Marguerite Farnsworth

Marguerite Laing Farnsworth of Newton Lower Falls, lived herself to death, and passed peacefully while sleeping in her beloved Victorian Home of 64 years. Maggie lived and extraordinary life and died as she wished: with comfort, dignity and moral rectitude, at 95 years young. She was lucidly laughing and joking to her final moments, after weeks of partying, traveling and visiting with everyone near and dear, as her lifetime of exceptionally good health rapidly waned. We should all be so fortunate.

In lieu of a wake, a celebration of life party is planned at the Marriott Hotel for friends, family, and worthy advocacies.

Maggie did it her way, even shunning old Blue Eyes, as a teenage, during band practices in her Teaneck NJ living room with her brother on trombone.

Maggie was a rocket scientist at MIT during the war. One of only 3 women. She transitioned to Linguist specializing in remediating autistic and aphasic children and stoke victims. She was Chairwoman of the Massachusetts speech and hearing association, and a consultant to the pentagon, while Department head of special Education in Natick. She loved the children & hated the politics and teachers union. Maggie taught at Boston Collage, Wabans Anger School, and Sudbury public schools, and volunteered as treasurer for the Schitsophrenic Society of Boston, after retiring in her 80s.

She was a tireless crusader and tree hugger who enjoyed spelunking and paleontology. Her proudest moment was in 1953, personally funding and fomenting multiple legal challenges against Multi National Salvi Chemical Processing Company, seeking to abate tons of acid fly ash fallout and millions of gallons of slag dumping into pristine Lake Onondaga. Decades later, the EPA was formed with Super-Fund Powers that forced the total clean up of Lake Onondaga, which is pristine today. Maggie was a pioneer environmentalist, before the word existed. For gripes giggles, Ms. Maggie Gift wrapped her Garbage, and delivering it on the Mayors Desk, while reciting the memorized garbage contract, and chastising the Mayors executive deficiencies in garbage collection. The Mayor threatened to arrest her. But her Garbage Gift met political gifting standards. The admired Don Fats Pelligreno was not spared Maggies opinion either, and yet she died peacefully in sleep.

For more Marvelous Maggie stories you have to attend her Celebration of Life Party. Call Maria at 508-404-0945 for details or visit Mackinnon Funeral Home website. Dont send flowers. Plant a tree, if you must. But friend, stranger, or foe, make every day meaningful, tip your hat to dear Maggie for any measure of her inspiration, pay it forward, as we all should.

This is the tribute of immortality Maggie would most appreciate.

God Bless us ALL !!!

Memorial and Interment Services will be held in the glory of fall, at the historic Old Ship Cemetery in Hingham.