Monica Ellen Daly Cannon was born in Queens, N.Y., on Sept. 21, 1935, to Catherine Murnane Daly and John Joseph Daly. The third child of her Irish immigrant parents, she grew up in both Queens and Interlaken, N.Y.
Monica is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dr. James A. Cannon; and her siblings, Maureen Hollingsworth, of Sarasota, Fla., and Dan Daly, of Shrewsbury, Mass. She was a loyal daughter, sister, and much-beloved wife, mother, and grandmother.
As a girl, Monica excelled in school and was a lifelong lover of reading and learning. After graduating from Walton High School, she worked for IBM while attending night classes at Hunter College. Monica became friends with her IBM co-worker, Mary Cannon. When visiting her friend Mary, Monica met Mary’s older brother, Jimmy. As he told their children, Jim’s first reaction to meeting his wife-to-be was, “Wow!” For their first date, Jimmy took her to see “West Side Story” on Broadway.
Jim and Monica married on June 30, 1962, and settled in Jackson Heights. Their first child was born a year later, followed by four more. Monica graduated from Hunter College in 1964 amid embarking on the challenges of raising children, working part-time, and supporting her husband’s career and doctoral studies.
Monica and Jim moved to Mamaroneck in 1967, and later moved their family of seven to Pleasantville, N.Y. After their oldest three children graduated high school, Jim and Monica moved with their two youngest children to Rye. Monica was an enthusiastic supporter of her children, and especially enjoyed family vacations.
In 1977, Monica launched her successful career as a real estate agent in Westchester County, becoming a consistent top producer among her peers. In her 50s, she chose a new direction, graduating from CUNY Law School and being seated with the New York State Bar Association in 1994. She would be engaged in her second career, working for the City of New York, until her early 70s. She found her work as a legal child advocate particularly rewarding.
Monica delighted in her 13 grandchildren, whom she loved dearly: Sean Dunn, Austin Dunn, Sarah Furfaro, Emily Furfaro, Caroline Cannon, Allie Cannon, Ryan Murray, Katie Murray and Christopher Murray, Mary Cannon, Grace Cannon, James Cannon Jr., and William Cannon.
In their later years, Monica was an attentive and tireless caregiver to her husband, Jim for nearly a decade, before he passed away in 2020.
Monica enjoyed her Irish heritage and was an avid traveler. Always curious about what the world had to offer, she encouraged her family to set out to see the world and delighted in news of their adventures when she was no longer able to journey herself.
A woman ahead of her time in so many ways, when she decided to do something, she went ahead and did it. In this way, her spirit lives on as an example to those who know and love her.
Monica is survived by her brother- and sister-in-law, Audrey and Michael Daly, of Tampa, Fla.; brother John Daly, of Ashburn, Va.; her children and their spouses: Cathy and Jose Antunes, of Sarasota, Fla.; Peter Cannon, of Tuckahoe, N.Y.; Mary Anne and Peter Furfaro, of Ridgefield, Conn.; Susan and Jimmy Cannon, of Rye; and Christine and John Murray, of Plymouth, Mass.; her thirteen grandchildren; and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins who brought joy and richness to her life.
The family will receive friends at the Graham Funeral Home from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at The Church of the Resurrection in Rye. Condolence messages may be made on www.grahamfuneralhomerye.com.
