Mary and Jim Houlihan Sr.
Mary (known affectionately as May) and Jim grew up across the street from each other in the Bronx. Both came from hardworking families who valued education.
Stories of Care
Both Jim and May obtained their undergraduate and master’s degrees. Jim then joined the real estate business started by his grandfather. May worked for Catholic Charities, before staying home to be a full-time caregiver to her six children. After her youngest child graduated from college, May got a Ph.D. in gerontology. She began volunteering at Calvary, where she saw the compassionate end-of-life care up close.
Family Connections to Calvary
May’s brother, Msgr. James J. Murray (1926-2002), was the head of Catholic Charities for 30 years. He also was a dedicated member of the board of directors for Calvary Hospital.
In addition to May’s volunteer work at the Bronx campus, her son Jim used to come here frequently as a teenager to play piano and sing Christmas carols to our patients.
CalvaryCare® for Mom
When the Houlihan family was told that May needed end-of-life care, they unanimously decided to turn to Calvary. She was admitted in February 2018 and received our care for just 3 days before she died.
In that short time, the entire family was able to truly experience CalvaryCare®. They feel that there is no better place than Calvary Hospital for the final journey and that we make a difficult situation so much better. They call this a holy place but not necessarily in a religious sense.
Among the things the family appreciated was how well the staff kept them informed at all times and family and friends were able to visit May at any time. Most importantly, family members had the chance to say goodbye to May before she died.