Obituary for Mary Veronica Diggins (Shields)
Mary Veronica (Shields) Diggins, 91, died Wednesday, August 16 of complications from a 2022 stroke at the Newark home of her daughter and son-in-law where she had lived for the past 19 years.
Mary’s husband of 68 years, John N. Diggins, died in 2018. They had lived in Wilmington 52 years before moving to Newark.
Mary attended St. Paul’s Parochial School in Wilmington and graduated from Ursuline Academy in 1948. She attended St. Mary’s College.
Mary was the daughter of the late William A. and Ethel Tocik Shields and the 13th sibling of 17 brothers and sisters.
Mary taught kindergarten and the elementary grades at Holy Spirit Parochial School in New Castle, at the parish founded and built by her late brother, the Rev. Charles F. Shields. At the urging of her brother, Father Shields, Mary started her working career as a teenage counter helper at a local candy store around the corner from where she grew up on Jackson Street in Wilmington. She went on to work as a telephone operator for what was then Bell Telephone Company.
But she devoted most of her time, love, and passion to being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and caretaker for many of her siblings’ children. In her spare time and especially after the children grew or moved away, she turned her attention to Christ Our King Church, the parish where she worshipped and where she sent her children to school.
Mary ran the church’s food closet, soliciting donations of food and doling it out to those in need. Mary helped run the sandwich brigade, volunteers that would make sandwiches for Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington. She and her husband would collect the sandwiches from parish volunteers and deliver them.
Mary also helped clean the church and joined a cadre of ladies who cleaned and polished preparing for church services and she conscripted John to help other husbands maintain the building. The Diocese of Wilmington recognized their work with the Order of Merit for their “outstanding contributions” to the diocese. To her chagrin, the Diocese of Wilmington shut the parish and sold the church buildings after she and John moved.
Mary is survived by her daughter and son-in-law with whom she lived, Mary V. (Ronnie) and Gerald (Jerry) Hager; her son and his wife, Charlie and Annie Diggins; her grandchildren, Joel, Beth and her husband Keith Rolph, Kara and her husband Joe Leotta, Jonathan Diggins and Megan Diggins; great-grandchildren, Matt Rolph, Katie Rolph, Liz Rolph, Emma Diggins and Piper Diggins.
She also is survived by three siblings, Cecilia Creedon, Albert Shields, and Patricia Smith.
The family would like to thank the staff of Delaware Hospice, especially Decia Kinslow, R.N. and Jameson (Jamie) Miller, C.N.A. for their kindness, care, and concern for Mary for the past nine months. Mary always looked forward to their visits and chatting with them.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Spirit R.C. Church, 12 Winder Road, Garfield Park, New Castle at 11:30 am. Friends may call at the church from 10:00 am -11:00 am. Burial will be at Cathedral Cemetery immediately following the mass.
Memorial donations may be sent to Delaware Hospice, 630 Churchmans Road, Ste. 200, Newark, DE 19720; to Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
Mary’s husband of 68 years, John N. Diggins, died in 2018. They had lived in Wilmington 52 years before moving to Newark.
Mary attended St. Paul’s Parochial School in Wilmington and graduated from Ursuline Academy in 1948. She attended St. Mary’s College.
Mary was the daughter of the late William A. and Ethel Tocik Shields and the 13th sibling of 17 brothers and sisters.
Mary taught kindergarten and the elementary grades at Holy Spirit Parochial School in New Castle, at the parish founded and built by her late brother, the Rev. Charles F. Shields. At the urging of her brother, Father Shields, Mary started her working career as a teenage counter helper at a local candy store around the corner from where she grew up on Jackson Street in Wilmington. She went on to work as a telephone operator for what was then Bell Telephone Company.
But she devoted most of her time, love, and passion to being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and caretaker for many of her siblings’ children. In her spare time and especially after the children grew or moved away, she turned her attention to Christ Our King Church, the parish where she worshipped and where she sent her children to school.
Mary ran the church’s food closet, soliciting donations of food and doling it out to those in need. Mary helped run the sandwich brigade, volunteers that would make sandwiches for Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington. She and her husband would collect the sandwiches from parish volunteers and deliver them.
Mary also helped clean the church and joined a cadre of ladies who cleaned and polished preparing for church services and she conscripted John to help other husbands maintain the building. The Diocese of Wilmington recognized their work with the Order of Merit for their “outstanding contributions” to the diocese. To her chagrin, the Diocese of Wilmington shut the parish and sold the church buildings after she and John moved.
Mary is survived by her daughter and son-in-law with whom she lived, Mary V. (Ronnie) and Gerald (Jerry) Hager; her son and his wife, Charlie and Annie Diggins; her grandchildren, Joel, Beth and her husband Keith Rolph, Kara and her husband Joe Leotta, Jonathan Diggins and Megan Diggins; great-grandchildren, Matt Rolph, Katie Rolph, Liz Rolph, Emma Diggins and Piper Diggins.
She also is survived by three siblings, Cecilia Creedon, Albert Shields, and Patricia Smith.
The family would like to thank the staff of Delaware Hospice, especially Decia Kinslow, R.N. and Jameson (Jamie) Miller, C.N.A. for their kindness, care, and concern for Mary for the past nine months. Mary always looked forward to their visits and chatting with them.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Mass of Christian Burial at Holy Spirit R.C. Church, 12 Winder Road, Garfield Park, New Castle at 11:30 am. Friends may call at the church from 10:00 am -11:00 am. Burial will be at Cathedral Cemetery immediately following the mass.
Memorial donations may be sent to Delaware Hospice, 630 Churchmans Road, Ste. 200, Newark, DE 19720; to Holy Spirit Catholic Church.