Obituary of Margaret Hennessy Allison

Margaret (Muggy) Hennessy Allison passed away on Saturday, July 11, 2020, at Bon Secours Maria Manor.

A lifetime resident of St. Petersburg, Muggy was the last surviving child of Madeleine Kelly and Aeneas Patrick (A.P.) Hennessy, founder of A.P. Hennessy & Sons Construction Company, longtime commercial builders in the area. She attended St. Paul’s School, and graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1943. She received her RN degree from St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville, FL in 1946, working at St. Anthony’s Hospital and private duty nursing before raising a family.  Muggy married another lifetime city resident, hotelier, councilman and attorney William E. Allison, in 1947.

Muggy was preceded in death by her beloved husband Bill in 1993, her son J. Patrick Allison in 2005, brothers Jim (Jane), Kell (Betty) and Tom Hennessy, her best friend and sister Patricia (Harold) Cole, nephews Judge Bob Cole and Sean Cole, and nieces Enid Schneider and Susan Harrigan.

Survivors include her daughter, Madeleine (Bob) Cowhig of Atlanta, GA, sons William, Jr. (Linda) Allison of Charlotte NC, and Thomas (Cindy) Allison of Clayton, GA, six grandchildren, Rob (Jenny) and Allison Cowhig, Meghan (Juan) Hidalgo, Billy (Cecily) Allison, Stephanie (Ryan) Nantell and Kathleen (Jason) Lewis, and six great grandchildren, Amelia, Eleanor, Daniel and Colleen Cowhig, Phillip Allison and Rosie Nantell. Other survivors include her sister-in-law, Barbara Hennessy, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Family was Muggy’s delight. A “stay at home mother,” she was active in all aspects of the family life, including being a Cub Scout leader, an officer of the St. Jude’s Altar Society and President of the Notre Dame Academy Mothers Club. Many hours were spent volunteering in all the school cafeterias and organizing the reunions for her “Green Devils” class from St. Pete High. She also served as a Board Member at Bayfront Tower Condominiums, where she and Bill were one of the first residents, moving downtown in 1976 and residing at Bayfront Tower for 39 years before her departure to Bon Secours. Muggy was an avid bridge player, daily crossword puzzle addict and golfer, even scoring two holes-in-one. It was a feat never matched by her husband, who taught her to play the game.

Muggy was a devout lifetime Catholic. She was raised at St. Paul’s, and was a longtime member at both St. Jude’s Cathedral and St. Mary’s Our Lady of Grace, all of St. Petersburg. 

Due to Covid-19 guidelines any services will be held at a future date.

The family is especially grateful to those who were so gracious and helpful to her in her time of decline, including niece Peggy Cole Hansford, Bayfront neighbor Jack Ptack, caregivers Val and Wayne, and the staff of the memory unit at Bon Secours, who lovingly cared for her for over five years.  We ask that any donations be sent to Bon Secours Maria Manor, at 10300 4th Street N., St. Petersburg, FL 33716.