Patricia A. Nolan Foley

Patricia Anne (Nolan) Foley, of Holbrook, passed away October 26, 2020. She was born to Mary Sheehan Nolan and Lawrence Nolan in Cambridge MA. Along with her sister Judith, they moved to Quincy a few years later where she attended St Johns School, graduated Archbishop Williams High School in 1955 and Katherine Gibbs School in 1957. She married Thomas J. Foley April 23,1960 and they moved to Holbrook in 1963 where she raised her 5 children after they separated and subsequently divorced.

When her sons attended Head Start in the late 60’s she was a volunteer parent advocate and was offered a position as an administrative assistant for Head Start in Brockton which was operated by Self Help. She then was instrumental in starting the Fuel Assistance Program for Self Help in Brockton in the mid 1970’s. In 1992 she became Director of Head Start until she retired in October 2014 after building the Head Start Program in Brockton to where it is today. She was Massachusetts Head Start Association President for three years and New England Head Start Association President for four years. She served as Holbrook Town Meeting Member for many years, Holbrook High School Booster Club member and became president of the Booster Club. She was elected to the Holbrook School Committee and became Chairman for 7 years.

She was predeceased by her parents Mary, Larry, her partner Maxwell J Arsenault, grandson David Orpin, her dear niece Kathleen Jones as well as special cousin Maureen Carney.

She is survived by her children Carolyn Millett and husband John of Attleboro and Orleans, Stephen Foley of Quincy, Mark Foley of Holbrook, Linda Foley of Andover, Susan McSheffrey of Attleboro, daughter in law Debra Foley of East Freetown, her dear sister Judith Donahue and her husband John of Worcester.

She was devoted to her grandchildren Brian Foley and his wife Giselle, Sean Millett and his wife Megan, Patrick Foley and wife Lacey, Stephen Foley and Catherine Jessop, Mark Millett, Colleen Millett and Peter Scharf, Conor McSheffrey, Aidan McSheffrey, Nolan Orpin, Ethan Orpin, Nora Orpin and Matthew Foley and his dear mother Heather Lemoine. She was great grandmother to Declan and Ezra and was looking forward to the upcoming births of two great granddaughters. She was also a dear aunt to Michael Donahue, Timothy Donahue and his wife Christine, Timothy Jones, Lee Jones and Theodore Donahue as well as Kevin Carney, Brian Carney, Sharon Carney and Tracy McGonagle.

Visiting hours will be held at the Hurley Funeral Home, 127 So. Franklin St. (Rt. 37), Holbrook on Thursday, October 29th from 4-7pm. A private funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Church in Holbrook on Friday October 30th followed by interment at St. Mary’s Cemetery at 11:15am. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours and interment. Covid-19 restrictions will be observed.