Elizabeth Meagher

McDermott Meagher of Jamestown, Rhode Island, formerly of Worcester, Massachusetts died at Newport Hospital on Friday, November 10. She was 94 years of age.

Mrs. Meagher was born and raised in Worcester, the fourth of five children and youngest daughter of James A. McDermott and Katherine Lavin McDermott. She attended Worcester’s Normal School, an experimental grammar school run by Worcester State Teacher’s College. She also attended Classical High School, where for her last three years, she was a class officer and played varsity field hockey and basketball, winning All City Honors and statewide accolades for her efforts.

Elizabeth went to Rosemont College, but the constraints imposed by the Great Depression prevented her from completing her studies. She went to work at Filenes in Worcester and Hyannis and, in the late 1930’s, with her sisters Louise and Katherine, opened a women’s clothing store in Worcester, McDermott and Co. In 1936, she married Jack Meagher, then a young attorney in Worcester. Together, they raised a family of six children. She was a devoted mother and a constant presence in her children’s lives. In her late fifties, with her youngest child in high school and her days as Den Mother and Girl Scout Leader over, she was able to focus on art and making things. She began by sewing, making quilts and other fabric pieces in which traditional patterns were transformed by her bold juxtapositions of color. Over the years she worked in different ways and various media, including hand painted postcards, mobiles and three dimensional puzzles. The walls of her apartment, her kitchen table, glass jars and coffee cans were all transformed by her painterly hand into objects that are both useful and beautiful. Her work was exhibited and sold at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. She had a one person show at the Worcester Craft Center and just last year exhibited recent work at the Jamestown Philomenian Library

An avid reader, her tastes ranged from Henry James and Balzac to John Le Carre and Martha Grimes. She remained athletic and physically fit throughout her life, playing tennis, golf, figure skating and swimming. She was a fan of the Red Sox and Celtics. Into her nineties, she remained attuned to current affairs and throughout her life was a member of civic organizations including the St Agnes Guild of St Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, the Worcester Art Museum, the Worcester Historical Society, and the Conanicut Island Art Association. For several years, she volunteered for the School Volunteers of Worcester, helping children learn to read. She donated a commemorative quilt depicting the history of Worcester to the Worcester Craft Center, which was used as a fund raiser. She donated quilts and pot holders to the Provincetown Aids Support Group, Helping Our Women of Provincetown and the Jamestown Community Band.

Elizabeth was predeceased by her husband John H Meagher, Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, and her sisters, Louise McDermott Saulsbury and Katherine McDermott and brothers J. Andrew and Charles H. McDermott. She is survived by her children John H of Rumford, RI, Dermot of Boston, Massachusetts, Andrew of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Padric of Warwick, Rhode Island, Timothy of Washington, DC and Mary of Jamestown and four grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Monday, November 13 from Callahan & Fay Brothers Funeral Home, 61 Myrtle St., Worcester, MA with a Mass at 11:00 AM in St. Paul’s Cathedral, 15 Chatham St., Worcester. Burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery, Worcester. Visiting hours are Sunday, November 12 from 2–6 PM in the funeral home. There will be a memorial service and exhibit in Jamestown to be arranged at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of the donors choice. For directions and online condolence book please visit www.callahanfay.com