Catherine Murphy Briggs, mother of nine, grandmother of 20, great grandmother of two, wife for 58 years of Charles A. Briggs, died at home, in Vienna, Va. on Wednesday, August 13, 2008.
Ms. Briggs was born in Erie, Pa., on September 21, 1928, attended Villa Maria Academy, Gridley Jr. High and Strong Vincent High School in Erie, graduating with honors and a varsity cheerleader letter. She graduated from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh in 1950 with a BS in Home Economics and Design. She worked in retailing and as a model, both in Halle Brothers Department Store in Erie and in Gimbles and Kaufman's stores in Pittsburgh. At Tech she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Just prior to graduating, she married Charles A. (Chuck) Briggs, also of Erie, who later became a senior career officer in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C.
Catherine's strongly expressed career goal, she said repeatedly, was "to be a stay-at-home mom". She was that, but she also taught herself to type 120 wpm on a $30 electric typewriter and worked part time at home for a credit reporting company, then transcribed recordings of court proceedings for a court reporting agency, including US Senate Finance Committee hearings and finally, a translation of a Russian technical manual. During this period she also managed family investments in several real estate properties, including a family owned 103 year old funky Victorian beach house in Bethany Beach, Del.
With her welcoming and generous spirit, there was "always room for one more" at her table and she became one of the community's favorite moms, providing shelter, kindness, humor and a good meal to the many young people involved in her kids' lives. She developed breast cancer in 1996, was in remission for almost 10 years, after which it metastasized into bone cancer, the cause of her death.
Besides her husband, she is survived by six daughters: Catherine Hall Briggs of Annapolis, Md.; Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller of Asheville, N.C.; Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly of Charlottesville, Va.; Pamela Saunders Briggs of Fairfax, Va.; Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn of Leesburg and Martha Woodruff Briggs of Leesburg, Va.; and three sons: Stephen Loftus Briggs of Vienna, Va.; Michael Edward Briggs or Fairfax, Va.; and Charles Ackerly Briggs Jr., also of Vienna, Va.; plus the 22 grandchildren and great grandchildren. [GOErie/16August2008]
**
Wife of Charles Ackerly Briggs.
Also survived by children, Catherine Hall Briggs, Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller, Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly, Pamela Saunders Briggs, Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn, Martha Woodruff Briggs, Stephen Loftus Briggs, Michael Edward Briggs, & Charles Ackerly Briggs, Jr.; sister, Patricia Murphy McCain of Pennsylvania; 21 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Interment followed Mass of Christian Burial conducted at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Vienna, VA, Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Ms. Briggs was born in Erie, Pa., on September 21, 1928, attended Villa Maria Academy, Gridley Jr. High and Strong Vincent High School in Erie, graduating with honors and a varsity cheerleader letter. She graduated from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh in 1950 with a BS in Home Economics and Design. She worked in retailing and as a model, both in Halle Brothers Department Store in Erie and in Gimbles and Kaufman's stores in Pittsburgh. At Tech she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Just prior to graduating, she married Charles A. (Chuck) Briggs, also of Erie, who later became a senior career officer in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C.
Catherine's strongly expressed career goal, she said repeatedly, was "to be a stay-at-home mom". She was that, but she also taught herself to type 120 wpm on a $30 electric typewriter and worked part time at home for a credit reporting company, then transcribed recordings of court proceedings for a court reporting agency, including US Senate Finance Committee hearings and finally, a translation of a Russian technical manual. During this period she also managed family investments in several real estate properties, including a family owned 103 year old funky Victorian beach house in Bethany Beach, Del.
With her welcoming and generous spirit, there was "always room for one more" at her table and she became one of the community's favorite moms, providing shelter, kindness, humor and a good meal to the many young people involved in her kids' lives. She developed breast cancer in 1996, was in remission for almost 10 years, after which it metastasized into bone cancer, the cause of her death.
Besides her husband, she is survived by six daughters: Catherine Hall Briggs of Annapolis, Md.; Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller of Asheville, N.C.; Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly of Charlottesville, Va.; Pamela Saunders Briggs of Fairfax, Va.; Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn of Leesburg and Martha Woodruff Briggs of Leesburg, Va.; and three sons: Stephen Loftus Briggs of Vienna, Va.; Michael Edward Briggs or Fairfax, Va.; and Charles Ackerly Briggs Jr., also of Vienna, Va.; plus the 22 grandchildren and great grandchildren. [GOErie/16August2008]
**
Wife of Charles Ackerly Briggs.
Also survived by children, Catherine Hall Briggs, Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller, Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly, Pamela Saunders Briggs, Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn, Martha Woodruff Briggs, Stephen Loftus Briggs, Michael Edward Briggs, & Charles Ackerly Briggs, Jr.; sister, Patricia Murphy McCain of Pennsylvania; 21 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Interment followed Mass of Christian Burial conducted at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Vienna, VA, Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Catherine Murphy Briggs, mother of nine, grandmother of 20, great grandmother of two, wife for 58 years of Charles A. Briggs, died at home, in Vienna, Va. on Wednesday, August 13, 2008.
