Jean Mary MacKenzie

Jean M. MacKenzie, 92, of Watertown, longtime resident of Sudbury, MA, was called home to God January 24 after developing Covid. Jean was born in Arlington, MA on December 31, 1929, daughter of John and Ernestine (Brown) Smith. She had two older sisters, Norma and Phyllis. Jean studied Social Work at Emmanuel College and met her beloved husband George, of Newport, RI, when both did relief work to help victims of the 1953 North European flood. Jean and George married April 16, 1955 at St. Agnes Church in Arlington.

During their honeymoon road trip across country and back they sought to observe and understand the experience of displaced Native Americans and the realities of Southern racial divides. Jean and George shared a deep conviction that every human being is a child of God worthy of unconditional love, understanding, dignity and respect. During college Jean and her sister Phyllis vacationed together in the South where an incident on a public bus seared Jean’s heart forever. A black soldier in full uniform boarded the bus and was directed by the driver to sit at the back of the bus. Jean was so furious she told her sister they should both move toward the back of the bus - and they did.

Strength of character, determination and deep faith in God served Jean well when God suddenly called her husband home in 1972. Jean raised four children, the eldest with multiple disabilities from human errors at birth: George 16, Beth 14, Kenneth 12 and Edmund 10.

Jean returned to school and obtained her MA in Special Education as well as her Real Estate license. She went on to serve as assistant Town Clerk in Sudbury and was later elected Town Clerk continuously until her retirement in 1994. Her professional accomplishments paled in comparison to her commitment, dedication, sacrifice and unconditional love for her children and grand children.

Jean was predeceased by her son Edmund in 2004 and her son George in 2009. She is survived by her son Kenneth, daughter Beth, daughter in law Sara (Whitehead) and four grand children, Rachel, Heather, Cameron MacKenzie and Kristina Wright.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm at Duckett Funeral Home of J.S. Waterman & Sons, 656 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 10:00am at Our Lady of Fatima, 160 Concord Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776, with burial to follow at Sudbury New North Cemetery, Pantry Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to one of the following non-profits;

1) Rosemoor Foundation; P.O. Box 1541, Murray Hill Station, New York, NY 10156-1541

2) Massachusetts General Hospital Dementia Caregiver Collaborative/Support Program MGH Development Office; 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114-1101

3) NORD Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORDS); 485 Half Day Road, Suite 350, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

On line condolences may be submitted at; Duckett-Waterman.com