Celia Scully passed away on Wednesday, May 10 th , at her home in Boise, Idaho, with family at her side. A native of New Rochelle, NY, Celia (known as Nan or Nena to relatives) was born May 23, 1932, to Walter B. and Celia (Berea) Geoghegan. She had lived in Reno for 48 years before moving to The Terraces of Boise in 2017 to be closer to her daughter, Leslie Fishburn.
She attended Holy Family School in New Rochelle where, in third grade, she met Thomas Scully, who became her dearest friend, lifelong love and future husband. They were married in 1956, following his second year of medical school. While Tom was in the Air Force, they moved their family of five children many times, living in Texas, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Nevada, and Spain. From this Celia learned to make friends quickly and easily throughout her life. She loved her family dearly, was proud of her Spanish heritage and enjoyed traveling with her husband, visiting 30 states and 18 countries.
Celia was a graduate of The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, earned a BA in English literature from Trinity College (now Trinity University) in Washington, D.C., and an MA in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Celia was a talented and published writer. She taught non-fiction classes at the Truckee Meadows Community College, was a guest lecturer at writers’ conferences and workshops in Nevada and California, and a mentor to beginning writers locally. With her husband, she co-authored a book for non-fiction writers, plus a highly regarded guide to medical ethics for families, published by Simon and Schuster. In her 80s, she began writing award-winning poems, including a collection of poetry.
Celia was a thoughtful, kind, creative, and curious soul. She enjoyed discussing current events and best-sellers, and never lacked a forthright and witty opinion. She had a remarkable memory and could recall stories from any decade of her life, thereby keeping family storytelling alive. She was a multidimensional artist and painted beautiful acrylic and watercolor paintings. She will be missed at the Terraces as she used her talents to bring people together and foster a sense of community. She will be remembered for her compassion, resilience, and inner strength in caring for family members through various illnesses.
A special place in her life was the Carmelite Monastery in Reno. For more than 50 years, the Sisters were not only spiritual mentors but close friends as well. Her spiritual anchors were gratitude and hope. After living for so many years on the East Coast she never tired of Nevada’s sunsets, luminous blue skies, rugged mountains, and wondrous cloud formations.
Preceding her in death were her parents, husband of 52 years, a son, Martin, and brother Walter B. Geoghegan, Jr. She is survived by sons Peter (Barbara) of Pinehurst, NC; Christopher (Michelle) of Reno, NV; Geary (Denise) of Oregon, WI; daughter Leslie (Jon) Fishburn of Boise, ID; granddaughters Catherine (Ben) Johnson; Anne (Luis) Sierra Scully, and Ellen (Josh) Baskins; grandsons Benjamin Scully; Evan, Joshua and Zachary Fishburn; great-grandchildren Charlotte and William Johnson; Hailey and Parker Baskins, as well as several nieces, nephews, beloved cousins Lili and Peter Van Beuren and other dear cousins throughout the United States and Spain. She will be dearly missed.
A private memorial service will be held at the Carmelite Monastery in Reno at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution to the Carmel of Reno (1950 La Fond Dr., Reno, NV 89509) or to the Thomas J. Scully Medical Student Scholarship Fund, (University of Nevada School of Medicine, Bldg. #0332, Reno, NV 89557).