Richard McGlinchey

McGLINCHEY, Richard "Dick" Accomplished marketing professional with a career spanning three decades, died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Lexington on Wednesday night. In addition to recent heart disease, he had been battling a progressive neurological disease, Multiple System Atrophy, for the past four years. McGlinchey worked with many of the area's top technology companies and founded three Boston-area marketing and public relations firms, where he applied his intuitive understanding of marketing strategy to help client companies across a variety of sectors. Throughout his career and personal life, Mr. McGlinchey displayed a zest for life and an ability to perceive and connect with the essence of every person he met. His generosity of spirit touched many lives. After undergraduate and graduate study in psychology at Gannon College and Kent University, Mr. McGlinchey began his career as Director of Counseling at Lawrence General and then Boston City Hospitals. A Master's degree in Communication at Boston University was followed by a stint as reporter for the Holyoke Transcript. Finally, he brought his formidable people and writing skills to the business world. Mr. McGlinchey's knack for translating complex early technology products into understandable terms catapulted his career from small agencies to the position of Marketing Director at McCormack and Dodge. He subsequently founded McGlinchey & Paul; Meridian Technology Marketing; and Bluepoint Venture Marketing - as well as Europlus, a consortium of European marketing firms. From 1999 to 2004, McGlinchey was a Venture Partner at Battery Ventures, where he directed marketing and strategic initiatives for the firm's $1.8 billion portfolio of early-stage technology companies. Most recently, he served as business advisor and Board member of Isis Biopolymer, a medical device company developing a revolutionary non-invasive drug delivery system. McGlinchey was well-known in Boston-area technology circles for his dry wit and his penchant for auto racing and ice hockey. He treasured time spent on the ice with a group of old friends, and racing - and winning - at Limerock Park and other venues with the Vintage Sportscar Car Club of America. As his children grew, Mr. McGlinchey's free time centered on them _ coaching youth hockey and serving on the Board of the Boston Youth Symphony, among other activities. All who knew him knew his love for Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he shared a second home in West Covehead with his beloved family and two pet Corgis. Mr. McGlinchey is survived by his wife of 26 years, Sara; daughter, Elizabeth, of Montreal; and son, Andrew, of Lexington - as well as a brother, James, in Virginia; a sister, Mary, in Pennsylvania; and a sister, Barbara, in Maine; and their families. A service will be held later this month in Prince Edward Island, with a Boston area memorial service being planned for the spring. Donations may be made in Dick's honor to the National Ataxia Foundation (www.ataxia.org); the Northeast Animal Shelter (northeastanimalshelter.org); or the Friends of Covehead and Brackley Bays stanhopecovehead.pe.ca/friends).