Obituary of Elsie Margarette O'Connell

Elsie Margarette (Pelley) O'Connell of Star City, WV passed away December 28, 2012. She was born in Lynn, MA on Mar. 15, 1928, daughter of the late Flora L. (Lepine) Pelley and Chester W. Pelley. After graduating from Lynn English High School, she earned a degree as a medical secretary from Fisher Secretarial School in Boston, MA. She held a number of secretarial positions with medical, educational, business and research institutions including West Virginia University, the University of Southern California, and the National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH). Mrs. O'Connell founded Temporaire, a secretarial service in Morgantown and Aesclepianns, an organization for the wives of WVU School of Pharmacy students. She was a member of the Vincent Pallotti Hospital Auxiliary and held several offices with societies in the area including the Newman Guild at St. John University Parish. As a lifelong learner, she attended classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and WVU. Mrs. O'Connell had an active spiritual life; enjoying time spent in prayer and worship with others. She attended both St. John University Parish, St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, and was involved in the Catholic Charismatic Movement at the Good Council Friary in Morgantown. Gardening was her passion and many hours were spent tending both her many outdoor flower gardens and house plants. Her other interests included reading, quilting, sewing, traveling and instructing rug braiding classes. She is survived one son, Kevin W. O'Connell of Loxahatchee, FL; two daughters, Marguerite S. Crokus and spouse Rob Orr of Sparks, NV; and Erin K. (Calik) Windhorst and spouse Rob Windhorst of Pittsburgh, PA; five grandchildren, Bridget Crokus of Salt Lake City, UT; Benjamin and Hillary Calik of Pittsburgh, PA; and Joshua and Tyler O'Connell of Morgantown, WV; one sister, Ethel Dwyer of Lynn, MA; one sister-in-law, Virginia Murphy of Hampton, NH; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband of 65 years, Dr. Frank D. O'Connell, she was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Alfred W. Pelley; and sister, Sharon Y. (Pelley) Reed. A memorial service will be held at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce St., Morgantown onThursday, January 3, 2012 from 6 until the time of the memorial service at 7:00p.m. Funeral services to be held at Cuffe-McGinn Funeral Home in Lynn, MA on January 12, 2012. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Christian Help, Inc., 219 Walnut St., Morgantown, WV, 26505.