Constance ‘Connie’ Coughlin, 79

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Constance “Connie” Tierney Coughlin, 79 of Hollis, N.H., passed away on Thursday, April 21, 2016, at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, N.H., with her family at her side. 

Born in Pittsfield on February 6, 1937, she was the 10th child of the late David J. Tierney Sr. and Jennie Tierney. She was a 1955 graduate of St. Joseph's High School and a 1959 graduate of Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee. 

Connie was an educator who dedicated her career to children and taught school in Pittsfield for over 43 years. She began teaching in the Pittsfield Public Schools and retired in 2003 after teaching second grade at Sacred Heart Elementary School for 26 years. 

After retiring, she moved to Hollis, N.H., to be closer to her immediate family. She was active in the CYC and several camps and incorporated children into every aspect of her entire life. 

She is survived by her three sons, Thomas Coughlin Jr. of West Springfield, Mass.; Paul Coughlin and his wife Janice of Tyngsboro, Mass., and Daniel Coughlin of Hollis, N.H.; four siblings, Patricia Campbell of Morrison, Ill., Rosemary Brennan of Marblehead, Mass., Grace Jones of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and David Tierney Jr. of Pittsfield; and four loving grandchildren and one great-grandchild who always made her smile.

Connie was predeceased by five other siblings, Jane Gifford, Bill Tierney, Peg Barry, Marion Makes and Eleanor Tierney, all of whom resided in Pittsfield. 

Funeral notice: Funeral services for Constance Tierney Coughlin, 79, who died April 21, 2016, will be held Tuesday, April 26, at 9:15 a.m. from Dery Funeral Home in Pittsfield followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church conducted by the Rev. Monsignor Michael Shershanovich, pastor. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery.

Calling hours will be held Monday, April 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations in memory of Connie may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital in care of the funeral home, 54 Bradford Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.