Published May 8, 2020
MELROSE — Gertrude Jeanette (Doucette) Flaherty, 95, originally of Melrose, died on April 30, 2020 after a short illness. Gert was born prematurely at home in Melrose to the late William A. Doucette and the late Mildred G. (Velmure) Doucette, both of whose parents were originally from Nova Scotia. She graduated from Melrose High School and lettered in field hockey despite her tiny stature, barely breaking five feet tall.
Gert met her future husband, the late Edward Joseph Flaherty at age 16, not long before he joined the Marines with the start of WWII, and shipped out to the Pacific Theater. They married in 1948, and Gert worked for a Malden dentist as an assistant for 10 years, and then joined Household Finance. Over her life, Gert worked the night shift at Transitron Manufacturing in Melrose, became a licensed real estate broker, and finished her career as the classified ad manager for the Malden/Melrose/Evening News (where she was also a shop steward).
Gert and Ed retired to their vacation home in Dennis in 1989. Gert enthusiastically took up golf, bridge and mahjong (and the socializing inherent in each), and was a faithful congregant at Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Dennis for nearly 25 years. She was also active in the Dennis Niners, and the Dennis Garden Club. She and Ed traveled extensively during their retirement to Bermuda, France, Italy, Ireland, England and Switzerland, and also wintered in Naples, Florida for several seasons with many of their dear friends from the Cape.
Gert was also a doting grandmother to her six grandchildren, Julia Roy and Carly Rose Roy of Medford, Eamonn Flaherty and Abaigh Joan Flaherty of Geneva, Switzerland, and Thomas Flaherty and Teaghan Flaherty of Rye, New York. She had three younger siblings, all of whom predeceased her, Ruth (Doucette) Tolman of Melrose, William Doucette Jr. of Melrose, and Priscilla (Doucette) Mata of Melrose. She is survived by her children Edward Patrick Flaherty and his wife Margret of Geneva, Switzerland, Jill Ann Flaherty Roy and her husband Charlie of Medford, and Douglas Scott Flaherty and his wife Tiffany of Rye, New York, and many dear nieces and nephews. Another daughter, Tracy, died at childbirth. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or the Dennis Senior Center (https://www.town.dennis.ma.us/council-aging/pages/donations).
Burial will be at Wyoming Cemetery with family visiting at Gately’s Funeral Home Melrose. Please send the family a card, drop a card at the funeral home for the family or send a message of condolence on the Gert’s webpage by visiting www.gatelyfh.com. Arrangements by Gately Funeral Home, Melrose.
