Monica Taylor

Monica (McGarrigle) Taylor formerly of Newton Square, PA passed away peacefully on May 7, 2024, from complications due to Alzheimer’s dementia.  Monica was born on November 14, 1942, in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland.   

Monica was the first in her family to immigrate to the United States in 1961. When Monica arrived the United States, she worked as a nanny and a housekeeper in the Philadelphia area. She married in 1965. She was later followed to the US by three of her siblings: John, Brian, and Bernadette. She helped each of her siblings get started in the US.

Over the next two decades she raised three children before returning to the workforce. For many years she was a hostess at Pica’s Restaurant in Upper Darby, PA. Prior to retiring she was a housekeeper at Saint Anastasia’s Rectory in Newton Square, PA.   It was during this time in 2008 when she met the love of her life, Tom Hagan. They were together until Tom passed in February of 2017.

Although Monica left her homeland at a young age, her heart was always back home. When she was raising her children in the 70’s and 80’s, she brought them back home to see their cousins every few years. While holidays in Northern Ireland in troubled times fell a little short of every kid’s dream of Disney, her children were very blessed because Monica made sure her kids loved Ireland as much as she did. They also were blessed with meeting all their many wonderful cousins.  Later when she met Tom Hagan, she brought him home to Strabane. He too became very fond of Ireland and was a welcome addition to the massive family.

Monica was preceded in death by her parents Charles and Sarah McGarrigle, and eight of her nine siblings: Mary, Brian, Alice, Charles, Elizabeth, John, Bernadette, and Geraldine.   She is survived by her sister Anita, her daughter, Monica Burnett (Steven), her daughter-in-law Denise Farrell Taylor, her sons William and Richard (Theresa), nine grandchildren: Nicholas, Elizabeth, Sarah, Emily, Sean Patrick, Brendan, Ashlyn, Logan, and Caroline, and two great grandchildren, Liam and Wade. Monica is also survived by scores of cousins, nieces, and nephews in the US, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, and Canada.

A Celebration of Monica’s Life will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Charlotte's Restaurant located at 3207 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073.

A funeral service will take place at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Strabane, County Tyrone, on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 10:00am GMT + 1.  The service will be followed by interment at Strabane Cemetery.

If anyone is thinking of sending flowers, please take a moment and make any sized donation to our Worcester 2024 Walk to End Alzheimer's instead. It will not bring Monica back, but someday, maybe some daughter or son will not have to watch their parent leave them slowly bit by bit. Thank you!