved Hudson River. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Augustine’s Church, enjoyed her senior groups’ many trips around the great NY area, frequented the Croton Diner, and the Elmsford Dinner Theatre. She and her husband, “Paddy”, were longtime members of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, where they spent many evenings dancing to the Irish music of the Cunningham brothers.

She was laid to rest on Friday, November 15, 2019 after a funeral mass at St. Augustine’s Church in Ossining. If you would like to honor Ann’s memory, please consider a donation to the Regional Hospice in Danbury, CT, where she spent her last days with family, being gently cared for by the devoted nurses, aides and volunteers. Arrangements handled by Dorsey Funeral Home , Inc.