Sarah Juan Nadine Gilvary

AVOCA - Sarah Juan Nadine Gilvary , 74, died on May 19, 2010 at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after a long battle with COPD and emphysema. She was born in Scranton, PA on June 26, 1935 to Edward & Sarah (Gildea) Slattery. She grew up in Avoca, PA and spent the majority of her life there. She was a life long member of St. Mary's Church in Avoca. She graduated from St. John's High School in Pittston, PA and then attended Marywood Novitiate and entered into the Immaculate Heart of Mary convent. After teaching for 5 years and not wanting the children to go home at the end of the day, she felt the need to leave and have a family of her own. She married Patrick Joseph Gilvary on January 9, 1960 at Our Lady of Good Council Church in Newark, NJ and raised a family of 7. She always said her greatest accomplishment in her life were her children. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Anna Marie Fadden of San Diego, CA. She is survived by her husband, Patrick Joseph, her sons, Joseph of Huntingtown, MD; Edward and his wife, Glorya of NYC; NY and Patrick (and his wife, Amy of Wilkes-Barre, PA and her daughters Mary Clare Gilvary, Allamuchy, NJ; Eileen Bailey and her husband, Tim of Shelton, WA; Pauline Thomas and her husband, Michael of Dunellen, NJ and Sarajuan Gilvary of Mechanicsburg, PA and her 16 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. A Memorial Mass will be held at a later date. The Kniffen O'Malley Funeral Home, Inc., 728 Main St., Avoca, is handling the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital ,501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.