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Fa'ilte ~ Welcome in Gaelic

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Carmel cherished growing up in a large family and carried the memories of her childhood in Ireland with her throughout her life.

On August 9, 2026, on a beautiful summer Sunday morning, Christ our Savior brought our beloved mom, Mary Carmel Foley, home to Him.

Carmel was born in Dublin, Ireland, on July 12, 1932, the third of eight children born to William and Kathleen Harris. She was often asked about the origin of her name, which was inspired by the celebrated feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, observed on July 16.

Carmel cherished growing up in a large family and carried the memories of her childhood in Ireland with her throughout her life. She loved sharing stories of those early years with family and friends, bringing the people, places, and experiences of Dublin to life through her wonderful memories. Everyone who met her loved her Irish accent, her stories, and her gift for conversation. Carmel loved people and truly never met a stranger.

At just 13 years old, Carmel met the love of her life, Michael J. Foley. They dated throughout their teenage years before Michael entered the Irish military. After his service, he left Ireland for work in London, but their relationship continued across the miles. When Carmel reached the legal age to marry at 21, she didn't hesitate for a moment. Carmel and Michael were married in London on March 26, 1955.

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Carmel loved people and truly never met a stranger.

They loved their life in London and were eager to begin a family, soon welcoming their first son, Michael. Looking toward the future and concerned about work opportunities, Michael made the difficult decision to travel to America, where he joined his brother Tom and began establishing a new life for his young family. Once settled, he sent for Carmel and young Michael to join him in New York.

Their journey eventually took them to Ohio, where they welcomed their second son, Desmond. The family later returned to New York, settling in the Bronx, where daughter Caroline and son Raymond were born.

Around 1968, Carmel and Michael decided they wanted to raise their four children outside the city and purchased their first home in Wappingers Falls in upstate New York. It didn't take Carmel long to find other Irish women in the area, and before long they had formed quite the "posse." Those friendships brought her tremendous joy. With a shared love of Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck, the ladies rarely missed an opportunity to attend a concert together.

There were holidays, summer days at the lakes with all the children while the dads were working, laughter, music, and friendships that became treasured memories of those years.

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Her yard became so lovely that strangers would stop along the road and ask if they could have wedding or senior photographs taken there.

In 1976, when work on the East Coast began to dry up, Carmel and Michael once again embraced change. Moving across the country didn't seem like an impossible task to them-it was simply another adventure in the life they were building together.

Prosser, Washington, became their new home, along the Yakima River. Their longtime friends, the Fitzgeralds, had made a similar journey from Ireland to New York and then to Washington. The two families became known in the community as the "Irish New Yorkers." The friendship between the families has endured through the years, leaving all of us with countless memories, stories, and belly laughs whenever we reminisce about those wonderful times.

It was at many home's that Carmel's love of gardening truly blossomed into a beautiful Irish gardens. Gardening seemed to be in her soul. Her yard became so lovely that strangers would stop along the road and ask if they could have wedding or senior photographs taken there.

Carmel also discovered a talent for oil painting-and, as it turned out, she was quite good at it. She created dozens of paintings, many given as treasured gifts and others sold. We loved teasing Mom about how much her paintings might someday be worth after she was gone. She would light up and laugh along with us.

Today, of course, they are priceless.

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But of all the things that brought her happiness, nothing made Carmel prouder than watching her family grow.

Carmel also worked seasonally in the fruit-packing houses as a sorter, where she made even more lifelong friends. They enjoyed endless phone conversations, lunches together, and even a memorable trip to Reno, where Mom discovered another great love-the slot machine.

Even into her later years, a trip to the casino was one of her favorite outings, and somehow the machines seemed to love her right back. On the ride home, she could often be found happily counting her winnings. Of course, those winnings provided the perfect excuse for another of her favorite pastimes-shopping.

Clothes, jewelry, bargains-it didn't really matter. Whether something fit perfectly, wasn't her color, or was something she actually needed was beside the point. If it was a good bargain and she liked it, chances were it was coming home with her. Bargain hunting wasn't simply shopping for Carmel; it was a passion.

