Bridget E. McGuiness

“B” was born and raised in Worcester MA, growing up as one of four children within a large extended family. She graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1983 with a degree in civil engineering, joining many of her relatives in the field. Her professional career began as an asbestos compliance engineer for the Environmental Protection Agency, ended as a trainer and advocate for worker health and safety at MIIA and included environmental consulting, home inspection and the New England Consortium at UMass Lowell.

Her efforts to help others extended to virtually every aspect of her life from coaching youth hockey and refereeing for a roller derby team (aka “Whistler’s Mutha”) to serving as an advocate for LGBTQ youth. Her generosity resulted in frequent and extravagant random acts of kindness towards friends, family, neighbors, and total strangers.

“B” loved fishing, Fluffernutter sandwiches, and her devoted pups, Chico Bambino and Ginger Snap, but most of all, she loved her wife Margot of 28 years and her daughter Makayla. The expression on her face as she listened to Mackie sing or watched Margot from across a room was pure joy and pride. She had a wickedly irreverent sense of humor, a fierce loyalty to those she cared about, and a tremendously loving heart. In return, she received unqualified love from her chosen family who helped carry her through her long and difficult illness.

Bridget was predeceased by her father, John A. McGuiness. She is survived by her wife Margot E. Abels and daughter Makayla W. Abels-McGuiness; her mother Elizabeth McGuiness of Worcester, brother Michael McGuiness of Plano, TX; sister Meggan Ross and her husband Chris of Newburyport; and brother John (Mal) McGuiness and his partner Robert P. Klipper of Worcester and Manchester, NJ; as well as her many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

Donations may be made to:

Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beach, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and improvement of the Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach reservations https://lynn-nahantbeach.org/

North Shore Cancer Walk, proceeds going to services at Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center including: genetic counseling, clinical trials, palliative care, support groups, nutrition and wellness services

https://nsmcgiving.partners.org/walk/

The family will gather to accept condolences on Sunday, November 20th.

For more details: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/bridgetmcguiness/journal