Mary Margaret (O'Connell) Racine

Mary Margaret O’Connell Racine of West Roxbury, Massachusetts passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on December 26, 2025 surrounded by her loving family.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Paul O’Connell and Helen Frances Driscoll O’Connell; and sisters Joan Howard (Matthew), Patricia Foley (Francis), Catherine Gallivan (John).  She is survived by her five sons Michael Dennis (Wendi), Richard Joseph (Leslie), Peter Conrad (Mary), Stephen Armand (Eliza), and James Francis (Lauren), as well as her youngest brother Joseph Patrick O’Connell (Rosanne); thirteen grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Born November 22, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts, Mary was the oldest of Helen and Joseph O’Connell’s five children.  A graduate of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Jamaica Plain, she was the first person in her family to attend college, graduating from Emmanuel College in Boston in June 1954.  Mary earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Emmanual College and immediately started her first job as an elementary school teacher at Phineas Bates Elementary School in Roslindale, Massachusetts.

She married Conrad Denis Racine in July 1954, and they made their home in Boston before moving to Wilmington, Delaware.  Then they moved to Palo Alto, California where they welcomed the first of their five sons.  All five sons were born on the West Coast, and the family successively settled in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.  Ever the teacher, Mary capitalized on family travels to expose her sons to the treasures of this country.  She passed on a deep love and appreciation for the many cultures that shaped the places they lived.  The family remembers with great affection the many wonderful experiences Mary made possible such as swimming in the Pacific Ocean at Malibu Beach, skiing in the Rocky Mountains, and visiting historical sites in Philadelphia, Boston and Washington, D.C.

Mary was an outstanding educator.  She taught her students and family with love, compassion, and endless enthusiasm.  Her intellectual curiosity led to a lifetime of reading the newspaper and family conversations about current events, particularly politics.  After raising her family, she returned to teaching full-time beginning at Waldron Academy for Boys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; then to Sacred Heart School in Kingston, Massachusetts; and eventually to Umana Barnes Middle School in Boston, Massachusetts.  Mary also tutored students privately and earned her master’s degree in special education at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts while working full time.

Mary retired from the Boston Public School System in June 2005 but continued private tutoring of elementary and middle school students.  The emphasis of her private tutoring was to strengthen her students’ overall math and reading skills for success in life.  She motivated her students by telling them that they needed skills to be successful in life, and therefore, that they must diligently apply themselves to their studies.  She also provided focused tutoring for entrance exams at Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science.

Mary was a devoted member of the Roman Catholic Church.  She had a deep and abiding faith that remained steadfast throughout her 93 years of life.  Through good times and difficult times, her faith guided her and was her sure foundation.  Mary especially enjoyed reading God’s word and hearing the magnificent story of God’s redeeming work in the world He created.  She cherished the love the Lord lavished on her throughout her life.

Mary is remembered for her unfailing love and kindness as well as her positive and hopeful outlook on life.  She instilled the values of hard work, determination, honesty, and loyalty in her five sons and in her grandchildren.  Above all, however, Mary instilled in them a love for family and a love for the Lord.  There is great joy in heaven as Mary joins her parents and sisters.

The family expresses their deep gratitude to the physicians, nurses, and staff of Brigham & Women’s Hospital for the care they provided Mary in her final month.

Mary will be deeply missed and remembered with love, joy and admiration.

Family and friends are invited to attend a funeral mass on Friday, January 9, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Name Catholic Church at 1689 Centre Street, West Roxbury, Massachusetts 02132.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Robert J. Lawler & Crosby Funeral Home at 1803 Centre Street, West Roxbury, Massachusetts 02132.

To view Mary's Funeral Mass via livestream, please click the link below.