BRODERICK, Margaret M. “Chickie” (McHugh) of Needham formerly of Wellesley, January 24, 2018. Beloved wife of the late Thomas F. “Toby” Broderick Jr., MD, and survived by her children Tom Broderick and his wife Joyce of Seattle, WA, Ellen Grover and her husband Jim of Bar Harbor, ME, Jean Warren and her husband Kip of Bass Harbor, ME, her late son John’s wife Lisa Broderick and her husband Paul Harlow, of Upton, MA, Peter Broderick and his wife Holly of South Yarmouth, MA, Lisa McAlpine and her husband Chris of Titusville, FL, Sally Stanton and her husband John of Bedford, NH, Brian Broderick and his wife Cathy of Sherborn, MA, Jim Broderick and his wife Karen Johnson of Hingham, MA, and Matt Broderick and his wife Kathleen of Cohasset, MA, and also by 25 loving grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Beloved daughter of Thomas J. and Mary McHugh, and sister of the late Elizabeth Donovan and Jean McHugh.
Chickie was born in 1921 and grew up in Milton and North Scituate, before eventually moving to Wellesley where she and Toby raised their family before 'retiring' to Needham thirty five years ago. After graduating from St. Joseph’s College in Hartford, Chickie worked at MIT, where she was proud to discover her work in a chemistry lab was actually a part of the Manhattan Project. She laughingly maintained that a seminal event in her life occurred in Florida in 1946 when she was visiting her older sister Betty and the two of them set off on a journey to find the mythical fountain of youth. They never found it, but they did end up at a fountain honoring Our Lady of Fertility, so they randomly tossed in a few coins. Chickie subsequently raised a family of ten and Betty a family of twelve. “Be careful what you wish for” she often advised her children with a twinkle in her eye. She and Toby married in 1948, and she devoted herself to raising and nurturing her ever growing family. Chickie loved to entertain and to travel: especially beloved destinations were Minot Beach in North Scituate, her sister Betty’s cottage in Bantry Bay, Ireland, Toby’s brother Dick’s farm in Upton, and Mount Desert Island in Maine. She was perhaps happiest when surrounded by her children and grandchildren in her own home. She was a warm, gracious lady of robust and generous faith, coupled with a sharp mind and a sharper sense of humor. She will be dearly missed by many.
Funeral Mass on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 11am in St. Paul Church, Wellesley. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley. In lieu of flowers, the family would very much appreciate donations to either Nephcure Kidney International, 150 S Warner Road, #402, King of Prussia, PA 19406 or The Monica Anne Higgins ALS Fund, P.O Box 690797, Quincy, MA 02269. The family also wishes to acknowledge the remarkable care Chickie received from the Celtic Angels in recent years.