Lexington….

Christina H. (Tak) McCarthy, RN, age 81 of Lexington, MA died Wednesday morning, February 3, 2010 in the Kaplan Family Hospice House, Danvers following a long illness.
Her loving husband of 48 years, Vincent P. McCarthy predeceased her eight weeks ago to the day.

Born and raised in the Netherlands the daughter of the late Willem Tak and Johanna A Tak deValois, Mrs. McCarthy grew up on a large family farm. The early years of her childhood were simple and uncomplicated until the outbreak of World War II. The family farm and home was only two kilometers from the front line and German Soldiers took up residency at the farm. Her father worked for the Dutch Resistance and her entire family worked hard on behalf of the Americans and to shelter Jews to safety. At the conclusion of the war, the Prince of Holland recognized her father, Willem Z Tak , for all of his efforts with a medal of honor . After the War, she completed nursing school and was graduated from Zuiderziekenhius in Holland. Christina then set off to explore the world and came to the US in 1955 with a friend aboard the SS. Rotterdam . Invited to work as nurses in Boston, they arrived in Massachusetts via New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and New York. With a three year temporary work visa they became employed as registered nurses at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston . Once her visa expired, Mrs. McCarthy returned to Holland for the required three month period, applied for a permanent visa and returned to the US and her work at Brigham Hospital. She was very proud to have been granted US Citizenship which she obtained with assistance from then Senator John F. Kennedy.

For over 25 years she a floor nurse as well as a head nurse. While raising her children Mrs. McCarthy was employed on a per diem basis and worked as a private duty nurse as well .

Her career then moved to Massachusetts General Hospital where she was employed for another 20 years until her professional retirement. Her avocation of nursing continued in both the loving care she gave her husband through his illness as well as the active roll she played in her own treatment.

Mrs. McCarthy is survived by two daughters, Ruthann McCarthy and her partner Michelle LeBlanc of Nashua, NH and Karin Louise McCarthy and her husband Doug Atkinson of Marblehead; 3 grandchildren Tucker, Griffin and Hannah Atkinson of Marblehead; two sisters Hanny Tak Maal of Curacao, Netherland, Antilles and Louise A. Th. Tak of Amsterdam Netherland and a sister in law Ruth McCarthy of Arlington, MA

In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a son Vincent Charles McCarthy and a brother Willem Z. Tak.

Her Funeral will be held on Mon Feb 8, 2010 at 9:00 A.M. from the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., (cor of North St) Salem to be followed by a funeral Mass at 10:00A.M in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, 81 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, MA 01945. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours Sunday from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. in the funeral home. Interment will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Lowell. Those who wish to may make memorial contributions to the Penny Bear Company 6 Elmwood Road, Marblehead, MA 01945 or to the Kaplan Family Hospice House c/o Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102 Danvers, MA 010923. For online guest book or additional information please call 781 631 8885 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.