Mary Jane (Doyle) Calhoun, 89, of Plymouth, formerly of Worcester, passed away on Wednesday, March 26, surrounded by three generations of loved ones.
She was the devoted wife of John Caldwell Calhoun, having been happily married for 62 years until his death in 2020. She was the loving mother of Mary Jane “Pumpkin” Calhoun-Donelan and her husband Michael of Plymouth; John “Jackie” Calhoun, Jr. and his wife Sally of Plymouth and Vero Beach; David Doyle Calhoun and his wife Kelli of Duxbury; Ann S. Bundock and her husband James J. of Pelham NH; and Paula C. Gilland and her husband Wendell G. of Chapel Hill, NC, and Plymouth. Mary Jane was the proud grandmother of Kimberly Calhoun Roche (Sean), John Caldwell Calhoun III (fiancé Jillian Mullany), Caroline Calhoun Shea (Owen), Doyle D. Calhoun, Riley Calhoun (David Grosso), John Bundock, Christopher Bundock (fiancé Kelsey Grimard), Anthony Bundock, Taylor G. Gilland, Laura Gilland Donovan (Matthew), Kevin Calhoun Gilland, Michaela Donelan Browning (Shane), and Caitlin Donelan Maccaferri (Stephen).
In recent years, Mary Jane particularly enjoyed the company of her eight great-grandchildren: Charlie and Makenna Mary Roche, Claire Donovan, Caelan and Forrest Browning, Dylan and Wyatt Maccaferri, and just two months ago, Wilson John Shea. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews: Doyles, Dolans, and Calhouns.
Mary Jane was predeceased by her siblings: Billy Doyle and Patricia Doyle Dolan. She was predeceased by in-laws, who all became truly her friends: Taylor Calhoun, Richard Calhoun, Claire Calhoun-Locke, Patsy Mahoney Calhoun, Agnes Doyle, Jack Dolan, and Margaret Calhoun.
Born in Worcester, on May 7, 1935, she was the daughter of the late William T. Doyle and Etta Marcella (Moynihan) Doyle. She was a graduate of Worcester North High School and went on to earn her B.S in teaching from Framingham State College when it was a women’s college. In her youth, Mary Jane worked for the Worcester Parks Department as an activities director for the kids of Columbus Park, a sales associate at Denholm and McKay, and later as a lifeguard at Tatnuck Country Club.
Upon graduation, Mary Jane taught home economics for one year for the Worcester Public Schools, leaving to raise their children. Mary Jane loved the city of her birth – the colleges, the museums, the many churches, Newton Square, sailing their Beetle Cat, “7 Cs” and swimming at Heald’s Beach, or supporting her kids’ many activities at Lee Street Grammar School, Notre Dame Academy, or St. John’s High School. She loved skiing at Mt. Wachusett, Rutland Ski Area, and Ward Hill, as you could even squeeze in a couple of hours with the kids after a school day. She and John and their kids and neighbors loved skating at Elm Park, she on her “long blades,” as she had been a competitive speed skater as a young woman. She loved the people of Blessed Sacrament Church. She loved her neighbors on Westland Street (married one of them) and on Hancock Hill. As her five children became school age, Mary Jane returned to teaching home economics at South High School in Worcester for 11 years. She loved teaching, as she felt it was a career through which you could change a life as you helped a student develop competencies and confidence, as well as model kindness and concern.
Mary Jane and John spent summers in their small cottage at Priscilla Beach in Plymouth. Two peers of her kids have expressed that they did not know how so much fun fit into such a small cottage. The cottage was replaced by their home in 1988. In Plymouth, she, too, loved the people, the harbor, the beaches, and her Dunk’s frozen coffee while parked at Manomet Point’s Lobster Pound. She and John loved boating, navigating from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, up the intercoastal and more locally to Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Cuttyhunk, Boston Harbor, and coastal Maine. She was honored to become a life member at the Plymouth Yacht Club. Shuffleboard in her back yard and Rummikub at her dining room table were favorite activities, too. Knitting for loved ones, “putting love in every stitch,” and preparing meals for crowds, up until one week ago, were labors of love. Her favorite books were cookbooks. She was an ace at noticing people’s interests and talents and encouraging them to “go for it!” Our world is a bit off axis as she is not in her kitchen, but her love remains our north star to guide us.
Services are under the care of Cartmell-Davis Life Celebration Funeral Homes, Plymouth.
The Calhoun family would like to extend their gratitude to many who loved our Mom/Grammy. Special thanks to her home helpers, Lilly Ciaranca, Jamie Clark, Jessica Graziano, and Mom’s youngest dear friend, Audrey McGilvray. A visitation will be held at Cartmell- Davis Life Celebration Funeral Home at 619 State Road, Plymouth, on Saturday, March 29, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed by a Mass at St. Bonaventure Church, 803 State Road, Plymouth, at 11 a.m. Burial will take place at Manomet Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the John C. Calhoun Sailing Scholarship Fund, Rockland Trust, 728 State Road, Plymouth Ma 02360, or Etrusco of Scituate. For more information and to sign the online guestbook, please go here.