Braintree Woman Remembered for Being Mother to 70 Children

BRAINTREE, MA — In her life, she created one of the largest families Massachusetts has ever seen.

Miriam D. (Smedile) Gannon, 82, passed away Friday in her Braintree home from lymphoma.

Since the mid-1960s, Gannon and her late husband Matthew have been parents to over 70 foster children and nearly two dozens were adopted. The couple also became legal guardians to a few more.

Maryanne Zeller, the couple's only biological child, told the Boston Globe that it was a plea from a priest at Mass to help children that needed homes that led to dozens of siblings entering her life.

Gannon was diagnosed with lymphoma in September. She was able to speak with her 62 surviving children in person or by phone before her death.

In addition to Zeller, Gannon was a mother to Trish Gannon of Weymouth, Corinne Croop and her husband Russell of Pennsylvania, Bernice French and her husband Dan of Taunton, Kristin Gannon of Weymouth, Vanessa Gannon of Iowa, Alicia Gannon of North Carolina, Nicole Gannon of New Hampshire, Anna, Kathleen, Lisa, and Alexis, all of Braintree, Peter of Braintree, David and his wife Michelle of Brockton, Bernard and his wife Zina of North Carolina, Paul and his wife Sharon of Hanover, Kevin of Bridgewater, James of Norwood, Gregory of Oregon, Michael of New Hampshire, Joseph, Charles and Andrew, all of Braintree, and the late Kristin McGovern, Pamela Sale, Jeffrey Gannon and Elizabeth Gannon. Beloved sister of Mary Claire Smedile of Whitman, Charles P. Smedile of Whitman, Judith Lewis of Halifax, Susan Berry of North Carolina and the late John Smedile. Daughter of the late Charles P. and Edith Smedile. She was the& grandmother of Sean, Caitlin, Marybeth, Kari, Harley, Joseph , Chad, Domanic, Rory, Heather, Adam, Chelsea, Matthew, Miriam, A.J., James, Kaylee, Emma, Cole, Josh and Conor. Great-grandmother to Sara, Matthew, Lily, Eve, Bennett, Emary, Alden, Joseph, Ellianna, Cambria, Kenzington, William, Luxton, Benjamin, Lucile, Dylan, Jacob and Andrew.

Visitation is scheduled for May 9, 3-8 p.m. at Clancy-Lucid Funeral Home in Weymouth. A funeral service is scheduled for 9 a.m. the next day, with a funeral mass is to follow at 10 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Braintree. Gannon will be buried at 12:45 p.m. at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

Click here to read more about Gannon's life.

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