Obituary of Margaret "Maggy" (McNiff) McBreen

After a courageous battle with cancer, Margaret “Maggy” (McNiff) McBreen died on December 22, 2008 in the Peabody home where she grew up and raised her five children. She was 80 years old. Mrs. McBreen was a well-known and respected community leader with lifelong roots in Peabody. Mrs. McBreen was the beloved wife of the late Henry McBreen, to whom she was married for 39 years. She is survived by her children, Brendan McBreen and his wife Amanda of Suffolk, VA, Andrew McBreen and his wife Michelle of Cheshire, CT, Rosemary Meade and her husband William of Melrose, Peter McBreen of Alexandria, VA, Ellen McBreen and her husband Joshua Clark of Paris, France, and her eight grandchildren, Brendan Delaney McBreen, Araglin McBreen, Ayla McBreen, Aidan McBreen, Dylan McBreen, Conor Meade, Kathleen Meade, and John Henry McBreen. Mrs. McBreen graduated from St. John’s School in Peabody in 1945. She earned her BA in English from Emmanuel College in Boston, where she founded the school newspaper, The Focus and served as its first editor-in-chief. In 1953, she received her MA degree in education from Boston University, where she was elected to Pi Lambda Theta, the National Honor Society for Women in Education. Mrs. McBreen studied at the Maryknoll Novitiate in Valley Park, MO during 1955. In 1959, she completed a National Science Foundation program at Rutgers University. She went on to devote her professional life to quality schools and effective education, teaching in Provincetown, at the Whitman and Prince Schools in Boston, and at the Center School in Peabody until 1961. For 19 years, she was a special educator in the Salem Public School System until her retirement in 1997. In 1969, Mrs. McBreen was elected to the Peabody School Committee, where she was a vocal advocate for education reform. She championed fair and open hiring practices, continuous education standards for teachers, and equal education and athletic opportunities for girls. In 1977, she ran for Massachusetts state representative in the 12th Essex District. In 2001, she was again elected to the Peabody School Committee for a third term. Education and community service were family traditions-both her mother Alicia Barry McNiff and her late sister, Mary “Lovey” Tierney were also school committee members. Mrs. McBreen was a committed contributor to the civic and spiritual life of her community. In 1958, as a leader of the Essex County Young Democrats, she hosted John F. Kennedy’s visit to Peabody during his senate race. She served as a member of the board of the Peabody Visiting Nurse and the J.B. Thomas Hospital Aid Association, and participated in the North Shore Catholic Charities, League of Women Voters, and the City Democratic Committee. In 1969, she was honored for her community work as one of the Daily Evening Item’s Women of the Year. She was also a lifelong parishioner at St. John the Baptist Church in Peabody, where she served as lector and member of the Ladies’ Sodality. In recent years, she was an avid and adventurous traveler, enjoying trips to Israel, Italy, Portugal, France, England, and Ireland in the company of family and dear classmates from St. John’s School, particularly her lifelong friend Shirley (Coakley) Morrison. The daughter of James McNiff and Alicia (Barry) McNiff of Peabody, Mrs. McBreen was the last survivor of her seven siblings, Rev. James McNiff, John McNiff, Eugene McNiff, Charles McNiff, Arthur McNiff, Mary “Lovey” Tierney, and Barry McNiff. She is survived by dozens of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held at St. John the Baptist Church in Peabody on Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 11:00 AM. The family will receive visitors at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 20 Church St., Peabody on Friday, December 26, between 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and 7:00PM to 9:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Maggy McBreen Scholarship and Service Award, C/O TD Banknorth, 10 Main St., Peabody, MA 01960