Theresa Dougherty, 'epitome' of a mom

THE FOUNDATION of the life of Mary Theresa Dougherty was built of two sturdy elements - faith and family.

Proud to be an Irish Catholic, proud of her church and proud of her family, Theresa died Friday, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.

"For someone as religious as she was, there is an eerie sense of comfort in that," said her son, John J. Dougherty Jr., leader of Local 98 of the electrical workers union.

Her other son, Family Court Administrative Judge Kevin M. Dougherty, agreed. "There is comfort in knowing she died on the Assumption, and she died peacefully," he said.

Theresa, as she was best known, was a true daughter of South Philadelphia, and a mother to whom her accomplished sons give much credit for their successes in life. She was 68 and had lived for the past 10 years in Somers Point, N.J. She died of complications of emphysema.

"Our determination to fight for what we believe in comes from her," John Dougherty said. "Dad was kind of a laid-back guy, but Mom didn't hesitate to pick up the phone and give us her opinion about our lives and careers."

He recalled that some years ago, his union was involved in a dispute with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

"The phone rings in my car," John said. "It was Mom. She wanted to know what I was doing. I didn't even know she had the number of my car phone. She said you can't disagree with the archdiocese."

With such pressure, how could John not come to an agreement to settle the issue?

"I hope we've accomplished a lot of what she expected of us," he said. "And we will continue to do what she expected. She used to say you're only as good as what you leave behind."

John has fond memories of breakfasts in their home on Cross Street, in South Philadelphia. His mother went to Mass every morning and on her way home would stop at a bakery.

"Whatever we had, oatmeal, cold cereal, eggs, there were always those powdered rolls from the bakery," he said.

Kevin was touched that his mother and father participated in the robing ceremony when he was installed as a Common Pleas Court judge in 2002.

"That was one of the defining moments of my life, that they shared that special moment with me," he said.

He said his mother grew up poor in South Philadelphia, raised by a single mother and an uncle, and remembered Christmases when all she got was one doll. Perhaps as a result, she never forgot those less fortunate than she.

Kevin has a childhood memory of going to neighbors' houses and leaving bags of hand-me-down clothes. "This is something you can use," he would say.

Theresa was always careful not to humiliate the people she cared for. As Kevin put it, she "politely provided" for them, never making an issue of her gifts.

"She wanted to make sure people were fed and clothed," Kevin said. "She also provided food for elderly people living in the neighborhood. When she was living at the shore, she would take platters of food to a neighbor.

"She instilled in us the desire to fight for the underdog. She believed that all people are equal and should be treated with respect and dignity.

"She was the epitome of what a mother is supposed to be."

Theresa was born in Philadelphia to Margaret Darby. She attended Sacred Heart of Jesus Parochial School and graduated from John W. Hallahan Catholic High School for Girls in 1957.

She married John J. Dougherty Sr. in 1959, after he returned home from Army service in Europe. He worked as a longshoreman for a time, and later as a court crier in the city court system.

The Cross Street home was often crowded with aunts and uncles and other relatives, some of them freshly arrived from Ireland.

She loved family get-togethers and also enjoyed meeting with girlfriends who went to Sacred Heart and Hallahan with her.

Possibly as a reaction to her impoverished childhood, she made Christmas special for her family.

"Christmas was like Macy's department store," Kevin said. "We used to say she brought more gifts than Santa Claus."

"She was a classy woman," John Dougherty said. "My friends said every time they saw her she was fashionably appropriate for her age. You would never catch her in sneakers and a sweatshirt."

She was a fan of horse racing and a Phillies devotee. She also enjoyed traveling, including trips to Ireland.

"She started her family life with her husband, and he was with her when she died," Kevin Dougherty said.

Besides her husband and sons, she is survived by a daughter, Maureen Fioca, and eight grandchildren.

Services: Funeral Mass 10 a.m. tomorrow at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 1404 S. 3rd St. Friends may call at 6 this evening and at 8 a.m. tomorrow at Rogers Funeral Home, 1426 S. 3rd St. Burial will be in Ss. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Marple.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 1404 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia 19147. *