Kenneth P. Bussiere

Beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother;

Kenneth P. Bussiere passed away on Thursday July 21, 2022.

He is survived by his wife Mary, daughter Mary-Theresa Corcoran and husband Paul, son Edmond Bussiere and wife Dorothy. five wonderful grandchildren, Kaitlyn Hickey and husband Dan Ryan Corcoran, Meghan Tormay and husband Joe, Maura Bussiere and fiancé Luc Surette and Kiera Bussiere; three great-grandchildren Teagan, Finnley Hickey and Madison Tormay; and a brother Joe Bussiere and wife Doreen of PA.

It being his wishes the service was private. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Arrangements by O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME – LOWELL – MA - (978) 458-8768.

Mary Kirwan

Life-long Billerica resident passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on July 28th, 2022.

Mary was the beloved wife of William "Marty" Marshall.

In addition to her husband, she leaves behind her children, Gina and Dana Kirwan, and Knicki Foss, as well as her precious grand children Jerrell Sander, Dylan Freeland, and Jacob Freeland.

She is predeceased by her parents Giovanna Inferrera, of Sicily, and Alexander Brolin, of Sweden.

She is also predeceased by her son in law Edward C Freeland III, whose family, she loved very much.

Mary loved taking her children and grandchildren to the White Mountains, to visit Storyland, and several other parks yearly since 1971. She loved taking pictures and making memories.

Mary never missed an opportunity to go to the fireworks, a car ride (nout-nouts), a festival, a concert on the common, or a parade. She always had chairs in the trunk for everyone.

Anytime anyone was leaving, she would say "be safe, no fighting, no biting!" and we would all promise, giggling to ourselves.

Everyone who met her loved her immediately. She will be missed terribly.

All services were held privately.

Pamela A. Barry

April 9, 1956 – August 1, 2022

Pamela A. (O’Donnell) Barry, of Andover, Massachusetts, the beloved wife of Kevin J. Barry, passed away peacefully at the age of 66 on August 1, 2022.  Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Atty. Thomas J. and the late Ann M. (Muras) O’Donnell.

A graduate of Lowell High School (1974), Pam was the Colonel of the Girl Officers.  She earned a B.S. in Communication Disorders from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1978) and continued her education with advanced degrees from Northeastern University (M.S. Ed. in Speech and Hearing Science, 1981) and the University of Massachusetts, Lowell (CAGS in Reading and Language, 2001).  Pam was a speech and language pathologist for Tewksbury Public Schools for 5 years, before becoming a literacy specialist for Lowell Public Schools in 2000 and retiring in 2015.
Pam cherished her children and grandchildren.  She enjoyed spending time with family and friends on the beach in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and Jensen Beach, Florida, and had a lifelong love for reading and crossword puzzles.  Pam was a communicant of the Immaculate Conception Church, Lowell and St. Robert Bellarmine Church, Andover.

Besides her loving husband of 44 years, Kevin, she is survived by her five children, Kevin Barry (Robyn) of Newton, MA, Jacqueline (Barry) Druckman (Matthew) of Melrose, MA, Patrick Barry of Andover, MA, Michael Barry of Medford, MA, and Lauren Barry of Andover, MA; six grandchildren; Elliana, James and Vivienne Barry and Oliver, Charlie and Emma Druckman; three siblings, Thomas (Tod) O’Donnell (Gail Lantagne) of Tewksbury, MA, Debbie McLaughlin (Thomas) of Andover, MA and Mark O’Donnell and his late wife Virginia (Roper) of Lowell, MA.  Pam also leaves her nieces, nephews, and cousins as well as many dear friends, notably Nancy Burke of Andover, and Patricia Hayes of Chelmsford.

Pam’s family would like to express their appreciation to the excellent staff of Massachusetts General Hospital oncology department, including Dr. Colin D. Weekes, Laurie Miller, N.P., and Hilary D’Arcangelo, R.N. as well as the caregivers at Merrimack Valley Hospice.

