Marblehead

Ruth Ann Diggins died Wednesday, January 2, 2008 at age 78 following a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Thomas Diggins who died in 1998 after 43 years of marriage.

Born and raised in Salem she was the daughter of the late Atty. John J. and Julia (Tierney) McCarthy. Following her marriage she and her husband settled in Ipswich for 12 years as they began their family. In 1971 they moved to Peabody, where they resided for 26 years, as the family continued to grow. More recently, Mrs. Diggins was a resident of Marblehead.

Mrs. Diggins was a teacher in the Salem school system for over 40 years. She taught primarily Kindergarten and First Grade in the elementary grades throughout the City and retired in 1991 from the Witchcraft Heights School.

She is survived by two daughters, Julie A. Gassler and her husband Warren of Marblehead and Carol (Sylvester) Styczko of Peabody and her husband John; a sister Louise Daly and her husband Richard of Salem; four grandchildren, James Gassler of Marblehead, Thomas, Daniel and Bethany Sylvester of Peabody; a sister- in- law Pauline McCarthy of Salem and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by one sister, Mary L. McCarthy of Salem; and two brothers, J. Leo McCarthy of Salem and Philip McCarthy of Marblehead.

Her funeral will be held on Monday at 9:15 A.M. from the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., (corner of North St) Salem to be followed by a funeral Mass at 10:00A.M. in St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 2 Margin St. (on the Salem Peabody line). Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be Sunday from 2 to 6 P.M. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Salem. Expressions of sympathy may be made in Ruth Ann's name to St. Therese Carmelite Chapel, Northshore Mall, 210 Andover Street, Peabody, MA 01960. For online guest book or additional information please visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com. or call 978 744 0497.