Marilyn E. McGrath

Marilyn Eileen McGrath was born on November 19, 1953 in Youngstown, Ohio and passed away peacefully at age 72, on January 26, 2026. She is preceded in death by her mother, Helen (MacEachern) MacGrath, her father, John Douglas MacGrath, and her brother, Gary MacGrath. She is survived by her brothers Ken MacGrath (Hilary) and Robert MacGrath; her cousin Susan (MacLeod) White (Kenny) who was like a sister to her; her nieces Stacey (MacGrath) Gifford, Lauren (MacGrath) Ling, and Leslie MacGrath; and nephews, Matthew MacGrath, Adam MacGrath, Scott MacGrath, and Colin MacGrath; as well as many beloved cousins.

After moving with her parents to Hudson, NH when she was six months old, Marilyn spent the rest of her life in that childhood home. She attended Alvirne High School, Class of 1971. After high school, she took courses at Rivier College. She loved writing and was proud of her beautiful penmanship. She worked as a financial analyst at BAE Systems, from which she retired after 23 years. An active member of her community, she took pride in the many town roles she held, including Selectmen Liaison for the Sustainability Committee, Planning Board, Municipal Utility Committee, and Zoning Board of Adjustment; Chairman of the Board of Selectmen; and most recently as Town Selectman.

Marilyn loved gardening and was known for the beautiful roses she grew in her backyard. She mastered the Donna Dewberry technique for painting flowers and later took painting lessons from local artist, Mary Rose O'Connell. She loved art and took many craft classes. She enjoyed cooking and baking for her family, especially pot roast, green bean casserole, and her mother's banana cream pie. She was proud of her Prince Edward Island (PEI) heritage and was dedicated to researching her family history. She enjoyed her many trips to PEI to visit family and friends, as well as her travels to England, Belgium, and Scotland. Marilyn loved drinking strong black tea, had impeccable taste and enjoyed shopping, she loved chatting with friends and family, and she adored her rescue cats, Chloe, Molly, and Peaches. As "Auntie," she thought of her nephews and nieces as her own, which brought her the most joy in life. Her fondest memories of childhood included her favorite pony, Flicka, walking her to and from the school bus every day.

Marilyn's family wants to express gratitude to the staff at Hillsborough County Nursing Home and Home Health & Hospice Care for the compassionate care she received in her final months of life.

Calling hours will be held at Tyngsborough Funeral Home, 4 Cassaway Dr., Tyngsborough on Friday, February 6th beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding with a service at 11:30 a.m. Committal services will then take place at Edgewood Cemetery, Nashua.