CARMELITA COOLAHAN

CARMELITA M. COOLAHAN


Carmelita M. Coolahan, age 91, died July 3, 2008 at home in Cambridge, MD.

Born on October 19, 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of the late Henry Lehman and Ella Patricia Roddy Lehman. Carmelita was first generation of Irish decent and was very proud of her heritage.

She attended Mercy School of Nursing where she graduated ‘cum laude’ in 1938.

In 1940, she married Dr. John F. Coolahan. He died in 1984.

Mrs. Coolahan was an active member of St. Agnes Hospital Auxiliary for several decades and served as its president from 1960-1961 and 1961-1963, the same hospital in which her husband was affiliated.

After raising her family, Mrs. Coolahan returned to nursing and was employed at John Hopkins Hospital in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

She devoted her life to her husband, children and community. Mrs. Coolahan was an avid bridge player, enjoyed sewing, needlework and dabbling in the stock market.

Mrs. Coolahan had been a Florida resident prior to moving to Cambridge almost eight years ago.

Surviving are four daughters Marion Coolahan Thomas and husband Tony of Cambridge, MD, Patricia Coolahan Smith of Catonsville, MD, Eileen Coolahan of Cambridge, MD, Valerie Coolahan Laupert and husband Bill of Ft. Myers, FL; two sons John F. Coolahan, Jr. and wife Nancy of Tampa, FL, Mark E. Coolahan and wife Beth of Severna Park, MD; 17 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one sister Mary Michiak of Baltimore, MD and one brother Joseph Lehman.

Preceding her in death besides her parents and husband was a daughter Barbara Coolahan Mack; a son Kevin Patrick Coolahan; and four sisters Margaret Shen (her twin), Madeline Eminian, Bernardine Casini and Elva Volmer.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, July 8th from 3:00 – 5:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Curran-Bromwell Funeral Home, P.A., 308 High St., Cambridge, where a Christian Wake Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 9th at St. Mary, Refuge of Sinners Catholic Church, Hambrooks Blvd and Glasgow Streets, Cambridge. The Wake Service and Mass will be led by The Rev. William J. Lawler, Rector. Burial will follow at Loudon Park Cemetery, 3620 Wilkens Ave., Baltimore, MD.

In lieu of flowers, memorial offerings may be made to Coastal Hospice, PO Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802-1733.