Mark W. McGinness

West Townsend- Mark W. McGinness, 21, of West Townsend passed away on Monday, May 26, 2025.
Mark was born on November 11, 2003 in Boston and grew up in West Townsend. He was a graduate of North Middlesex Regional High School and completed an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts at Middlesex Community College, graduating as a Commonwealth Honors Student. Mark continued his education at UMass Amherst studying Sociology and was one semester shy of his Bachelor's degree in Sociology when he passed.
Mark had a natural curiosity about people, cultures, and societies which led to him to study sociology and developed his desire to work to solve challenging social issues. Mark volunteered all through high school as part of the NOLA service-learning program. In 2019, Mark completed the Model United Nations Diplomat Program held at Harvard University. While at Middlesex, he volunteered at the MCC Law Center, a community mediation center.
Mark was an avid skier all his life and in high school was a member of the varsity Bromfield & North Middlesex Alpine Ski Team. He also excelled at track and was a member of the North Middlesex Regional Track & Field team. In addition, Mark had a deep appreciation for music and played the saxophone. Mark had a gentle heart and a special bond with the family cats, who were always part of his life.
Mark will be remembered as a kind and thoughtful person who wanted to make the world a better place, and he will be dearly missed.
He leaves his mother, Noreen McGinness Olson and his step-father, Matthew of West Townsend; his father, Mark McGinness and his step-mother, Chrissy of Watertown; two brothers, Matthew McGinness of Leominster and William McGinness of Watertown; his sister, Teehan McGinness and her partner, Zachary Neuwirth of Somerville; his grandparents, Barbara and Richard Harty of North Hampton, New Hampshire, and Patricia Olson of Sterling. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Esther McGinness and William McGinness. He is also survived by many uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.
A private celebration of Mark's life will be held at a future date. The Anderson Funeral Home 250 Main St., Townsend is assisting the family with the funeral arrangements.
In lieu of flowers you can make a contribution in Mark's name to the following organizations:
Alternatives for Community & Environment: https://ace-ej.org/
Conservation Law Foundation: https://www.clf.org/
Environmental League of Massachusetts: https://www.environmentalleague.org/