Jean Maguire

Jean Maguire (Treacy) passed in the morning of December 1, 2025, but eighty-six years of guidance and laughter will live on in perpetuity amongst everyone that had the good fortune to pass through her life.

Born on November 13, 1939, in Middletown, Connecticut, to the late Richard and Jane (Morrissey) Treacy during the Depression, she was raised in Hamden, Connecticut, with her younger brother, Richard Francis Treacy. She also had roots in Rhode Island, where she spent many of her fondest childhood moments with her cousins, aunts, and uncles. As a child, Jean would sit by her father, a pharmacist, as he typed up receipts for his sales on a typewriter that still sits in her living room today, while her mother collected college degrees in mathematics and education. From a young age she developed a strong sense of fairness and a hatred of injustice. She spoke out boldly for those who were rarely listened to and fought tirelessly for those often shut out of important conversations.

Jean married Brendan Maguire on September 24, 1966, for many reasons but above all because he made her laugh. They would go on to have three children, Treacy, Patrick, and Rick. They would be raised in the house Brendan built for her in Wakefield, Rhode Island, which was covered in her original pen-and-ink drawings, watercolors, and dog or cat fur. Jean is survived by her daughter Treacy Lewander (Bill) and their children David and Mollie; her son Patrick (Ann) and his three sons Owen, Emmett, and Finn; her son Rick (Bronwyn) and his children Cein and Eamon; and the favorite, Ted McCaughey (Wendy), and their children Lily Meleney (Casey) and Aiden, as well as Lily and Casey's son, Cal. She is also survived by her brother, Richard Francis Treacy (Martine).

Jean attended RISD and was a graduate of the University of Connecticut. During her college years, she rode buses to Washington, D.C. to protest with fellow activists, fueled by bologna sandwiches and a strong sense of justice. She began her professional career as a librarian and a social worker in Providence, Rhode Island. While raising her children, she obtained a degree in education from the University of Rhode Island and began teaching in 1976. In 1988, she joined the faculty of South Kingstown High School, where she found an opportunity to champion students who struggled to recognize their potential. Jean had the ability to see people who felt invisible. She made it known that her home and her classroom were welcoming places where you could find guidance and support. In these spaces, people found a caring person who offered home cooking, conversation, and understanding.

Jean treasured people, in particular their company and conversation. She maintained strong friendships throughout her life with many circles of friends who knew that a quick visit could easily turn into hours on her living room couch or at the kitchen table. Whether in person or over the phone, she delighted in long talks, spirited debates, and storytelling that made people feel interesting, important, and heard.

She retired from a long career teaching Social Studies, having developed a curriculum that reflected the people who built America: Native Americans, enslaved people, labor unions, women, and immigrants. Although Jean retired from the classroom, she continued being a teacher, providing mentorship, homework help to her grandchildren, and a listening ear to anyone who needed it. Jean reveled in hearing about the successes of her former students. The town benefited from Jean's investment in and mentorship of the many young people who passed through her classroom. She recognized the inherent potential of all people and was always there to support them in good times and bad.

Jean was tremendously proud of her Irish heritage. She was a founding member of the Irish Northern Aid Committee of Rhode Island, which raised money and support in opposition to the British occupation of the North of Ireland. She shared her love of her ancestral homeland with anyone who would listen. Some of her happiest days were spent visiting family in Ireland and exploring its history, music, and landscapes. She curated itineraries of bookstores, ruins, memorials, and music-filled pubs for those she loved. Many stories and laughs from those trips are still being shared today.

Above all things, family was paramount to Jean Maguire. Whether it be holidays or a simple Sunday dinner, Jean never missed an opportunity to sit at the table with a pat of Kerrygold and spend time with her family. She spent countless hours on the sidelines, running "grandma camp", celebrating graduations, canoeing down Narrow River, helping with schoolwork, and camping with her children and grandchildren. One of the richest parts of Jean's life was her role as a grandmother and great grandmother. Whether you called her Papa, Gramma, or Mamma, you received the same amount of love and support for your unique interests.

So sing a verse of "Joe Hill" with the passion of a thousand workers, have the fish and chips, a Diet Coke, adopt a dog, and support those who feel unseen.

Visitation for Jean will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 12 to 3 PM in the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield. A celebration will follow immediately afterward right down the street at The Joyce Restaurant & Pub on the corner of Main and Columbia.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jean's memory to The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland (https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.ie/support-us/donate). The family also plans to establish a scholarship in her name at South Kingstown High School, with details to be shared at a later time.