An excerpt from her eulogy
Provided by Angela Finn (daughter)

Carmel McCarthy, aged 90 years, passed away peacefully at Rosebank Nursing Home, Yea on January 7.
Carmel, was one of the most resilient, loving, generous, compassionate and kindest people you could ever meet and anyone who met her was blessed.
Carmel was born in Yea on May 3, 1931. Her parents were George and Gladys Cunningham of Flowerdale. Mum was their third daughter, following Molly and Cath and then came Kevin. Her mother, Gladys ran the Flowerdale Post Office and local Telephone Exchange. George was a farmer.
Some of Mum’s childhood memories included: swinging each other around on the mop on the shiny floor; collecting wood in an old dray – pulled by Mick Coonan’s clydesdale horse Roanie; the 5km walk or ride to school; breaking ice on puddles; counting spider webs; exploring ferny nooks with lacy fern fronds dripping in bubbling water; finding wildflowers, including modest violets growing; checking rabbit traps in the early mornings with Pa and watching the sunrise on Ebeling’s hill; the excitement of School Sports Days when all the small schools surrounding Yea district would gather; and a most exciting event – going with Pa at night to smoke out beehives in order to collect honey.
The Flowerdale School went to Grade 8, Carmel then caught a bus – over Break O Day Rd from Flowerdale to Glenburn to Limestone into Yea and back again after school!
She remembered gathering clay every Friday – to paint the open fireplace and cleaning the copper on Sunday nights and setting the fire underneath it, ready for Gran to wash on a Monday; they gathered gum tips to use as decoration.
Carmel became a school teacher. After some time under supervision at the Yea school; mum was sent out to one teacher schools – Cheviot and Limestone, were two of these. She also taught at Marysville for a time.
Carmel asked Anthony McCarthy to be her Deb partner; And so began an amazing and enduring love story that I know has inspired many as they have watched Mum and Dad together. They were married on May 31, 1952. On New Year’s Day in 1953, they moved into a very unfinished house on King Parrot Creek Rd. Gradually the house was completed and more genteel furniture acquired.
Their first child, Anthony, was born in Melbourne in August 1953. The rest were born in Yea – Kieran in January1956, Angela in ‘59, Dominic ‘63, Matthew ‘66 and Joseph in ‘68. Pa died in 1973, and Gran moved in with us at Strath Creek not long after. She lived with us for close to 20 years. Mum included Gran in so many of her activities.
Mum was ‘wholehearted’. She loved belonging to and throwing herself into family and community life and events; going about things in an unassuming way – having lots of fun – whilst getting the job done.
She was an active member of the Red Cross for 40+ years, participated in and helped organise numerous Parish events, School Parents and Friends, Hospital and Rosebank auxilaries etc
Mum’s love of gardens and gardening is well known. Her artistic flair came to the fore as she created stone ponds and steps, waterfalls, rock and log gardens, sculptures out of stumps, and other nooks and crannies.
Mum loved being with people and socialising and yet was also quite at home going about her everyday chores with genuine joy. She was a contemplative being and loved being in and observing nature. Mum was observant of all around her, whether that be people, birds, trees, animals, flowers, clouds, rainbows … always noticing.
Mum was always on the lookout for who she could help and often called in on and spent time with, lonely, elderly people, around Yea.
In the days before Meals on Wheels, she would arrive at their door laden with a meal and stay for a chat. Once Meals on Wheels began, Mum and Dad, or Mum and Marj O’Dwyer took their turn delivering – always stopping for a chat.
Carmel was an amazing woman – a true saint in many ways. Everyone close to Carmel will miss her greatly but have gained so much in knowing her and being inspired by her love, courage and resilience.

• Anglea Finn