Marguerite Courtney

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 Marguerite Catherine Bruso Courtney of Westerly, R.I., and Palm Beach, Fla., died peacefully June 24, 2024, in Palm Beach. She confronted the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease with courage, humor and grace, recently celebrating her 83rd birthday. Many members of her loving family were with her at the time of her passing. Marguerite, Marga to family and friends, was born June 15, 1941, in Worcester, Mass. She was the daughter of Helen Walsh Bruso and George Bruso. 

Marguerite attended Catholic schools as a girl and South High School in Worcester. She was married for nearly 67 years to her high school sweetheart and best friend James R. Courtney. Inspired by the Women’s movement and author Betty Friedan, Marguerite completed her college degree and graduated from the University of Rhode island in 1980, as the mother of seven. She worked as a certified alcohol and drug counselor at the Boneski Treatment Center at the Norwich State Hospital in Norwich. Later she earned a master’s degree in social work from Springfield College and became a licensed social worker at the York Correctional Institute in Niantic. She retired from her rewarding career in 2001.  Graced with abundant energy and an adventurous spirit, Marguerite enjoyed many pastimes. She played bridge with friends and family, tracked down antiques and other junk store finds, and seriously dabbled in real estate. 

She is survived by two siblings, Georgette Bruso Pare of Inverness, Fla., and Edward Bruso of Auburn, Mass. She is predeceased by a brother Richard Bruso. Marguerite leaves behind a large and loving family: husband James Courtney; daughter Virginia Courtney and her husband Duncan MacCourt of Woburn, Mass.; son James Courtney and his wife Cheryl Courtney of Onset, Mass.; daughter Marguerite J. Courtney of Redondo Beach, Calif.; daughter Elizabeth Courtney Blake and her husband Jon Blake of West Hartford; daughter Angela Courtney of Palm Beach, Fla.; daughter Victoria Courtney and her wife Candice Gaudinier of Lake Worth Beach, Fla.; and son Nicholas Courtney and his wife Harmony Courtney of Foxboro, Mass. She is predeceased by her eldest daughter Ellen Marguerite Courtney. Marguerite leaves behind eight precious grandchildren: James P., Meghan, Charles, Hannah, Theodore and Stella Courtney, Isabella Blake and Ian MacCourt. She was the great-grandmother of Giovanni and Emmanuel Lopez, and Elise and James Courtney; and has many beloved nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass for Marguerite will be held at 10 a.m. July 12, at St. Andrew’s Church, 5 Spaulding St., Worcester Mass. A fun-loving, generous, and caring person in life, Marguerite will be sadly missed and forever remembered by her many friends and devoted family.