Marianne Brady

Marianne Brady, 91, of Springfield, MA; passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, March 14, 2019 surrounded by her loving family. Born March 21, 1927 in Manhattan, NY, she was the only child of the late George and Stella (Lambert) Davis. She attended Corpus Christi High School in New York and always had a passion for music. Following high school, she began a very successful singing career, singing with the likes of Dean Martin, as well as, a host of other talented singers over the years. Her gifted voice brought her to numerous famous venues, including the Copacabana in NYC and the Biltmore Lounge in Baltimore, MD. It was during her musical success where she met the love of her life, Walter F. Brady. They were married on November 23, 1949 and together raised 4 children. This love Walter and Marianne shared also brought her to the Shaker Farms Country Club in Westfield, where she involuntarily played her first and only round of golf. One of the only positive moments of the round happened while on the 14th tee. Here, she gripped her 5 iron, closed her eyes, and swung away at the flag stick 135 yards away. The ball took flight and landed on the green, rolling into the hole for a hole-in-one. Besides her passion for music, Marianne was an avid New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers fan, and later a Boston Red Sox fan. She also had a special place in her heart for animals, and volunteered countless hours with the Friends of Animals organization over the years. Her children recalled there always being a dog and/or cat in the house as they grew up. She will be dearly missed by many including her children Christine of Springfield, Ellen and Mario of East Longmeadow, Glenn and Mary of St. Augustine, FL and Thomas of Springfield; 6 grandchildren Michael, Jason, Benjamin, Alexander, Maxwell and Jaquelyn; and her 2 great-grandchildren Hannah and Elizabeth. She will further be missed by her canine companions Mika and Otis; feline companions Penny and K-K; and numerous other loving relatives and friends. In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her daughter-in-law Mary Beth Brady. Marianne’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff of Beacon Hospice, especially Sheryl and Pam, for their compassionate care and support, and also to Baystate VNA & Hospice, especially Maureen Sweeney, who assisted the family considerably over the years. A Mass of Christian Burial for Marianne will be held at 9:30AM on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at Holy Cross Church, 221 Plumtree Rd., Springfield, MA with inurnment following at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Agawam, MA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Marianne’s name to the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, PO Box 6307, Springfield, MA 01101 or the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, 627 Cottage St., Springfield, MA 01104. For online condolences, please visit www.forastiere.com.