Mary E. (Haggerty) McLaughlin, age 96, of Lovell, ME; formerly of Medford and Tewksbury, MA; passed away on December 15, 2020. She was the beloved wife of the late Eugene J. McLaughlin.
Born and raised in Medford, Mary attended St. Joseph Elementary School and graduated from Medford High School. She married her high school sweetheart in the middle of WWII on June 28, 1942. After the war, they resided in temporary military housing on the grounds of Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford and began to raise a family. In 1955, Gene and Mary moved to Tewksbury, MA where they raised eight children. Mary followed her sons and moved to Lovell, ME in 1983 six years after her husband's death. Her desire was to create lasting memories for her children and grandchildren of “visiting a grandmother in the woods''; memories she cherished from her own childhood with her own grandmother.
Mary went on to have many happy years of hosting children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and friends at her old farmhouse on Foxboro Road. Her Catholic Faith was the center of her life. As such, Mary was actively involved in her church community. She was on the Building Committee for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church in Fryeburg, Maine, working with the architect and helping with funding. She was so happy to be part of the project and was glad that the Catholic community could have its own church after many years using borrowed space. She volunteered for many years at “Dinner Bell”, a free meal provided weekly by the Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, and worked as secretary of the Parish Council. She loved her work at the Lighthouse Pregnancy Crisis Center, whose mission was to provide compassionate, practical, life-affirming alternatives to abortion. She was part of RCIA in her parish, taught CCD in her home, was a Eucharistic Minister at church and took the Eucharist to many shut-ins in the community, and was a member of the Seton Society.
Through her work, through her life, and by her faith, Mary became a grandmother to many in the community beyond her direct descendants. When not out working in the community, she could often be found having tea around her kitchen table with friends and family alike, “gabbing” and discussing “what makes people tick.” In Mary’s life, no one was a stranger. Each person she encountered was treated like part of the family. She often told her loved ones “I miss your face,” and Mary treated every face she encountered as beloved, as the face of Christ. Mary will be most remembered for her sincere love of family, her commitment to her faith, and her unwavering support of the dignity of life from conception to natural death. After 32 years and at the age of 91, she decided living alone in the woods in Maine was no longer feasible and she moved into assisted living in Quincy, Mass to be near her daughters.
Mary’s deep commitment to Pro-Life issues and membership in “STOP Planned Parenthood” was known to anyone who spoke with her. She was often quoted as saying “We have to promote the dignity of the human person and the Sanctity of Human Life.” She was part of Maine Right to Life, MA Citizens for Life, National Right to Life and actively called voters and got petitions signed to promote Pro-life/ Pro-Family agendas.
Mrs. McLaughlin was the loving mother Eugene McLaughlin of Fryeburg, ME; Kathy Lind (Peter) of Quincy, MA; Elaine Callahan (Brian) Dracut, MA; Tom McLaughlin (Roseann) of Lovell, ME, Mary Ann McLaughlin of Bethlehem, CT,; Jane Richard (Jim) of North Andover, MA; Paul McLaughlin of Lovell, ME, and the late Dan McLaughlin (Vicki) of Florida. Mary was the cherished grandmother of 29 and great-grandmother of 43. She was predeceased by her brothers Henry DeAngelis, John Haggerty and Joseph Haggerty.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to visit briefly with the family on Monday, December 21, from 3:00-7:00 PM at the Costello Funeral Home, 177 Washington St., Winchester, and are asked to enter through the front door, wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines. A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, December 22, at 12 noon at St. Raphael Church, 512 High St., Medford, and will be livestreamed and may be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/SaintRaphaelParishMedford. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.
In lieu of flowers, Mary wished for any donations in her memory be made to EWTN https://sd.ewtn.com/love-and-understanding-of-god/ OR Maine Right to Life
https://www.mainerighttolife.com/donate.