Grace (Crowley) Hurley, 85

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FRAMINGHAM – Grace F. (Crowley) Hurley, 85, passed away on Monday, April 6, 2020.  

She is predeceased by her husband, Walter J. Hurley, and her eldest daughter, Virginia A. (Ginny) Hurley.  

Born in Dorchester, she was a daughter of BPD Captain James V. and Margaret E. (Joyce) Crowley.  

After graduating in 1951 from Dorchester’s St. Gregory’s High School, she was employed for a year by the Metropolitan District Commission.  

She then found employment – and her future husband – at the Supreme Judicial Court, where she worked until 1957.  

Grace and her husband moved to Framingham in 1957 to begin raising their family.  

In addition to Walter and Ginny, she is survived by Nancy A. of Milton; Joseph J. and Nancy (Prince) of East Bridgewater; Joyce E., Lois M. and Edward A. Saunders, and Miriam E. and Wayne F. Kent of Framingham.  She is the loved grandmother of Jennifer M. and Kyle J. Walden of Bridgewater; James W. and Joleen (McNamara) of Hanover; Brian M. Hurley of East Bridgewater; E. Corrigan, Jonathan A., and Devin T. Saunders of Framingham; as well as the thrilled great grandmother to twins Evelyn M. and Lucas G. Walden.  Also survived by Thomas J. and Phyllis C. Crowley and many nieces and nephews, and predeceased by the late James V. Crowley, Jr., Alice M. Cashman, and Paul F. Crowley. 

Grace spent her life supporting her husband and children.  She was the backbone of the family.  Summers were spent at the pool with Grace being hostess to all who arrived.  She could put together a large party as easily as a regular meal.  Countless times and without hesitation she opened her home to anyone who needed it.  There was always someone who would stay for an extended time, ultimately becoming part of the family.  Her children’s friends – frequent guests alone or in groups, grew up in the house even though there were just intermittent overnight guests.  No matter the occasion or event, Grace’s spoken attitude so many times:  “What’s one more?!”  It was a safe and welcoming haven for one and all, and everyone just blended together.  She just enjoyed having her children with her, and anyone accompanying one of them was an added bonus.  

Grace was a prolific knitter.  Hanging on mantles and staircases each season are dozens of the famed personalized Christmas stockings made for family and friends – whether you were gifted with a stocking showing Santa with an angora beard, a chimney, or deer, your stocking was large enough to hold many treasures!  Grace was very thoughtful in making her doubly-thick afghans:  length did not depend on the pattern – it depended on the recipient’s height!!  So many soft baby blankets have enveloped the infants of family and friends.  A young friend once broke his ankle during the winter.  Well, she set – and kept – her goal of keeping his toes warm with a knitted toe cap! 

However, the most satisfying and fulfilling knitting she produced were the hundreds of hats she made for countless oncology patients.  She was so pleased to be doing something so small, but hoped each hat brought comfort to the patient. 

Although in Grace’s later years her traveling was lessened, she certainly loved her trips to southern Florida with her daughter Ginny, her weekends in her beloved Maine, and her trips to Bermuda.  

Grace was satisfied with the simplest outings – a day trip, a visit to her beloved Bella Costa (where she fêted as a queen!). 

 It was at Bella Costa where “Mama Hurley” had gathered for herself not friends, but a second family – from Paul and Yanna (always watching for the application of Grace’s lipstick – if Grace had applied lipstick, all was right in the world!) and their family, and Bobby and Kathy and their family, along with staff members too numerous to name.  She loved them all, but just never grasped how much they enjoyed her!  She never needed much.  There was nothing like it when Grace had a fit of giggling.  First, it began with the corners of her mouth twitching.  Then, her hand would travel to her mouth in an attempt to control herself.    Soon you would see the corners of her mouth start to go and soon the whole room was laughing hysterically .  People who did not even know what she was laughing about would join her contagious laughter.  It was a vision to behold and an experience like no other. 

She was loved immensely.  She will be missed desperately.  

Services, under the direction of Boyle Bros. Funeral Home, will be held at a future date.

Memorial page at www.boylebrothers.com. 

Please kindly omit flowers.  

The family suggests memorial donations be made in Grace’s name either to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN  38105 (donors@stjude.org), or the Ginny Hurley Memorial Scholarship, Federal Bar Association – Massachusetts Chapter, ℅ Jonathan Handler, Esquire, Day Pitney, One International Place, Boston, MA  02110.