Marlborough – Boyd, Marilyn D. (nee Meagher), 76, of Marlborough, Mass, passed away on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA after a long battle with lung disease.
Born in Boston on June 21st, 1947, she was the youngest daughter of H. Richard and Grace Meagher. As the baby of five girls, she was pampered by her parents and her four older sisters who doted on her. Marilyn especially had a close relationship with her eldest sister, Phyllis (Philly), who lived at home all her life due to developmental disabilities, and who passed away in 1980 after battling cancer.
Marilyn moved to Marlborough as a child and graduated from Marlborough High School in 1965. She briefly attended the Massachusetts College of Art and Design before she married and started a family. Marilyn met her husband, James, at a dance held at Fort Devens in 1966. She attended the dance with her date, but soon found another young man coming up and asking her to dance. After declining several requests, she finally decided to give this charming southern boy a chance, and that’s where their story began.
They married in LaPlace, Louisiana, on December 17th, 1966, and settled in Marlborough, Mass to raise their family. They had three children, Jamie, Jason, and Allissa, and as young parents devoted many hours to school events, Pop Warner football, basketball games, and dance classes. Marilyn also taught Catechism classes for several years at her home when her children were young.
Her husband James became ill in 1985 and passed away in August of 1987. As a young widow, Marilyn had been employed by the Marlboro Electric Supply, who became a second family to her and supported her during this difficult time in her life. Eventually, Marilyn decided she wanted to work with makeup, and took a job first at Jordan Marsh, and then Filenes selling cosmetics, and then perfume. She then freelanced as a makeup artist, working mostly weddings or special events at department stores. One of her proudest moments was when she helped launch Isabella Rossellini’s makeup line at Bloomingdales and was able to meet and briefly work with Isabella. She made many friends along the way through her work and maintained those friendships over the years. Her last full-time job was working at Wolfers Lighting, harking back to her years at Marlboro Electric working with lighting for homes.
Marilyn always loved and appreciated art and was able to travel to Europe several times to visit and explore museums. While raising her children she would occasionally take up drawing, but it wasn’t until her later years she started taking painting classes again, and immersed herself in her favorite medium, watercolors. She passed on her paintings to family and friends and was thrilled when her work was included in several local art shows.
Marilyn was happiest around her family, especially her adored granddaughters. She absolutely loved being their ‘Mimi,’ playing with them and delighting in all their accomplishments.
Marilyn had always been a fashionista, dressed to the nines and always wearing full makeup, a perfect manicure, and a spritz of Thierry Mugler’s Angel perfume when she went out. It was apparent when Marilyn couldn’t look and feel her best that she was struggling futilely with her health. After fighting for so many years she was finally ready to rest.
Marilyn was predeceased by her parents, devoted husband James, her affectionate sisters Philly, Jeanne, Elaine, and Gracie, her brothers-in-law Robert Pugatch, John Day, Jim Brunet, and Charles Hattaway, and her sisters-in-law Judy Hattaway, Brenda Sansone, and Linda Evans. Her mother and father-in-law, Joan and Orian Hattaway, also predecease her.
She is survived by her children, Jamie (Jay) Boyd Jr., Jason (Michelle) Boyd, and Allissa (Derek) Dobson, her three beautiful granddaughters Nina, Olivia, and Madeleine, and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Her children would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Paul Sliney and Jean Roche, Mom’s close friends who were so kind to her in her final years, and who went above and beyond helping to take care of her. We would also like to thank the home health aides from Springwell, her primary care physician Dr. Clifford Risk, and his staff, including Tiffany and Patricia, who provided excellent care to Mom. In addition, we wish to say thank you to the JHC hospice, who made our mom’s final days peaceful.
Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, December 3, 2023, from 2:00-4:00PM at the Slattery Funeral Home, Inc., 40 Pleasant St., Marlborough, MA 01752. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home at 4:00PM following visiting hours. A private burial for Marilyn will be held at a later date.
Donations may be made in Marilyn’s memory to the JHC Hospice of Worcester, Mass.
Goodbye, Mum. Say hi to Dad for us.
