Saratoga Springs, NY - Constance M. Foley (nee Burns), wife, mother and retired banker, died on December 2, 2021. She was 90. Her life was shaped by the times in which she lived, and her deep and abiding love for her family. Born on November 3, 1931 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mrs. Foley was the oldest daughter of Matthew R. Burns and Esther Rynne Burns. Her father was a chef and her mother a homemaker. Her family moved to Saratoga Springs in the early 1930s in search of greater opportunities but struggled to find success and security during the Depression. Those childhood experiences instilled in Mrs. Foley a prodigious work ethic, a respect for self-sufficiency, and a soft heart for children and families trying to raise themselves out of poverty.

Mrs. Foley was educated at St. Clement's School and St. Peter's Academy, Class of 1950. During high school she worked as a "soda jerk" behind the lunch counter at Menges & Curtis.  While this was pocket change for her classmates, her wages sometimes fed her younger sisters.  She loved to jitterbug and sing the popular tunes of the era. Singing brought her joy throughout her life, and she was always proud that she was the only singer in the choir that could hit the high note in the chorus of Oh Holy Night at midnight mass.

Connie was a gifted student, but college was beyond her family's means, and so like many women of her era she trained as a secretary. She worked first as a legal secretary for Lynch & Lynch in Saratoga, and later in the secretarial pool of Pratt & Whitney aircraft in Connecticut.  There she came to the firm view that male bosses weren't all they were cracked up to be, and the contributions of women should never be overlooked.

On March 1, 1956, fate and the phone company changed the course of her life. She was visiting her mother who then lived at the Park Apartments on Broadway. When phone service was disrupted, her mother suggested she ask the neighbor, Mrs. Margaret Foley, for the use of her phone. Mrs. Foley's door was answered by her son, John Foley, a career army officer who happened to be home on leave. Just nine days later they eloped, and so began the adventure of her life and a love story that endured until Mr. Foley's passing in January of this year.

The Foleys lived and travelled extensively in Europe and the United States in support of Mr. Foley's Army career. During this time, the Foleys had three children and Mrs. Foley began the "job" she held most dear: mother. By nature a nurturing person, she was an exceptional mother: loving, generous, and ferocious when protecting her children. Discipline involved waving around a wooden spoon, and generally ended in laughter, not tears. Given the peripatetic life of a military family, she was always the heart of her family and her children's true north.

Upon Mr. Foley's retirement from the Army, the Foley family returned to Saratoga in 1971, and Mrs. Foley soon began her banking career at the Adirondack Trust Company. There she rose through the ranks to become an officer of the bank, and had the satisfaction of being recognized for her diligence and abilities. Mrs. Foley was particularly pleased when she could help young families buy their first homes. She was active in numerous community organizations, including the Historical Society, Catholic Daughters, and the Red Cross, and considered community service a privilege as much as it was a responsibility of the fortunate.

Following her retirement from the Adirondack Trust Company in 1994, she indulged her love of golf and perfected her short game. She was generous, outgoing, and delighted in telling slightly risqué jokes. She was a wonderful cook and an exceptional baker. She particularly loved the Christmas season and all of its joys both quiet and boisterous. For decades she continued a tradition of baking Christmas cookies for friends, family and colleagues. Every November and December, her kitchen was redolent with the smells of the thousands of cookies she baked to give away—each cookie a tangible expression of her love and care for the recipient.

Mrs. Foley is survived by her children and their spouses, John and Sherri Foley, Patricia and Bruce Logan, and Colleen Foley and Robert Goldberg; her four beloved grandchildren, Melissa (and Luke) Pestow, Margaret and Joshua Foley, and James Goldberg, as well as two cherished great-grandchildren and several beloved nieces and nephews. Mrs. Foley's passing is felt every day by her family, but most acutely in this season that she loved so well.

In lieu of flowers, her family asks that you cherish your loved ones and aid those who are less fortunate.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10am, Friday, December 17, 2021 at the Historic Church of St. Peter, 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY followed by burial in Greenridge Cemetery, Lincoln Ave.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com