Adelaide Durkin

Durkin, Adelaide, 88, formerly of Hingham, Marion, and Quincy, died on December 8, 2018.  She was the wife of the late John Durkin. She was born in Dorchester, MA on January 7, 1930 to the late Francis and Adelaide Sweeney, and was the last survivor of the six Sweeney siblings.

Adelaide attended Dorchester High School and graduated from Framingham State University with a degree in Home Economics. In 1953, Adelaide married John Durkin and together they raised their family in Quincy, MA. Her six children have fond memories of her involvement in their lives, whether she was swimming with them at Wollaston Beach, pitching at Koch Club, or teaching sewing at Sacred Heart School.  As her children grew older, Adelaide and her friend and fellow entrepreneur Karen Menz started a successful slipcover and drapery business.  It was said that they “slipcovered the South Shore.” In 1996 Adelaide and her husband, Jack, retired to Marion, MA where they were active in the community and made many new friends.  After 52 years of marriage, her husband passed away and Adelaide once again moved and established new bonds of friendship at Linden Ponds in Hingham. Wherever she lived, Adelaide accumulated new friends and continued to treasure her old friends.  She always loved her church and her family.

In return, Adelaide was greatly loved and will be missed by her entire family: her children, Michael (wife Janet), Ann Wiener (husband Allan), Vincent (wife Jan), Adelaide Grandfield (husband John), Margaret Gallagher (husband James) and Kathleen Waller (husband Peter); and 23 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Relatives and friends will gather at Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY. at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 17th prior to the funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church North Quincy, at 10 a.m. Burial is Tuesday, December 18th at 10:30 a.m. at Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Adelaide may be made to Concord Regional VNA, Hospice Program 30 Pillsbury St. Concord, NH 03301.