Obituary for Maureen Boulanger
Maureen Francis Reardon Boulanger passed away, surrounded by family while in hospice care, on April 1, 2022 after a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She was 77.
Maureen was born in Northampton, MA on July 4, 1944 to William Reardon and Katherine Cronin Reardon. She delighted in sharing a birthday with her native country, and Independence Day became – and will forever be – an even more special day for her family because of it.
Maureen’s entire academic career was spent in Catholic schools, starting in Kindergarten at St. Michael’s School in Northampton. She studied at St. Michael’s through her graduation from high school in 1962. In high school, Maureen was active in class activities and enjoyed writing and English classes. It was at a mixer during high school that she met Ray Boulanger, who lived in the next town over and would become her husband.
The Reardon family home on Stoddard Street in Northampton was one focused on family and faith. Her father worked at Uniroyal Tire Company and was famous for his “tall tales” that thrilled his children (and eventually grandchildren) while her mother filled the home with good humor while constantly doing the Rosary. Maureen took her role as the oldest to heart and was a trusted friend and confident to her brother and sister.
After high school, Maureen attended Trinity College in Burlington, VT for two years before transferring to College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, MA. In college she trained to be a teacher and after graduation in 1966 taught middle school in Northampton. She and Ray married on May 6, 1967 at St. Mary’s in Northampton with a reception at the Whale Inn in nearby Goshen.
Later that year, she and Ray moved to New Haven, CT, where she taught while Ray attended Yale Law School. They moved to Alexandria, VA, where Ray worked as a Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon while Mauren was pregnant with their son, Cort Cronin Boulanger, who was born in 1971. In 1972, the growing family moved to Arlington, MA where daughter Brittanny Liam Boulanger was born a year later.
In 1975, the family moved to Glen Road in Winchester, which remained home for more than 40 years. Maureen was a devoted mother who guided her kids through all aspects of childhood, big and small. She led Boy Scout dens and Brownie troops, taught CCD, and was a driving force behind her kids’ Ed Fair projects at Ambrose School.
As her kids grew older, Maureen returned to education, accepting a job teaching 4th grade at St. Mary’s School in Winchester. As a parishioner at St. Mary’s, the new job joined her two loves of teaching and her Catholic faith. During her time at St. Mary’s, Maureen was known as a patient, kind, and fun teacher and colleague. Though she retired from St. Mary’s decades ago, former students are still stepping forward with praise for their time in Maureen’s class.
A “soccer mom” before the term existed, Maureen was a rare female youth soccer coach in the 1970s and 80s. Maureen help start and shape the careers of dozens of young women, many of whom, including her daughter, would go on to win multiple state titles for Winchester High and compose the #1 ranked high school team in the nation in 1990.
She could create anything in the attic with her trusty Singer sewing machine. In fact, her hobby as a clothier started early on, showing flashes of the avant-garde in college by famously fashioning a potato sack into a dress in a winking tribute to her cherished Irish heritage. Before Halloween preparation meant ordering from Amazon, Maureen would create fantastical costumes for her kids, including a Hobbit outfit for her son, complete with oversized, hairy feet.
A graceful ballet dancer, Maureen continued that hobby into adulthood, taking classes, often with teen ballerinas, at the Harriet Hoctor School of Ballet in Winchester and at the Boston Ballet. Mauren enjoyed spending time outdoors, hiking, cross-country skiing, and walking her dogs. While she hated to fly, Maureen traveled across the globe, with trips to New Zealand, France, Italy, Scandinavia, Canada and more. But her favorite excursions were the ones to Ireland, including a trip with her parents and children in the 1980s, during which they visited the ancestral homes of her grandparents and spent time with her Gaelic relatives. Thirty years later, she returned to the Emerald Isle with her five grandchildren, sparking a love affair with Ireland for a new generation.
In the early 1990s, Maureen and Ray bought a vacation home by the beach in Scarborough, ME. This vacation home at the Atlantic House became a sanctuary for Maureen, a place where she could host family and friends, walk the beach collecting sea glass, and swim in the pool with her grandchildren.
Above all her interests, Maureen’s priority was always family. She committed her life to four generations - Reardons, Boulangers, and O’Briens - from caring for her parents through illness and their end of life up to doting over her five grandchildren. She was, and continues to be, a ballast for her children through the ups and downs of life, imbuing in them the importance of staying humble and positive – and finding the humor – in every situation. “Momo,” as her grandchildren called her, was a constant calm and loving presence for her grandchildren and served as an eager caregiver for them whenever she could.
Maureen developed deep bonds with her sister, Joan, and her brother, Bill, that have endured more than 70 years – and extended her unconditional love to their spouses, children, and grandchildren.
Maureen leaves behind Raymond, her husband of 54 years, and two children, Cort Boulanger of Middlebury, VT and Dr. Brittanny Boulanger, who lives in Winchester with her husband, Dr. Todd O’Brien. She will be deeply missed by her grandchildren, Liam O’Brien, Niamh O’Brien, Callan Boulanger, and Mac Boulanger. Maureen is now joined in eternal life with her granddaughter, Tilly Boulanger, who passed away in a tragic accident in 2019. Maureen is survived by her sister Joan Britt and brother-in-law Dr. James Britt, and brother Bill O’Riordan and sister-in-law Jane O’Riordan, and seven nieces and nephews: Seamus Britt, Talbot Britt, Brigid O’Riordan, Tim O’Riordan, and Siobhan O’Riordan.
On April 8 at 11:00 a.m., Maureen’s life will be celebrated with a Mass at St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester, before her internment at Wildwood Cemetery in Winchester. A reception at the Winchester Country Club will follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Tilly Boulanger Foundation, which celebrates the life of Maureen’s beloved granddaughter – and their shared love of books and the outdoors. tillyboulangerfoundation.org
Maureen was born in Northampton, MA on July 4, 1944 to William Reardon and Katherine Cronin Reardon. She delighted in sharing a birthday with her native country, and Independence Day became – and will forever be – an even more special day for her family because of it.
