PORTLAND – Mary Isabel McCarthy was born in Lancaster, N.H. in 1928, the daughter of Ephriam and Katherine Brodie. Her father, Ephriam, was born in Lancaster shortly after his parents emigrated from Scotland and Ireland. Her mother, Katherine, was born in Donegal, Ireland. She moved at a young age to Portland to the Libbytown neighborhood. All of these things helped to define her life.Mary attended St. Patrick’s School, and graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy. Thus began a lifelong love and appreciation for the Sisters of Mercy. She was a lifelong member of St. Patrick’s Church and contributed much to the local community. She was a proud first generation Irish American, and a loyal attendee of the Church. For our family, St. Patrick’s Day always began with Mass! Mary married George McCarthy and together they raised a family of three, and also provided for Mary’s parents. When her husband passed away suddenly at a young age, she returned to the workforce to provide for her children and parents. She retired from New England Telephone, and worked as a receptionist at Hannaford Bros. in her post retirement years. Along the way, she made many friends.Mary always put her family first. She took special delight in her granddaughters and great-grandchildren. She loved to shop and buy clothes for the children. She was able to bring several of her grandchildren to visit her mother’s village in Donegal, creating memories for all. She travelled to Ireland many times over the years to connect with her heritage, and is survived by cousins in Ireland, Scotland, and England.Mary’s husband, George, passed away in 1970. Her parents lived long and fruitful lives. She took good care of them.She is survived by her children, Stephen (Ann Marie) McCarthy, Michael (Jan-marie) McCarthy, and Catherine (James) Melchin;grandchildren, Caterina Noblet (Daniel), Emily Richards (Grit), Elizabeth McCarthy, Rachel Berry (Christopher), Nicole DeOrio (Matthew), Megan Chason (Matthew), Rebecca Hall (Ryan), Kristi McCarthy; great-grandchildren, Ella and Brodie Noblet, Finn and Nora Richards, Lexie and Michael Berry, John and Joshua DeOrio, Brooke, Kelsey and Logan Chason.She is also survived by several cousins in Ireland, England and Scotland. She enjoyed sharing visits with these cousins on many occasions on many travels “across the pond.”Mary lived a full life marked by compassion, kindness and a deep faith in God. Her legacy will live on in her extended family.A private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. To view the live stream of Mary’s funeral please go to https://www.facebook.com/conroytullywalker Burial will be in the spring at Holy Cross Cemetery in Yarmouth. To view Mary’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.comThose who wish may make contributions in Mary’s memory to:Sisters of Mercy966 Riverside St.Portland, ME 04103