Carol Ann McNally of Sag Harbor, a nurse for more than 40 years, died at Southampton Hospital on Sept. 28. She was 86.
"Carol devoted her life to caring for others, leaving an indelible mark on the community she served," her family wrote.
Mrs. McNally was nursing director at the Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Queens, "where her compassion and skill earned her the admiration of colleagues and patients alike," her family wrote. "Carol's nurturing spirit extended beyond her profession. She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and cousin."
A golfer, Mrs. McNally would play with her friends Walter Zebrowski and Bob Essay at the Sag Harbor Golf Course and other links here. She frequented the ocean beaches of the South Fork and enjoyed photographing her family and friends. A fan of the theater, she was known to attend the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport.
"Everyone who knew Carol knew her dedication to health, often researching treatments to improve the quality of life for herself and others. She was always offering a helping hand and advice, even well after retiring as a nurse," her family wrote.
She was born at Southampton Hospital on Jan. 31, 1938, to Genevieve S. Newman and James J. Newman. After graduating from Sacred Heart Academy in Sag Harbor, she attended the Mary Immaculate School of Nursing in Queens, later pursuing a career in gerontology and earning a bachelor's degree from Marymount Manhattan College and a master's degree from the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University in Brookville.
Her husband, Michael Joseph McNally, her son, Michael James McNally, and a brother, Joseph Newman, died before her. Three cousins, Eileen Essay, Joseph McPartlin, and Marie Brenner, who had been like siblings in childhood, and whom she cared for in times of need, also died before her.
Mrs. McNally is survived by three daughters, Laura Schilling and her husband, Philip, of East Hampton, Michelle Bortiz and her husband, Leo, of Valley Stream, and Joanie McNally of Sag Harbor. Five grandchildren also survive. They are Lauren Tuffy, Jacqueline Indiviglio, Ashley Schilling, Nicole Knutson, and Amanda Einemann. Mrs. McNally leaves four great-grandchildren: Patrick Tuffy, Kiera Tuffy, Sophia Caroline Indiviglio, and Damian Hunter Novelli.
A sister, Joan Gaudette of Quebec, and a brother, James Robert Newman of Crystal Lake, N.J., also survive, as do many nieces and nephews in Canada and the United States.
A celebration of her life took place on Oct. 5 at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Sag Harbor, where her granddaughter Amanda sang "The Rose" and "Amazing Grace." Mrs. McNally was buried in the family plot at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery in East Hampton. Memorial donations have been suggested to St. Andrew Catholic Church at 122 Division Street.
