Obituary of Mary McGinn

Mary McGinn, an athlete, coach and family person passed away after a long struggle with heart disease on Wednesday morning, December 3, 2014 at the Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She was 75 years old. Mary was a lifelong resident and a very proud Burlington native. She was born in the family homestead in Burlington which was located near the Burlington Common. She was a 1957 graduate of Burlington High School where she left her mark as an athlete and later as a coach. As an athlete she was a 4 year Varsity Athlete in Basketball. She also was an incredible softball player, which was not a sport offered during her high school years. So she played for a club team. She was so good, that she even played several High School Varsity Baseball games with the boys. After high School she played for an Elite softball team called Raybestos Brakettes, which traveled all over the United States and the World. She played in India, Japan, Germany, Holland, Canada, Australia and even the Pan Am Games where her team won the Gold Medal. She played second base and catcher and was a force to be reckoned with. When her playing career ended, Mary wanted to share her passion for sports with her daughters and the female athletes of Burlington. She was an active member of the Burlington Softball Association and was a long time coach at Burlington High School. She coached field hockey for 13 years, soccer 5 years, basketball 9 years, and softball for over 25 years. She shared her love of sports, cared deeply for her players, and set high standards and expectations. In 2004, she was the assistant coach for the women’s semi pro softball team, the New England Riptide, which was coached by Mary’s former coach and Olympic Softball coach, Ralph Raymond. Mary was inducted into the Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the New England Woman in Sports Hall of fame. Mary's life also revolved around her family. She was the loving wife to her husband Paul for 49 years. She was a mother, fan, and coach to her 3 daughters. Mary enjoyed her weekly bingo games with her daughter Teresa. She also enjoyed an occasional trip to Foxwoods. Mary had a very close relationship with her aunts, siblings, niece, nephews and cousins and they were always spending time together whether it was sharing a meal or a family holiday. She enjoyed traveling and had many adventures. Her husband, daughters and her grandchildren were the joy of her life. When you saw Mary she was never alone as she was always with one of her daughters and her grandchildren. They did everything together as a family whether it was a trip to truck day on the Burlington Town Common, an outing at the beach, apple picking or a special event for her grandchildren such as First Holy Communion. Mary was the beloved wife of Paul McGinn. She was the loving mother of Mary Ellen Kilfoyle & her husband Kenneth, Allyson Bullock & her husband Randy, and Teresa McGinn all of Burlington. Sister of John Bennett & his wife Cheryl of FL, Walter Bennett & his wife Dottie of Burlington, Alice Rodrigues of Burlington & her late husband Roger, Joshua Bennett & his late wife Lucy and the late William Neilsen. Proud grandmother of Kenny, Paul, & Matthew Kilfoyle, and Joshua, Lindsay, & Bennett Bullock. Niece of Eleanor Lloyd and June Ryan both of Burlington, the late Irene Curtis, Alice Duncan, and Frances Hayward. Special cousin to the late Joan Lloyd. Also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Tuesday, December 9 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Monday from 4-8 p.m. Memorials in Mary’s name may be made to the Burlington Community Scholarship Foundation, 23 Center St., Burlington, MA 01803.