Salem, MA  - - After a brief, intense battle with a rare form of cancer, Jeanette McLaughlin died peacefully at Kaplan House on May 22, 2019, with family by her side..

Born in Boston to Richard Garfield and Dorothy Small, Jeanette was the eldest of four children.  She lived in many places including Boston, Dunstable, and eventually Salem. From her earliest years, Jeanette defied stereotypes. Preferring tree-climbing and fence jumping to playing with dolls, Jeanette and her brother Leonard found no shortage of opportunity for mischief.

Jeanette graduated from Salem High school in 1957 and attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School on a full scholarship. At age 20 she married Bruce, the love of her life. With great love and gentle guidance, they raised three children, Scott, Nicole, and Kara.  Jeanette always helped support her family. She worked in real estate, banking, and then, at a time when few people had heard the term "computer language," she taught herself to write computer code.  This skill led her to the position of Senior Systems Analyst / Programmer at Perkin Elmer, where she worked for 14 years, providing technical support to all major departments including engineering, manufacturing, accounting and human resources.

After retiring, she and Bruce spent winters in Sanibel, FL and visited countries all over the world.  Indulging her adventurous spirit, she sailed around the tip of Africa, ziplined through the rainforest, swam with the dolphins, climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge and went white water rafting.  As an adult, Jeanette learned to sail; on their sailboat, Jeanette was the Captain and Bruce was her first mate.

Jeanette delighted in her grandchildren. When they were young, she would read, bake, and play with them. She taught them to do headstands and slid with them down water slides of all shapes and sizes. They visited museums, swam with manatees, and played keep away in the waves.  She and Bruce had the opportunity to take each grandchild on their own trip to a national park out west, developing a special relationship with each of them.  Jeanette's love for her grandchildren was unconditional; her pride in the young adults they've become was immeasurable.

Through years of playing bridge, mahjong and reading books, she developed deep and lasting friendships. She was always there if someone needed help, whether to hang wallpaper, care for a sick child or volunteer at Plummer Youth Promise or The House of the Seven Gables. Long before the internet was available for genealogical research, she spent hours in the library and travelling to learn about her family history. She was a proud member of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society.

Jeanette is survived by her best friend, confidant, partner-in-everything, and adoring husband of 60 years, Bruce McLaughlin of Salem.  Jeanette was Bruce's true North. She also leaves behind her three devoted children and their families: Scott and his daughter Madeleine of Beverly; Nicole, her husband Ben Waxman, and their children Lillian and Nora of Salem; and Kara, her husband John Keenan, and their children Aidan and Erin of Salem. Also surviving her are her siblings, Leonard Garfield (Mary Ann), Dixie Kulik (Thaddeus), and James Garfield (Pamela), as well as their children and grandchildren.

Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, May 29 ^th from 3 – 7pm at Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal Street, Salem.  A celebration of life will be held on Thursday at 10am at the First Church in Salem, 316 Essex Street.  Parking will be available at Murphy Funeral Home during the celebration of life service. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Jeanette McLaughlin to support cancer research and patient care at: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284 www.dana-farber.org/gift or a charity of your choice. For more information or online guestbook, please visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com or call 978-744-0497.

Visiting hours are expected to be very well attended.  Murphy Funeral Home has a large parking lot, but it may be full upon your arrival.  There is additional parking available at Wesley Methodist Church on North St., or, on Bridge St., in the Municipal Lot next to FW WEBB.  Salem also has many municipal lots within walking distance of the funeral home.  Please click on this link for a map to available municipal parking.

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