Jessica Rose Boatwright Maher

Jessica Rose Boatwright Maher passed away on January 29, 2024, after living with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) since 2012. She is survived by her devoted husband James P. Maher III, and by her parents Joseph and Sandra Boatwright of Conklin, NY, brother James Ryan Boatwright of Philadelphia, PA, grandparents James Robert and Eleanor Boatwright of Hiddenite, NC, mother-in-law Theresa Maher of Lansdale, PA, and many cherished friends. She is predeceased by her grandmother Hazel Schober, great aunt Ethel Woolsey, and father-in-law James P. Maher Jr. 

Jess was born in Binghamton, New York, and spent a happy childhood among the rolling hills in nearby Conklin. She was active in sports and competitive dance and she excelled in school, graduating among the top students in her class at Susquehanna Valley High School. With this achievement, she earned a scholarship to Drexel University, where she would receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering. It is also where she would meet her best friend and beloved husband, Jim. She was an active member of the Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority and the Pan-Hellenic Council. Her scholastic activities included the Honor Society and the Society of Women Engineers. 

Jess would go on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from Villanova University. She spent much of her career working in medical device marketing and sales, helping to deliver the latest technology to save and improve patient lives. She lived most of her life in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, her adopted hometown. 

Always looking forward to the next adventure, Jess loved to travel with Jim by her side. She was a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia, furthering their mission to better the community and empower women. She enjoyed music and movies. A self-described cat-lady, she adored her furry companions. More than anything, Jess loved to make people laugh and to bring them joy. 

Jess did not lose her battle with cancer. She defied the odds at nearly every opportunity with the help of extraordinary medical professionals, the gifts of organ and blood donations, and constant support and care from her family and friends, especially her steadfast husband, Jim. She credited her long survival in no small part to her resilience, tenacity, and sheer stubbornness, plus a lot of luck. She would often refer to herself as the "luckiest unlucky person you would ever meet" and compared her survival of numerous near-death complications to the nine lives of a cat. 

Jess hoped to be remembered for her perseverance, sense of humor, and fierce love of those most important to her. She was a medical miracle in the face of an extremely difficult diagnosis with many complications. In light of this, she requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation  https://cholangiocarcinoma.org/donate/in-lieu-of-flowers/ or Donate Life America https://donatelife.net/.

Friends and family are invited to her Visitation from 10-12 PM on Wednesday, February 7th at The Donohue Funeral Home, 3300 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA 19073, 610-353-6300, followed by her Memorial Service at 12 PM. Interment private.