Mary Josephine Foley

Mary Jo (Josephine) Foley (McAvoy) of Franklin, formerly of West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain, passed away peacefully Wednesday, November 19 at the age of 93. Born in Jamaica Plain, she was the daughter of the late Francis T. and Annie (Harrington) McAvoy, wife of almost 43 years of the late Walter J. Foley.

Mary Jo began her life on St. Rose Street in Jamaica Plain as the fifth of six children. She spoke frequently of her childhood on St. Rose Street with her siblings between spending time in the Arboretum, attending Girls Latin for high school and family trips to White Horse beach. Mary Jo went to work for the telephone company and while walking to work met her husband Walter, who was a Boston Police Officer at the time.

Mary and Walter were married in April of 1958 and began their family life in an apartment on Vermont St in West Roxbury, eventually outgrowing it and moving to Gardner St for their first home and expanding their family to six children which Mary stayed home with to raise. In 1972, they made a final move as a family to White Oak Rd in West Roxbury where they expanded yet again to add their seventh child. This house was busy, and family focused filled with love, especially during holidays like Thanksgiving where Mary Jo with the help of Walter and her children would host her brothers and sisters with her many nieces and nephews for dessert with a favorite amongst them being her Lemon Meringue pie. Mary Jo and Walter also enjoyed spending time every year with their children going to a cottage in West Dennis on Cape Cod, grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, hers well done, having fried clams and enjoying the beach especially late in the day was her favorite. This family time was important to Mary Jo, always wanting her children to be connected and spending time together like she did with her siblings as she had experienced with her own parents.

As her children got older, Mary Jo would eventually return to the workforce first at GE and then on to a lengthy career in the Economics department at Boston College, where she had many friends and enjoyed attending the football and hockey games with Walter. During this time as their children began moving out, Mary Jo and Walter enjoyed their time together, especially their walks, usually holding hands around Castle Island or through the neighborhood or just a day trip to Old Silver beach. Mary Jo continued working for a little while after Walter's passing in 2001, eventually retiring. Mary Jo would move on from White Oak Rd and after a brief stay in Mashpee, would finally settle in Franklin where four of her children lived at the time.

Mary Jo is survived by and will be dearly missed by her loving children David Foley and Kim Bianchini of Falmouth, Robert Foley and Kim Sullivan of Quincy, Joanne and Randy Brandenburg of Falmouth, Maryanne Fenerty of Franklin, Nancy and Daniel Doherty of Franklin, Mark and Mary Cait Foley of West Roxbury, Christopher and Michelle Foley of Franklin.

Mary Jo was deeply loved by her grandchildren, Colin Foley, Caitlin Strickland, Jack Foley, Jennifer Foley, Katherine Quealy, Ryan Brandenburg, Kristen Brandenburg, Carloyn Casey, Joseph Fenerty, Julia Fenerty, Jill Fenerty, Daniel Doherty, the late Michael Doherty, Kevin Doherty, Korey Foley, Conor Foley and Meghan Foley and 6 great grandchildren.

Mary Jo is also survived by her brother J. David McAvoy, and many nieces and nephews.

Mass will be held at 11am on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at St. Patrick's Church, 511 Main Street, Falmouth, MA. Burial to follow at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave., Bourne, MA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Michael J. Doherty '15 Memorial Scholarship at Xaverian Brothers High School, 800 Clapboardtree St., Westwood, MA 02090.