Marie Esther Jennings

Marie E. Jennings, a resident of Dracut, MA, died on February 11, 2026. Born in Natick, MA, on November 21, 1944, to the late John B. and Mary J. (Collins) Jennings. She was also sister to the late John B. Jennings Jr.

Marie was a graduate of Marian High School, Mount Saint Mary College and a summa cum laude graduate of Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Her interest in Social work was sparked by early life experiences with family and friends who were foster parents as well as her own teen-age volunteer work, her later employment at Camp arrowhead for handicapped children in Natick, MA and the many hours spent visiting the patients at Cushing Hospital in Framingham, MA.

Marie’s distinguished career included her employment at the NH Catholic Charites where one of her many duties included serving as the agency liaison to the MA adoption Resource Exchange to enhance the adoption of children with special needs and as the coordinator of Vietnamese Refugee Resettlement for the Diocese of Manchester following the fall of Saigon in 1975; Marie continued her exceptional achievements at the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH where she was the director of Social Services for ten (10) years and also served as the hospital liaison to NH Senator Gordon Humphrey’s office to arrange medical care for Afghan Freedom Fighters during the 1980’s. She was later employed by St. Joseph Hospital/Saints Memorial Medical Center’s Merrimack Valley Dialysis Center and became the coordinator of Bereavement Services for the Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice of greater Lowell, where she received the Thomas A. Kelakos award in 2009 for her dedicated service and in this capacity, she also provided bereavement support services to those who had lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and felt privileged to walk that journey with all she served over the years. She retired in 2011.

Marie was a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), a member of the National Association of Social Workers, The Academy of Certified Social Workers, The National Jesuit Honor Society Alpha Sigma Nu, and the Dracut Lions Club. She was honored as a recipient of the Lions Clubs International Presidents Award and received a Melvin Jones Fellowship award for her work in Lionism. She was also a former member of the sisters of mercy, Windham, NH and later had volunteered her time, for many years, with the religious education program at ST. Therese Church in Dracut. Marie enjoyed spending time with her adopted family and many dear friends, and deeply loved the pets who blessed her life. She was also a longtime Boston College Football and New England Patriots Fan and was proud to have continued holding seasons tickets to both, the latter of which her brother held since the Boston Patriots were formed in 1960.

She is survived by her close friend of over 46 years, Marilyn Bordeleau and Marilyn’s son, Paul J. Bordeleau of Dracut, MA.

“Those we love are never lost. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us forever” (Helen Keller). Marie now rejoins her family and other loved ones who have gone before her. May they rest in peace and be reunited in the Joy of Gods eternal Love