Colleen M. Waite

Colleen M. Waite, age 28, a lifelong Tewksbury resident, passed away at home from an apparent heart-related condition, on July 17, 2025.
Born in Boston on October 1, 1996, she is the beloved daughter of John P. and Brenda L. (MacArthur) Waite.
Colleen attended Tewksbury schools and graduated from Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica with the Class of 2015.
Following high school she attended the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, where she earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
For the past three years, she was employed as a Clinician Case Manager at the Lowell Community Justice Support Center. Colleen previously worked for the Megan House Foundation in Lowell as well as the Advocates Organization.
Colleen devoted her life to her career of helping others transition from a life of addiction to a life of freedom and independence. She poured herself into her work with quiet courage and tireless generosity, never asking for recognition – only hoping to make even one person's burden a little lighter.
Colleen cherished her "errand runs," which often meant getting lost in the aisles of her favorite stores: Hobby Lobby, Target, and Five Below. Though she rarely bought things for herself, she delighted in picking out thoughtful gifts for others. She had a serious sweet tooth (tiramisu was her favorite), a clever sense of humor, and a love for Seinfeld that always brought out her most contagious laugh. One of her greatest joys in recent months was spending time with her 10-month-old nephew, Wyatt, whose smile lit up her world.
In addition to her parents, she leaves two sisters, Katelyn J. Weese and her husband Bret, and Courtney P. Theberge and her husband Jamie, all of Tewksbury, and her beloved nephew, Wyatt J. Theberge. Colleen is the paternal granddaughter of Joan N. (Flanders) Waite, and the late William H. Waite of Bedford, MA, and the maternal granddaughter of the late Joan M. (Kelley) MacArthur and Nelson P. MacArthur of Tewksbury, MA. She leaves many aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family members.
Calling hours are Friday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street, Tewksbury, followed by prayers to be offered at 12 Noon in the funeral home. Private interment will follow at Tewksbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to MSPCA-Nevins Farm at www.mspca.org or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org