Thelma (Bailey) Carey Foster, 97, died  March 29, 2009 at the Caldwell Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Ipswich following a long illness. She was the former wife of the late Joseph R. Carey, a classmate of the Class of 1928, and the late Lawrence C. Foster formerly of Hamilton. 

Born July 22, 1911 in Ipswich, the daughter of the late Walter R. Bailey and the late Ethel (MacIntyre) Bailey, she was the last known surviving member of the Class of 1928 of the old Manning High School. She was the Chief Probation Officer for the Essex County Juvenile Probation District which included courts in Ipswich, Haverhill, Newburyport, and Gloucester.  She was appointed a probation officer in May 1952 and then Chief Probation Officer in November 1960, retiring in 1972. She was a skilled creator of hooked rugs from the late 1940’s until her recent illness.  She made numerous hooked rugs of flowers, birds, natural and historic scenes which were exhibited and received awards in the annual Topsfield Fairs.  She was a former member of the Association of Traditional Hooking Artists and the Atha National Chapter of Rug Hookers.  She was exceptionally knowledgeable about Ipswich history over the past century.

She leaves a son, Robert J. Carey and his fiancé, Linda Iannille of Bedford, NH, and a daughter Cathleen R. McGinley and her husband, Paul of Ipswich; a stepson, Richard L. Foster and his wife, Marilyn of Newtown, PA, and a step daughter, Gail L. Johnson of Omaha, NE.  Grandchildren include Karen McGinley of Brielle, NJ, Deborah Williams of Francestown, NH, Paul McGinley, Jr. of Vail, CO, Kristen McGinley of Kensington, NH, Carey McGinley of Ipswich, Shawn Carey of Westfield, MA and Christian Carey of Stowe, VT. She is also survived by six great grandchildren, and nieces Sheila Baldinelli, Carol McCarthy, Madeline Abbot, Jane Howard and Marcia Greenough, all of Ipswich.

She was a long-time communicant of the former St. Joseph’s Church of Ipswich and the Church of St. Paul of Hamilton.

Funeral services are private with interment at the Cowles Memorial Cemetery in Ipswich.  A memorial Mass will be celebrated at Church of St. Paul in Hamilton, on Saturday May 23, 2009 at 10 am.  Arrangements are under the direction of Whittier-Porter Funeral Home in Ipswich.

The family would especially like to thank the staff of Caldwell Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the Hospice of the North Shore, her Cable Gardens friends, Carol McCarthy, Rose Lynch, and Barbara Garrette and long time caregivers Nancy Goodwin and Randee Michaud for their wonderful and caring service.

Memorial contributions in her name may be made to Friends of the Caldwell, 16 Green Street, Ipswich, MA 01938 or to Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923 or to St Paul’s Church, 50 Union Street, Hamilton, MA 01936.