Mrs. Mary Arlene "Twohig" McNamara

Mary Arlene (Twohig) McNamara, a longtime resident of Andover, Massachusetts, and more recently of Newburyport, passed away on January 15, 2026, at the age of 93. Born on June 12, 1932, in Lynn, Massachusetts, she was the beloved daughter of the late John J. and Margaret A. (Gaffney) Twohig. After graduating from Lynn High School, she worked at GE alongside her father, an experience she greatly cherished.

She met her future husband, Walter John McNamara, at the Mickey Mouse Club in Revere Beach, and they married in 1958. Together they built a loving home and found their greatest joy in raising their three children, Cheryl, Karen, and Scott. Arlene and Walter took special delight in their grandchildren, contributing generously to their lives and well-being. In her later years, Arlene was overjoyed to meet and adore her first great-granddaughter.

Arlene loved gathering with friends and family at social events. She shared her husband’s passion for professional hockey, traveling with him to games in Boston and Montreal. She remained especially close to her siblings—Margaret Norton, Joanne Walsh, and John J. Twohig, Jr.—and took deep pride in the growing family they all shared. Living in Wilmington and Andover brought her great happiness, as she formed warm and lasting friendships with many neighbors.

She will be remembered for her kind heart and the love she so freely gave to others. A lifelong Catholic, Arlene is now at peace, reunited with her beloved husband Walter in Heaven. She is survived by her children, Cheryl and Lee Haydon of Boca Raton, Florida, Karen Majahad of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and Scott and Ana McNamara of Greer, South Carolina; her grandchildren, Jeffrey, Kyle, and Gregory Haydon, Jacob, Simon, and Samuel Majahad, and Karoline, Zachary, and Roberto McNamara; and her great-granddaughter, Kylina Haydon.