Jacqueline Rose Mahar

The sweet soul of Jacqueline Rose (Hebert) Mahar, age 88 of Fairfield, CT departed from this earth with her loving family by her side to rendezvous with the Holy Spirit and beloved ancestors on June 15, 2022.

Born at home in Indian Orchard, Springfield, MA on October 7, 1933 she was the second of two children of Joseph Donat Hebert, born in St. Damase, Quebec, Canada and Marie Rose Clarinda Flebotte, born in St. Pie de Bagot, Quebec, Canada.

As a child Jackie spent winters ice-skating on the Chicopee River and summers roller-skating in her father’s huge garage. Sometimes she skated a mile to the public library, where at age 10, having read all the books in the children’s room, she was denied access to the rest of the library since it was considered too “risqué” for her age.

In 1947, Jackie graduated from St. Aloysius in Indian Orchard, a French speaking elementary school and in 1951 from Cathedral High School in Springfield where she was 8th in her class of 360 students. As an original member of the marching band at age 14, she played melophone horn and met her future husband John who played baritone horn. For ten years Jackie studied piano starting in elementary school, then with Mr. Henry Pellerin, and finally with her cousin, Ms. Yvonne Bouchard of Ludlow, MA.

Jackie attended Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, MA on a full scholarship and graduated in 1955 with a BS degree in Medical Technology and minors in biology and chemistry, interning at Mercy Hospital in Springfield. She was a registered Medical Technologist of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists and worked briefly at Springfield Municipal Hospital.

Jackie married John Henry Mahar on September 1, 1956 at St. Aloysius Church in Indian Orchard, MA. In 1957 they moved to Woodbury, NJ where she worked at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden as Head of Hematology while also earning a certificate in K -12 education from Glassboro NJ State College. She taught sixth grade at Evergreen School in Woodbury and third grade at Oakview School in West Deptford Township.

In 1964, Jackie and John moved to Scotch Plains, NJ where, while raising a family, Jackie worked from home for three years for the library at Exxon in Linden as a translator of French scientific patents. Later she worked in the cardiologist offices of Dr. Edmon B. Lee in Cranford, and Dr. Howard A. Semer in Scotch Plains. Jackie was also a faithful member of the Madison Hill Sweet Adelines in Rahway, NJ.

In 1980, the family moved to Valley Forge, PA and then in 1982 to Fairfield, CT where she worked until 1995 in the offices of Drs. Williams, Higgins and Bernasek. Jackie also worked a year as a supervisor of Computer Data Entry for Census 2000 in Bridgeport, CT.

Jackie sang in church choirs everywhere the family lived and was a long time member of the choir at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield. She was an original member of both the Glee Club and Freamh Eireann Genealogy Group of the Gaelic American Club in Fairfield. She was particularly proud of her heritage:  97% French Canadian and 3% Native American of uncertain nation, likely Abenaki, a sub-tribe of Algonquin.

Jackie loved her devoted family, numerous humorous and engaging friends along the way, traveling, decorating, singing, genealogy, and most everything except cooking. She proudly admitted to being a thrift store junkie.

Jackie is survived by her husband John Henry Mahar and their four children: Timothy Mahar of Bristol, New Hampshire, Rosemary Kirbach and her husband Lee of Lafayette, California, James Mahar and his wife Carol of Stratford, and Maureen Scott and her husband Mark of Schwensksville, Pennsylvania. Jackie was a beloved grandmother to Melanie (Gregory), Jason, Brendan, Patrick, Colin, Priscilla, Michael, Francis, Keegan, Kaitlyn, and Connor, and great-grandmother to Owen and Claire. Jackie was preceded in death by her sister and only sibling Doris Claire Levine.

Relatives and friends may greet the family, Tuesday, June 21, from 4-7 pm at Spear-Miller Funeral Home, 39 South Benson Road, Fairfield. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, June 22 at 10:00 am at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1719 Post Road, Fairfield. Interment will follow at Oak Lawn Cemetery, 1530 Bronson Road, Fairfield. In Lieu of flowers a donation to St. Joseph’s Indian School, (https://www.stjo.org) Red Cloud Indian School, (https://www.redcloudschool.org) or the charity of your choice can be made in the memory of Jacqueline H. Mahar.

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