But of all the things that brought her happiness, nothing made Carmel prouder than watching her family grow.

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She found comfort in the belief that she would see them again.

She delighted in the marriages of her children, the arrival of her grandchildren, and eventually the joy of becoming a great-grandmother. She loved seeing the children, hearing what everyone was doing, and watching the family she and Michael began so many years earlier continue to grow.

In 2006, with both Carmel and Michael retired, maintaining their large Prosser property became increasingly difficult. They decided to move closer to Caroline in Kennewick and found a wonderful home in the neighborhood.

After remodeling the house, Carmel immediately returned to what she loved. She bought every bush, flower, and tree she could find and transformed the one-acre property into yet another beautiful garden. She loved her home and spent countless daylight hours outside tending her yard. Her garden brought her tremendous peace and joy. She especially loved the many varieties of birds that came to visit, and caring for them became another part of her daily routine.

Along with gardening, Carmel enjoyed crafting, knitting, oil painting, shopping, and simply keeping busy. Her optimism, curiosity, and determination helped keep her strong and young at heart throughout her life.

After losing Michael in 2018, after 63 years of marriage, Carmel lost a tremendous piece of her heart. Missing him was heartbreaking, but she continued to get up each day and live her life. She worked in the yard she loved for as long as she possibly could and faced her health challenges with the same determination and optimism that had carried her through so many chapters of her life.

Even near the end, Carmel was still thinking about everyone else. She asked about family and friends and wanted us to make sure they knew how much she loved them. She found comfort in the belief that she would see them again.

Carmel was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Michael J. Foley; her parents, William and Kathleen Harris; and her sisters, Betty Salter, Grace Harris, and Peggy Smith.

She leaves behind her three sons, Michael (Brenda) Foley, Desmond (Carol) Foley, and Raymond (Un) Foley; and her daughter, Caroline Bowen (Fred).

She is also survived by her 10 grandchildren: Jennifer Gray (Jesse), Katie Paull (Zak), Sean Foley (Catherine), Brian Foley, Brendan Foley (Katelyn), Devon Sears (Nick), Derek Eves (Candace), Dylan Eves, Elise Reiner, and Kalem Reiner; and her 10 great-grandchildren: Andrew, Mason, Laila, Summit, Ellis, Quinn, Tristan, Ayden, Conor, and Declan.

From Dublin to London, New York to Ohio, back to New York, and finally across the country to Washington, Carmel lived a life filled with adventure, friendship, laughter, family, faith, and love. Wherever she went, she planted roots-not only in her beautiful gardens, but in the hearts of the people she met along the way.

To Mom and Dad

Until we meet again, may God hold you both in the hollow of His hand.

You loved your family, you loved your life, and above all, you loved each other. We are forever blessed by that love and grateful to know you are together again.

We love you.

Slán go fóill. Goodbye for now.

Services

Services will be held September 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church 1905 Highland Drive Prosser, Washington 99350

Committal will follow at Prosser Cemetery.

Floral arrangements may be made through Shelby's Floral at 509-559-8924.

Candace Eves

Fa'ilte ~ Welcome in Gaelic

From Dublin to London, New York to Ohio, back to New York, and finally across the country to Washington, Carmel lived a life filled with adventure, friendship, laughter, family, faith, and love. Wherever she went, she planted roots-not only in her beautiful gardens, but in the hearts of the people she met along the way.

To Mom and Dad

Until we meet again, may God hold you both in the hollow of His hand.

You loved your family, you loved your life, and above all, you loved each other. We are forever blessed by that love and grateful to know you are together again.

We love you.

Slán go fóill. Goodbye for now.

Services

Services will be held September 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church 1905 Highland Drive Prosser, Washington 99350

Committal will follow at Prosser Cemetery.

Floral arrangements may be made through Shelby's Floral at 509-559-8924.

Candace Eves