Kathleen Anne Spencer-Jones (Wright) of Billerica, formerly of Arlington, passed away peacefully after a bout with leukemia on the last day of summer, September 22, 2023. Kathy was predeceased by her father, Jay B. Wright, and her mother, Kay (McLaughlin) Wright. She was also predeceased by her beloved brother John B. Wright.
She was the cherished mother of Shaun B. (Deborah), Michael J. (Jennifer), and Ryan M. (Christine).
Her adored grandchildren Sam, Sarah, Claire, and Kelly Spencer were the lights of her life.
She has been the constant companion of her uncle, Jesuit Father Gerard L. McLaughlin, who resides at the Campion Center in Weston.
Kathy also leaves a special friend, Jack Foley, and has enjoyed his companionship for the last two years.
She has many dear friends and special cousins in the McLaughlin and McCadden clans, and especially treasured the care and friendship of Jane McLaughlin Dalton.
Kathy attended St. Agnes School in Arlington, and was in the Arlington Catholic High School class of 1966. Her most rewarding time there was spent in the color guard of the St. Agnes band, making many lifelong friends along the way. She attended and enjoyed the many class reunions through the years.
In high school, she worked at the Playtime craft store with her mother, and then went on to a part-time position at Doerr Associates, a marketing and advertising agency. She worked her way up to operations manager and media director and stayed for over 16 years. Her dear friends from Doerr have been devoted companions. Her time at Genzyme in Cambridge was also extremely rewarding. More recently, she greatly enjoyed her front desk position at Boston Road Family Chiropractic.
Kathy delighted in oil painting and was the former vice president of the Billerica Art Association.
She also enjoyed traveling, and recently her three sons took her on her dream cruise to Alaska, followed by a weekend with the whole family at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire.
Kathy was a devoted mother and a fun-loving grandmother. Raising three boys by herself was a joy to her, rather than a chore, and her house was full of laughter and silliness. She was particularly proud that all three attended college and are successful and kind and good men. In another life, Kathy could have been a stand-up comic. Her wit was quick and self-deprecating especially when it came to orchestrating her final wishes. She put everybody at ease with her irreverent comments about dying. You often left a visit with tears of laughter. It will be hard for us to let her go but Kath would probably say, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” She was a dear friend to many, and she will be sorely missed.
She was predeceased by her husband Michael D. Jones and her former husband Philip C. Spencer.
Relatives and friends are invited to a visitation at the Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Chestnut St., ARLINGTON on Friday, September 29th from 4-7PM. Her Funeral Mass will celebrated on Saturday, September 30th at Saint Agnes’ Church, ARLINGTON at 11:30AM. Burial will be Private.
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