Mary Kay Poe, who worked as an administrative assistant at Shawsheen Elementary School for 25 years before retiring in 2022, died in her home Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. She was 57.
Poe, who lived most of her life in Andover, is survived by Carey Poe, her husband of 35 years, her daughter Jessica Poe and her husband Jonathan Howie of Lawrence, her daughter Nicole Poe of Andover, her father James Donahue of Nokomis, FL, her brother Brian Donahue and his wife Debbie of Lawrence and her grandson Gabriel Francis Howie of Lawrence. She was predeceased by her mother, Judy Donahue.
“She was immensely grateful to have met her first grandchild, born in January of 2023, and be his Mimi,” Poe’s obituary said.
Chairman Alex Vispoli called for a moment of silence at the start of Monday’s Andover Select Board meeting to honor Poe, calling her a “dedicated” and beloved Andover Public Schools’ employee.
“She was a beloved figure in the Andover Public School system where she made a lasting impact on both faculty and staff as well as parents and students,” the obituary said “Mary Kay’s greatest joy in life was her family, which included her husband, her two “girls,” and the family dog, Otis. She loved spending time with them whenever possible, whether that meant watching football on Sundays or visiting the North End for a family dinner.”
Poe was born in Paterson, NJ and raised in North Reading, MA. She graduated from Endicott College in Beverly. Poe loved to cook and treasured family recipes passed down through generations. She was a Bruce Springsteen fan, and loved her annual vacation to Cape Cod. “Mary Kay’s greatest joy in life was her family, which included her husband, her two ‘girls,’ and the family dog, Otis,” the obituary said. “She loved spending time with them whenever possible, whether that meant watching football on Sundays or visiting the North End for a family dinner.”
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Mary Kay Poe, directed to the Exercise & Diet in Breast Cancer Patients Fund in support of Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, at: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or online at dana-farber.org/gift.
Visiting are scheduled for Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. at Cataudella Funeral Home, 126 Pleasant Valley Street, Methuen, Massachusetts. A Celebration of Life Service will be held directly following visiting hours at 6:00pm in the funeral home chapel.
Andover News publishes obituaries as well as engagement, wedding and birth announcements free of charge for Andover residents (more info).