Loving Mother, Grandmother, Friend
Alice A. (Nichols) (Finneral) Gaffney, a longtime resident of Lowell, passed away on May 27, 2022, after a period of declining health, three months shy of her 98th birthday. She was the wife of the late Francis P. Finneral, who died in 1959, and the late Robert F. Gaffney, who died in 2010.
Born in Dracut on August 17, 1924, she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Gertrude (Robinson) Nichols. Following her graduation from Dracut High School in 1943, she worked with her father at the Boston Knitting Mill in Newton for several years. Later, Alice was associated with Raytheon in South Lowell where she worked as an inspector until she retired in 1988.
Alice loved to dance and take in a picture show at one of the many theaters in downtown Lowell with her high school friends. She met Francis at the Commodore Ballroom while he was home on military leave during WWII. They married in 1950, and began to raise a family in Tewksbury, until his death in 1959.
She married Robert Gaffney in 1961, settling in Lowell. They took many trips to Florida, cruises to Bermuda, and outings to Foxwoods during their retirement years.
Alice enjoyed sewing, reading, watching the Patriots and Red Sox, and taking in an occasional Bruins game with her son Brian. She also loved going to lunch and celebrating birthdays with her favorite nieces, Dee Dee and Irene Finneral, and visiting with Patsy. Alice held a special place in her heart for the Cunico sisters, Karoline, Julie, and Sara.
Alice is survived by a daughter, Maureen (Finneral) Kenyon and her husband Arthur, and her two cherished grandsons, Thomas and David. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, with whom she loved to share a laugh over a cup of tea and a piece of her famous Christmas Cake. She was the mother of Brian Finneral who passed away on March 19, 2022.
Family and friends are invited to a period of visitation at the MORSE-BAYLISS Funeral Home, 122 Princeton Boulevard, Lowell, on Tuesday from 9 to 9:45 AM, followed by her Funeral Service at 10:00 AM. Interment in Edson Cemetery, Lowell. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 2151, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38101 (www.stjude.org). Funeral Director, Frederick W. Healy. Please visit Alice’s life tribute page at morsebaylissfuneralhome.com
