On June 22nd, Mary Ellen (Bagwell) Weidman passed away after courageously facing Pancreatic cancer since June 2018. She is survived by her loving and patient husband of 60 years, Bob, who was her best friend. She is survived by her children, Jean Bradley of Bellingham, Kevin and his wife Diane of Eastham, Robert and his wife Susan of Franklin, Timothy and his wife Lee of Uxbridge, Patrick and his wife Amy of Franklin, and Kaitlin, also of Franklin. She was extremely proud of her Grandchildren - Samantha, Stephanie, Alexandra, Emily, Shawna, Jennifer, Zachary, Sullivan and Elizabeth, as well as her great grandchild, Liliana, and Mookie, her granddog. She will be joining her brothers Richard (Dick) and Frances (Pat) Bagwell, along with her parents and many friends, in the great casino in the sky.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts on December 8, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Henry J. and Mary T. (Moriarty) Bagwell. She was a 1956 graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Brookline and then moved to Norfolk with her family. In April of 1958, she met her future husband during a chance encounter with mutual friends. Bob proposed after 6 months, and that was the beginning of 60 years together.
When Mary Ellen first met her husband, she was working for the telephone company. She also worked for the nursing home on Chestnut St. She worked for the Massachusetts Dept of Corrections in Norfolk, Framingham and Milford, and upon retirement, volunteered for different organizations, but she will be best remembered for her role as “Book Cart Lady” at Milford Hospital. She was also a member of TOPS, the Trailblazers, the LIVESTRONG program at the Y and the Garden Club. She also volunteered for meals on wheels and was part of the Book Buddy program for 5th graders at Parmenter Elementary. She couldn’t stay still for long, so shortly after she retired, she found a new career - event staff at Gillette Stadium. She worked her way up from ticket taker, to usher and then to bag searcher at the W4 club entrance. She was a fan favorite and often the recipient of drunk hugs after a Pats win, which was often.
She had many hobbies and was active in all of her kids extracurricular. She taught CCD, was a Girl Scout leader and a Den Mother. She loved family camping trips from Maine to Cape Cod. Since her diagnosis in 2018, she made the most of her time, spending her 80th birthday in Turks and Caicos, going to Daytona Beach, and going to Foxwoods around her treatment schedule. Her family and friends meant the world to her, and spending what precious time she had left with them was what made her happiest.
Mary Ellen will be remembered for her ability to turn strangers into friends within minutes. She lit up any room she entered with her infectious smile and laugh. Her Boston accent was unrivaled and she was proud of her Irish ancestry. Friends and family are encouraged to wear green to celebrate Mary Ellen’s life in her favorite color
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend her funeral from the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin, 131 Main Street (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com) Thursday, June 27 at 915 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary’s Church in Franklin at 10 a.m. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery at a later date.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday from 4 – 8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in MaryEllen’s memory to (www pancan.org) or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Ave Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.