Loved travel, gardening and flowers
ACTON — Kathleen Marie (Sousa) Conley, 65, an Acton resident for 33 years and formerly of North Cambridge and Arlington, died Saturday, May 9, 2015 at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House in Reading. She and her husband, James E. Conley, were to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this October.
Born in Somerville, she was the daughter of the late Ernest and Theresa (Morrison) Sousa. The Sousa family lived on Central Street in Acton for three years before moving to North Cambridge then Arlington. Mrs. Conley was a graduate of Arlington High School and attended the Carnegie Institute’s medical assistant program and Northeastern University for library science. She was formerly employed by Elliott Finelstein, M.D. as a medical assistant and office manger, and then as a medical technician at Children’s Hospital in Boston. She later worked as a library assistant at Arthur D. Little and for the Center for Community Economic Development before leaving work to focus on her daughter, Erin.
Mrs. Conley enjoyed the outdoors with walks, biking and gardening. She loved to travel and favorite destinations included Hilton Head, S.C. and York Village, Maine. She especially loved flowers and visiting botanical gardens locally and while traveling.
She is survived by her husband, James; their daughter Erin L. (Conley) Hollis and husband Michael of South Boston; two brothers, Stephen Sousa and wife Susan of Acton, Edward Sousa and wife Mary of North Reading; two sisters, Patricia Nogler and husband Dr. Calvin Nogler of Menominee, Mich. and Janet Brydges and husband Paul of Arlington and many nieces, nephews, in-laws and their families.
Kathleen’s funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, May 21 at 10 a.m. in St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, 89 Arlington St., Acton with interment following in Woodlawn Cemetery, Concord Road, Acton Center. Those who wish may make memorial gifts to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston MA 02284–9168. Please note “Kathleen Sousa Conley” on the check memo line. All donations will be directed to breast cancer research.