Family and friends are invited to gather for her Memorial Visitation to be held on Friday, August 5, 2022, at the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH  144 East Merrimack St. in Lowell, MA from 8:30 to 10:45 A.M., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 A.M. Her burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery in North Tewksbury. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com.  Please consider a donation in her memory to either the Immaculate Conception Church Restoration Fund, 3 Fayette Street, Lowell, MA 01852 or the Monastery of Saint Clare, 445 River Road, Andover, MA 01810. Arrangements by O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME.

Jane Alexander

“A stunning citizen of the world”

Jane Alexander passed away suddenly at Lowell General Hospital on July 26 from mitral valve prolapse, causing MRSA endocarditis. She was 66 years old.

Jane was born in Brookings, SD, to Ruth and William Alexander. She graduated from Brookings High School in 1974. During high school she babysat for several families and volunteered at United Retirement center.

She attended Mt. Holyoke College, majoring in history, and doing volunteer work as a tutor and aide to children in the Holyoke Schools.

Following graduation from college in 1980, she worked at Parker Street shelter with unhoused adults in Boston, and the Pine Street Inn women’s clinic. There she saw women leave at 9AM when the overnight shelter closed with nowhere to go until 4PM when it reopened. These women avoided the daytime soup kitchens where they would be harassed (or worse) by men. They had nowhere to use a restroom. Most of all, these women were isolated, having lost connections with friends and family.

She and a co-worker at the women’s clinic, Eileen Reilly conceived of starting a daytime shelter for women. In 1982, they began serving women from the basement of Church of the Covenant, starting the Women’s Lunch Place.

Jane became the Executive Director for the next 20 years. She insisted on a philosophy of treating unhoused women with dignity, bringing plates to the table so they did not have to wait in line. Guests were also welcome to help cook, and volunteers and staff all sat down to share the meal. Fresh flowers and tablecloths always graced the dining room. She worked to create a community with celebrations, live music, and activities, such as visiting a sheep farm during lambing season. Eventually the program came to serve breakfast and lunch to over 100 women a day, offering legal advocacy, clothing, a children’s rooms, showers, laundry and much more. Jane’s drive and vision inspired and changed the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people who spent time in the Women’s Lunch Place’s bustling kitchen and warm, welcoming dining room over the years.

Jane received many awards for her work, including the Mount Holyoke College Mary Lyon Award and the Boston Celtic’s “Heroes Among Us” award. What Jane was most proud of, however, was creating a place where women like Stella and Margot–some of Boston’s most alienated and long-term unhoused women–felt safe to come inside.

Jane left the organization in 2002, and worked briefly as Renewal House Executive Director, and as Development Director at East Boston Ecumenical Community, and volunteered for the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina and did medical work in Haiti.

She married Mark Johnson of Jamaica Plain in 2004. They moved to New Orleans in 2007, where she attended Tulane School of Social Work, obtaining her Master’s in Social Work. She then worked in Moorhead, Minnesota until 2016 as Executive Director of Churches United, a family shelter and daytime support program for the homeless. There she spearheaded an effort to create permanent housing and provided winter expansion regularly at the shelter. She and Mark separated in 2016 but remained good friends until his passing in 2018.

Along the way Jane cared for numerous great aunts, aunts and uncles as they aged, and as a godmother to several friend’s children. She maintained close friendships across long distances and over many years. She also became well known for her cakes that graced many of her friends’ tables, her toffee and “ginger dogs” that she made every Christmas.

She returned to Massachusetts to Dracut, MA 2016, where she lived with her sister Sarah Alexander. She worked for multiple families as a caretaker of elderly gentlemen and women for the past five years, helping them attend weddings, see friends, write their memoirs, and making their lives more connected and organized. She developed a close relationship with Paul Phillips in the last two years of her life, which brought her much happiness.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her visitation on Thursday August 4, 2022, at the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME  276 PAWTUCKET ST. in LOWELL from 4 to 7 P.M.

Her Funeral service will be held on Saturday August 27, 2022, at FRIENDS MEETING AT CAMBRIDGE.  5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge, MA 02138 at 1:00 o’clock. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in her memory to Health Care without Walls at www.healthcarewithoutwalls.org, mailing address: 41 West Street, Boston, MA 02111. Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O’Donnell, Jr. (978) 458-8768.