OBITUARY: Jeanne F. (Mahoney) Durham-Foley, 70, of Woburn

WOBURN, MA — Jeanne (Mahoney) Durham-Foley passed away peacefully at her home Sunday morning, December 11th amongst her beloved son Ronald, daughter-in-law Erin and close friend Lucky. A long time resident of Woburn, Jeanne was seventy years old.

Born in Winchester, Jeanne was the oldest of three children born to the late former city tax collector John B. and Louise (McGrath) Mahoney. Having grown up in the central square section of the city with her brothers Jack and Jim, Jeanne attended Wyman Elementary School and graduated from Woburn Senior High School with the class of 1964.

A very bright and inquisitive young woman, Jeanne headed off to Colby Sawyer College where she graduated with an ABA in History and Music in 1966.

Upon completing a certification course at Katherine Gibbs School in 1967, Jeanne began working as a secretary in law and finance. Being young and adventurous, she began her career in New York City. She went on to work in Boston, before settling in San Diego for several years. She recalled her time in San Diego as one of self-discovery and personal growth. There she enjoyed the mild weather, beautiful coastline, and laid back atmosphere. She missed, however, the changing of the seasons and being able to see her family regularly.
In 1981, while in San Diego, she brought into the world her only child, Ronald. He was her life’s mission. Jeanne worked arduously throughout her life to support him and grant him every opportunity possible. Jeanne and Ron shared a special bond that only grew stronger over time. They shared an enthusiasm for sports and enjoyed watching games together.

Jeanne returned to Woburn and the family homestead in 1982. Raising Ron as a single mother, she had tremendous support from her parents. Living in Woburn also enabled Jeanne to care for her parents when their health began to decline.

She worked briefly at Epsilon Data in Burlington and later secured a position at the Concord District Court where she was eventually promoted to the role of Head Administrative Assistant. She remained at the Court for 30 years until her retirement in December 2015. She was held in high esteem by her co-workers for her kind demeanor, institutional knowledge of the court system and strong work ethic.

One of Jeanne’s passions was travel. Throughout her life, she enjoyed exploring such places as Italy, Belize, the Greek Islands, Istanbul, France and Panama. On many of her excursions she was accompanied by her husband Charles and close friends. Jeanne was a long-time contributor to organizations working for social justice and the well-being of animals. In 2008, Jeanne travelled to Colombia with her daughter-in-law Erin as part of the Witness for Peace delegation to defend workers’ rights and the land rights of indigenous people. In 2015 Jeanne, Ron and Erin travelled to San Diego to visit some of Jeanne’s favorite places from her time there in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Jeanne will long be remembered for her beautiful smile, energetic spirit, selflessness and generosity to family, friends and strangers.

Jeanne is survived by her son, Ronald E. "Ron" Durham and his wife Erin Cox of Woburn; her brothers John "Jack" Mahoney and his wife Jackie of Wakefield and James Mahoney and his wife Paula of NH; her husband, Charles Foley; her nephews and niece, Jon, Garrett, Matthew and Lauren and her many friends. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Charles Church, 280 Main Street, Woburn on Saturday, December 17th at 10 a.m.. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to calling hours at the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn, Friday evening 4-7 p.m. At the family's request in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the MSPCA, 350 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130 or at MSPCA.org.

Obituary courtesy of the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home.