Mary Patricia Kucerka (née Ennis), 91, of Crumlin, Co. Dublin, Ireland, passed away on July 6, 2026, in her second home, the City of Sunnyside, New York, surrounded by loved ones.

Mary, known to her loved ones as May, was born on March 26, 1935 to her devoted and loving Mother Kathleen (nee Fagan) and father Francis in Krimmage, Co. Dublin, Ireland, as the tenth of fourteen children. In her early life, she spent time with her beloved siblings, and as many did at the time, began her professional life in the garment factories of Dublin at the age of 14, kick-starting her lifelong value of hard work, quality, and determination.

In 1955, May was afforded the opportunity through familial sponsorship to immigrate to the United States of America, the first in her nuclear family to do so. On July 3, 1955, she arrived on the RMS Mauretania and spent her first days in the country as a *Real New Yorker*, exploring Coney Island, visiting Rockaway Beach, and trying to stay cool in heat she had never experienced before. All her life, May loved music, films, and any opportunity to celebrate in community wherever it was: in backyards, at dinner dances, and traveling whenever she could, to and with friends and family.

In the early 1960s, May met and married Paul Kucerka Sr. in Fairfield, Connecticut. Together they had two beloved children in Sunnyside, Pauline and Paul Kucerka. A single parent for much of her life, May worked two, sometimes three jobs at a time to provide for her children, raising them with the support of her family and friends. A dutiful, longtime parishioner of St. Raphael's R.C. Church, she prioritized religious education, life, and community for her children and grandchildren.

A proud Irish Republican, May was a founding and generational member of the Dublin Society of New York, generating thousands of dollars of support to cultivate a vibrant Irish county association dedicated to celebrating the rich heritage of those with roots in Dublin, Ireland. Serving as a longtime treasurer and cabinet member for the Society, she dedicated years of her life welcoming new members coming to NYC, as she did, looking for a connection to home, and community in a new one.

Her greatest legacy is, and will always be, her unending love and commitment to her grandchildren, Christina (41), Sarah (34), Alyssa (30), Anastasia (28), Theresa (22), Zack (21), Casey and Caroline (17). Hopelessly devoted to their success and potential, her first five granddaughters had the added privilege of having her as a parent and guardian for much of their lives. In all of her grandchildren, she instilled a joy of laughter, almost militaristic participation in and celebration of life's accomplishments and the importance of showing up before and when it matters most.

May is survived by two sisters, Phyllis and Madeline; her children, Pauline and Paul Kucerka; and his wife, Amanda Yanuklis. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren and grandsons-in-law Cesar Padilla, and Truman Derrick, and her beloved nephews Brian and Terence Enright. Finally, she is remembered and survived by large and loving segments of her family including (but not limited to) the Enright, Shanderson, Ward, Dempsey, Fallon, and Ferguson families.

She was preceded in death by her parents, eleven of her siblings (Maureen, Kathleen, Annie, Pauline, Clare, Bernadette, Francis, Patrick, Bernard, Sean, and Michael), and her husband.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 9 from 4-8PM at Edward D. Lynch Funeral Home, Inc, 43-07 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside, NY.

Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 am on Friday, July 10, 2026 at St. Raphael's RCC, 35-20 Greenpoint Avenue, Long Island City, NY.

Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside on Friday, July 10 at 12:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sunnyside Community Services Senior Center, whose dedicated staff ensured May felt compassion, purpose, and dignity in her last years. (https://scsny.org/donate/)