Obituaries : Madonna Torpey

Madonna Torpey

DELTONA, FL - Mary Madonna Ryan Torpey, 95, of Deltona, Florida, formerly of Vinton, died June 20, 2015, in Florida.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2015, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Vinton with Father Ardel Barta as Celebrant. Family will greet friends at the church from 9 a.m. until Mass. Inurnment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton.

Madonna was born on May 27, 1920, the daughter of William and Stella Kuehn Ryan. She graduated from DeWitt High School in 1937. She married William Torpey on January 3, 1942, in DeWitt, Iowa.

She was a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother first and foremost, and she was also a farmwife, worked at Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton and as a cost accountant at the REC in Vinton until her retirement in 1985. She raised her 5 children after her husband died in 1966.

She enjoyed playing cards (anytime, anywhere), especially bridge, sewing, reading and enjoying all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved telling a good Catholic/Irish joke.

She was very active in cancer groups, accumulating over 1,000 volunteer hours, and was a bell ringer for the Salvation Army. She was a devoted Catholic and regularly attended daily mass and was always available to give rides to church to those who couldn’t drive. She stressed how important education was, and all of her children and grandchildren went on to college.

She is survived by three sons: Dale (JoAnn) Torpey of Washington; Tom (Wendy) Torpey of Deland, FL; and Dan (Kim) Torpey of Parkville, MO; one daughter, Nancy (Emery) Jeffreys of Orange City, FL; 8 grandchildren: Tara (Jonathan) Cork of Nanwich, England; Megan (Aaron) Wurm of Alexandria, VA; Lexi Torpey of St. Louis, MO; Sarah (Mike) McGoohan of Kenilworth, IL; Anne (Ken) Gibson of Parkville, MO; Philip (Heather) Torpey of Roeland Park, MO; Stephanie (Nathan) Brown of Washington; and Patrick (Michelle) Jeffreys of Louisville, KY; 17 great- grandchildren; and two brothers: Wilfred Ryan and Kenny Ryan, both of California.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William; son Phillip in 1975; and grandson Ryan Torpey in 2008.

She was a wonderful example to her family, and her passing is sad for all those who knew and loved her. She will be missed, but we know those Irish eyes are smiling on all of us.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Madonna’s memory may be sent to Bishop Sullivan Center, 6535 Truman Rd., Kansas City, MO 64126.

Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home of Vinton is caring for Madonna and her family. Condolences may be left at vsrfh.com.