Mary Joanne Linnen

Mary J. Linnen

In loving memory, the family of Mary Joanne (Barry) Linnen, 91, of Hingham, MA, announces her peaceful passing on Sunday, December 29, 2019, on what would have been her 68th wedding anniversary to Thomas F. Linnen (deceased).

Born on August 12, 1928 in Middletown, NY and raised in Carbondale, PA, Mary Jo was a daughter of the late Alice Cotter Barry and Walter E. Barry.  Mary Jo earned a bachelor’s degree in dietary science from Marywood College, Scranton, PA. She worked as a hospital dietician in Orange, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

Mary Jo dedicated herself to raising her five children and creating a home life. No small feat as Mary Jo and the family successively made homes in Washington, DC; Bethesda, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; Signal Mountain, TN; Bartlett, Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights, IL. and Orchard Park, NY.

In 1997, after her husband’s retirement, they settled in Ponte Vedra, Florida. When her husband passed away in 2016, Mary Jo made Hingham her new home.

Mary Jo and her husband were grandparents to 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.  She was a fun and imaginative grandmother who delighted in being part of her grandchildren’s lives. Mary Jo also was an avid and frequent letter-writer to her children and grandchildren, appreciated by all.

Mary Jo’s passion for entertaining and creating an inviting home helped her to form a lovely network of close friends she and her husband developed along the way.  Friendships were long lasting, no matter the locale. Mary Jo was a true friend, elegant hostess and a card-playing enthusiast.

Mary Jo was known for her social graces, hospitality and creative talents. While living in Orchard Park, NY, Mary Jo took her talents to another level and established her own business, Vintage Fashion. She was fascinated by period clothing. She was especially drawn to the clothes of the Victorian and the Roaring ‘20s eras. Mary Jo’s Vintage Fashion shows helped non-profit associations raise money for their work.

Mary Jo is preceded in death by her parents Walter E. and Alice C. Barry; husband, Thomas F. Linnen; sister, Nancy A. Brennan; and youngest daughter, Mary Joanne Jr.Linnen (nicknamed Dodee); brother-in-law, Frank P. Brennan (Nancy); sister-in-laws, Rosemary E. Linnen (Herb), Burnetta G. Barry (Walt).

Mary Jo is survived by four children: Nancy A. Tartol (Jim), Paula M. Polsky (Bruce), Michele A. Linnen, Thomas F. Linnen, Jr. (Laura), and grandchildren: Zachary J. Tartol, Alexandra M. Schmitt (Michael), Sr. Eliya of the Child Jesus O.C.D. (given name Hannah Polsky), Elliot T. Polsky (Katherine), Michael A. Linnen and Samantha M. Leja (Joe); great grandchildren: Gabriella, Drew, and John Schmitt; and sibling: Walter C. Barry; brother-in-law, Ambrose J. “Herb” Linnen, in addition to several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Wake on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, from 6-8 p.m. at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM. Funeral procession will begin Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 9 a.m. from the funeral home, followed by a Mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Hingham at 10 o’clock. Cremation will follow. The Rite of Committal will take place in Ponte Vedra, Florida at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Mary Jo’s memory to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), 801 Roeder Road, Suite 1000,Silver Spring, MD, 20910.