Marguerite "Margie" McGagh

Marguerite “Margie” McGagh, age 83, of Stoneham, passed away peacefully on April 18, at the Sunrise Assisted Living in Burlington.

She was born in Medford on January 15, 1942 and was the daughter of the late Samuel L. and Albertine M. (Parent) Fardy.

She earned her Bachelor’s in Biology from UMass Amherst and a Master’s in Health Science from Northeastern University, leading her to a career in biology. Margie began at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition, where she proudly spent nearly 20 years in a cell culture lab as a Principal Research Assistant. After marrying Thomas in 1970, they spent 10 years traveling and building their careers, before having children in the early 80’s. Margie then took time off to raise her family and enjoyed volunteering her science background in Stoneham public schools. Once Nancy and Michael were grown, she returned to science, later retiring after rewarding roles at Novartis and the McGovern Center for Brain Research at MIT.

Margie led a very active lifestyle and was involved in a multitude of hobbies. She was an avid skier and served as a chaperone for the Stoneham Ski Club for more than ten years. Summers on Cape Cod were spent swimming, clamming, kayaking, golfing, and reading in the sun, while enjoying the final hours of sunshine every afternoon. She was a former long-time member of the Middlesex Concert Band, playing the trumpet. She was also a parishioner of St. Patrick Parish of Stoneham.

She was the beloved wife of the late Thomas J. McGagh. She was the loving mother of Nancy McGagh Parris and husband Wayne Parris of Stoneham, and Michael M. McGagh and wife Christine McGagh (Burns) of Wilmington. She was the sister of Samuel Fardy and wife Sandra of Pocasset, and the late Marie Moakley and her late husband Richard. She was the beloved grandmother of Thomas Michael, Celia Mae, and Juliette Elizabeth McGagh. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Patrick Church, 71 Central St., Stoneham on Thursday, April 24 at 10am. Visitation for relatives and friends at the McDonald-Finnegan-Anderson Funeral Home, 322 Main St., Stoneham on Wednesday, April 23 from 4-7pm. Interment, Lindenwood Cemetery, Stoneham.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Margie’s name may be made to Compassionate Care ALS, checks may be made payable to CCALS, P.O. Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574 or online https://ccals.org/donate