National honor for Dorchester crossing guard who died shielding boy

By Cara Bayles, Town Correspondent

Marie J. Conley, a crossing guard who died keeping a 10-year-old boy from walking into the path of an oncoming car, will be honored today by the Congressional Medal of Honor foundation.

Conley

Conley is among three recipients of the Citizen Service Before Self honor being recognized during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Conley was a crossing guard at the Mather Elementary School in Dorchester, and was known to pass out candy to students, and knew all the children and parents at the school by name.

On Oct. 21 2008, she was posted at the junction of Winter and Parish streets and motioned for a car to stop so that a child could cross the street, witnesses said. When she saw the car wasn't slowing down, she saved the boy from the vehicle's path, but was hit by the car. She died a week later. She was 58.

Her family decided the crash was an accident, and settled with the driver, 87-year-old Anis Cazeau, who agreed never to drive again and was put on three years probation.

Conley already has won posthumous recognition for her act. On Sept. 11, 2009, she was honored with the Madeline "Amy" Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery during a State House ceremony.

E-mail Cara Bayles at carabayles@gmail.com.