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Chef Greg Grossman cooked his first meal at age 8 and is known, by some, as a prodigy. COURTESY GREG GROSSMAN
Lucy Ann O’Mara of Amagansett died at Southampton Hospital on May 13, with her husband and daughter by her side. She was 73.
Born on January 20, 1942, in Cornascriebe, Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, to Patrick and Mary Cunningham, she attended the local Mullavilly National School and St. Michaels Grammar School for girls in Lurgan County, Armagh.
In 1967, she came to the United States and joined the staff of Mrs. John Day Jackson of New Haven, Connecticut, and Indian Wells Road in Amagansett. It was there that witnessed a disappearing era of grandeur and sophistication that no longer exits, survivors said. This gave her the opportunity to develop and hone her culinary skills. It was a labor of love that influenced her and defined her for the rest of her life.
In 1969, she married Jimmy O’Mara, and in 1972 they purchased their first home and settled permanently in Amagansett. In 1980 they adopted their only child, Justine O’Mara, and the joy and fulfillment that this brought to their lives knew no bounds, survivors said.
Ms. O’Mara was an energetic and amazing woman, survivors said—a talented artist who enjoyed watercolor painting and sketching and enjoyed traveling with her husband, and later on as a family, exploring many cultures. She routinely returned to her native Ireland to stay in touch with her family, spending many summers in Carlingford, County Louth, where she loved to organize family reunions. Cooking was one of her passions, and nothing pleased her more than preparing culinary delights for her loved ones and friends, survivors said. She was a lover of nature, especially spring flowers and local wildlife. She was an intelligent lady who loved her trivia and world news, according to survivors, who added that everyone knew how much she enjoyed Jeopardy daily and her New York Times crossword.
In 1995 she was diagnosed with polymyositis, which rendered her wheelchair-reliant for the past 15 years. Yet she handled it with grace and dignity never once complaining despite the restrictions it imposed on her lifestyle, survivors said. As always her family and home continued to be the focus of her life. Survivors said she was constantly surrounded by love and support and was inspirational to her family and all who knew her.
She is survived by her husband, Jimmy; daughter, Justine Limonius; granddaughter, Lily Limonius; and three brothers, Tom, Brian and Felix Cunningham.
A memorial Mass was held on May 23 at St. Peter’s Church in Amagansett.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Amagansett Fire Department Ambulance Company, http://amagansettfd.org, and/or St. Jude Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org, which was one of her favorite charities.
on May 25, 2015