Maureen’s entire academic career was spent in Catholic schools, starting in Kindergarten at St. Michael’s School in Northampton. She studied at St. Michael’s through her graduation from high school in 1962. In high school, Maureen was active in class activities and enjoyed writing and English classes. It was at a mixer during high school that she met Ray Boulanger, who lived in the next town over and would become her husband.
The Reardon family home on Stoddard Street in Northampton was one focused on family and faith. Her father worked at Uniroyal Tire Company and was famous for his “tall tales” that thrilled his children (and eventually grandchildren) while her mother filled the home with good humor while constantly doing the Rosary. Maureen took her role as the oldest to heart and was a trusted friend and confident to her brother and sister.
After high school, Maureen attended Trinity College in Burlington, VT for two years before transferring to College of Our Lady of the Elms in Chicopee, MA. In college she trained to be a teacher and after graduation in 1966 taught middle school in Northampton. She and Ray married on May 6, 1967 at St. Mary’s in Northampton with a reception at the Whale Inn in nearby Goshen.
Later that year, she and Ray moved to New Haven, CT, where she taught while Ray attended Yale Law School. They moved to Alexandria, VA, where Ray worked as a Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon while Mauren was pregnant with their son, Cort Cronin Boulanger, who was born in 1971. In 1972, the growing family moved to Arlington, MA where daughter Brittanny Liam Boulanger was born a year later.
In 1975, the family moved to Glen Road in Winchester, which remained home for more than 40 years. Maureen was a devoted mother who guided her kids through all aspects of childhood, big and small. She led Boy Scout dens and Brownie troops, taught CCD, and was a driving force behind her kids’ Ed Fair projects at Ambrose School.
As her kids grew older, Maureen returned to education, accepting a job teaching 4th grade at St. Mary’s School in Winchester. As a parishioner at St. Mary’s, the new job joined her two loves of teaching and her Catholic faith. During her time at St. Mary’s, Maureen was known as a patient, kind, and fun teacher and colleague. Though she retired from St. Mary’s decades ago, former students are still stepping forward with praise for their time in Maureen’s class.
A “soccer mom” before the term existed, Maureen was a rare female youth soccer coach in the 1970s and 80s. Maureen help start and shape the careers of dozens of young women, many of whom, including her daughter, would go on to win multiple state titles for Winchester High and compose the #1 ranked high school team in the nation in 1990.
She could create anything in the attic with her trusty Singer sewing machine. In fact, her hobby as a clothier started early on, showing flashes of the avant-garde in college by famously fashioning a potato sack into a dress in a winking tribute to her cherished Irish heritage. Before Halloween preparation meant ordering from Amazon, Maureen would create fantastical costumes for her kids, including a Hobbit outfit for her son, complete with oversized, hairy feet.
A graceful ballet dancer, Maureen continued that hobby into adulthood, taking classes, often with teen ballerinas, at the Harriet Hoctor School of Ballet in Winchester and at the Boston Ballet. Mauren enjoyed spending time outdoors, hiking, cross-country skiing, and walking her dogs. While she hated to fly, Maureen traveled across the globe, with trips to New Zealand, France, Italy, Scandinavia, Canada and more. But her favorite excursions were the ones to Ireland, including a trip with her parents and children in the 1980s, during which they visited the ancestral homes of her grandparents and spent time with her Gaelic relatives. Thirty years later, she returned to the Emerald Isle with her five grandchildren, sparking a love affair with Ireland for a new generation.
In the early 1990s, Maureen and Ray bought a vacation home by the beach in Scarborough, ME. This vacation home at the Atlantic House became a sanctuary for Maureen, a place where she could host family and friends, walk the beach collecting sea glass, and swim in the pool with her grandchildren.
Above all her interests, Maureen’s priority was always family. She committed her life to four generations - Reardons, Boulangers, and O’Briens - from caring for her parents through illness and their end of life up to doting over her five grandchildren. She was, and continues to be, a ballast for her children through the ups and downs of life, imbuing in them the importance of staying humble and positive – and finding the humor – in every situation. “Momo,” as her grandchildren called her, was a constant calm and loving presence for her grandchildren and served as an eager caregiver for them whenever she could.
Maureen developed deep bonds with her sister, Joan, and her brother, Bill, that have endured more than 70 years – and extended her unconditional love to their spouses, children, and grandchildren.
Maureen leaves behind Raymond, her husband of 54 years, and two children, Cort Boulanger of Middlebury, VT and Dr. Brittanny Boulanger, who lives in Winchester with her husband, Dr. Todd O’Brien. She will be deeply missed by her grandchildren, Liam O’Brien, Niamh O’Brien, Callan Boulanger, and Mac Boulanger. Maureen is now joined in eternal life with her granddaughter, Tilly Boulanger, who passed away in a tragic accident in 2019. Maureen is survived by her sister Joan Britt and brother-in-law Dr. James Britt, and brother Bill O’Riordan and sister-in-law Jane O’Riordan, and seven nieces and nephews: Seamus Britt, Talbot Britt, Brigid O’Riordan, Tim O’Riordan, and Siobhan O’Riordan.
On April 8 at 11:00 a.m., Maureen’s life will be celebrated with a Mass at St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester, before her internment at Wildwood Cemetery in Winchester. A reception at the Winchester Country Club will follow.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Tilly Boulanger Foundation, which celebrates the life of Maureen’s beloved granddaughter – and their shared love of books and the outdoors. tillyboulangerfoundation.org