Ms. Briggs was born in Erie, Pa., on September 21, 1928, attended Villa Maria Academy, Gridley Jr. High and Strong Vincent High School in Erie, graduating with honors and a varsity cheerleader letter. She graduated from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh in 1950 with a BS in Home Economics and Design. She worked in retailing and as a model, both in Halle Brothers Department Store in Erie and in Gimbles and Kaufman's stores in Pittsburgh. At Tech she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Just prior to graduating, she married Charles A. (Chuck) Briggs, also of Erie, who later became a senior career officer in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C.
Catherine's strongly expressed career goal, she said repeatedly, was "to be a stay-at-home mom". She was that, but she also taught herself to type 120 wpm on a $30 electric typewriter and worked part time at home for a credit reporting company, then transcribed recordings of court proceedings for a court reporting agency, including US Senate Finance Committee hearings and finally, a translation of a Russian technical manual. During this period she also managed family investments in several real estate properties, including a family owned 103 year old funky Victorian beach house in Bethany Beach, Del.
With her welcoming and generous spirit, there was "always room for one more" at her table and she became one of the community's favorite moms, providing shelter, kindness, humor and a good meal to the many young people involved in her kids' lives. She developed breast cancer in 1996, was in remission for almost 10 years, after which it metastasized into bone cancer, the cause of her death.
Besides her husband, she is survived by six daughters: Catherine Hall Briggs of Annapolis, Md.; Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller of Asheville, N.C.; Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly of Charlottesville, Va.; Pamela Saunders Briggs of Fairfax, Va.; Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn of Leesburg and Martha Woodruff Briggs of Leesburg, Va.; and three sons: Stephen Loftus Briggs of Vienna, Va.; Michael Edward Briggs or Fairfax, Va.; and Charles Ackerly Briggs Jr., also of Vienna, Va.; plus the 22 grandchildren and great grandchildren. [GOErie/16August2008]
**
Wife of Charles Ackerly Briggs.
Also survived by children, Catherine Hall Briggs, Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller, Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly, Pamela Saunders Briggs, Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn, Martha Woodruff Briggs, Stephen Loftus Briggs, Michael Edward Briggs, & Charles Ackerly Briggs, Jr.; sister, Patricia Murphy McCain of Pennsylvania; 21 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Interment followed Mass of Christian Burial conducted at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Vienna, VA, Saturday, August 16, 2008.
Ms. Briggs was born in Erie, Pa., on September 21, 1928, attended Villa Maria Academy, Gridley Jr. High and Strong Vincent High School in Erie, graduating with honors and a varsity cheerleader letter. She graduated from Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh in 1950 with a BS in Home Economics and Design. She worked in retailing and as a model, both in Halle Brothers Department Store in Erie and in Gimbles and Kaufman's stores in Pittsburgh. At Tech she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Just prior to graduating, she married Charles A. (Chuck) Briggs, also of Erie, who later became a senior career officer in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C.
Catherine's strongly expressed career goal, she said repeatedly, was "to be a stay-at-home mom". She was that, but she also taught herself to type 120 wpm on a $30 electric typewriter and worked part time at home for a credit reporting company, then transcribed recordings of court proceedings for a court reporting agency, including US Senate Finance Committee hearings and finally, a translation of a Russian technical manual. During this period she also managed family investments in several real estate properties, including a family owned 103 year old funky Victorian beach house in Bethany Beach, Del.
With her welcoming and generous spirit, there was "always room for one more" at her table and she became one of the community's favorite moms, providing shelter, kindness, humor and a good meal to the many young people involved in her kids' lives. She developed breast cancer in 1996, was in remission for almost 10 years, after which it metastasized into bone cancer, the cause of her death.
Besides her husband, she is survived by six daughters: Catherine Hall Briggs of Annapolis, Md.; Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller of Asheville, N.C.; Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly of Charlottesville, Va.; Pamela Saunders Briggs of Fairfax, Va.; Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn of Leesburg and Martha Woodruff Briggs of Leesburg, Va.; and three sons: Stephen Loftus Briggs of Vienna, Va.; Michael Edward Briggs or Fairfax, Va.; and Charles Ackerly Briggs Jr., also of Vienna, Va.; plus the 22 grandchildren and great grandchildren. [GOErie/16August2008]
**
Wife of Charles Ackerly Briggs.
Also survived by children, Catherine Hall Briggs, Caroline Hosley Briggs Keller, Deborah MacFarland Briggs Donnelly, Pamela Saunders Briggs, Sarah Lavelle Briggs Winn, Martha Woodruff Briggs, Stephen Loftus Briggs, Michael Edward Briggs, & Charles Ackerly Briggs, Jr.; sister, Patricia Murphy McCain of Pennsylvania; 21 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Interment followed Mass of Christian Burial conducted at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Vienna, VA, Saturday, August 16, 2008.
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