Theresa (Trece) Maureen Mclaughlin

Theresa Maureen McLaughlin of Quincy

Go to Paris, buy a bathing suit, wear red lipstick, have dessert, make the phone call.

Live, laugh and most importantly love.

When you were in Theresa’s presence you knew you were a part of something special.  Theresa believed in you, encouraged you, accepted you and loved you without condition.  Her laugh was infectious and her love and loyalty deeper than the ocean.  How fortunate were we that we had her for 52 short years.

Our girl had a sense of humor and style; so how fitting that and she went to Heaven on a Blue Moon on October 31, 2020.   Theresa adored the moon, especially a full moon.  When you see the light of the moon, you can think that Theresa’s sending you love and continuing to illuminate your path.

Theresa was a daughter, sister, auntie, godmother, beloved friend, business owner and philanthropist.   Quincy was her home. She was predeceased by her father, Arthur E. McLaughlin, Sr. of Plainville, Ma.  She is survived by her mother, Margaret Papaz of Hallandale, Florida, and her siblings:   Arthur E. McLaughlin Jr. and his wife Linda of Rehoboth, MA; Mary (MeMe) MacGregor and her husband Kenneth of Glastonbury, CT; Elizabeth Quirk, John J. McLaughlin and Patrick McLaughlin all of Quincy, MA.

She was proud of her many nieces and nephews:  Artie, Mark, Brian, Stephen, Coleen, Martin, Kerri, John, Trea, Kayla, Danny, Maggie, Nora, Kevin, Zac and Kylie.   She is also survived by her Aunt Martha Costa; her Uncle Joe McLaughlin and wife Carol and her Uncle and Godfather, Peter Knapp.   She was Mumma to her dearest Buddy; a rescue cat who Trece said rescued her!

Theresa was blessed with so many friends over her lifetime; you know who you are and how you were cherished…friends from St. Anne’s, Stoppie, St. John’s, Archies, State Street, Landmark, Network Health, the residents of Greenleaf Street, Silpada, Touchstone, Glastonbury, the list goes on and on….

Have no doubt that Dad, Joe, Calvin, Mike, Esther, Mary, Auntie, Gayle and Freddie, Noreen and her cousins; Jim, Jackie and Joanne are all together having a blast.  If heaven is anything like an Irish Wake, they are having one heck of a time catching up.

Trece felt so fortunate to love her line of work.  She felt blessed to have her Touchstone and Silpada ladies, her Blingo group and her varied charities.

Wherever she went, she made a new friend.   You could NEVER go anywhere without running into someone she knew.  At no time did she complain about having breast cancer.    She never said why me, instead, “why not me!”

She touched so many lives without fanfare and kept her generosities private.  Even on her way to Dana Farber, Trece made a difference.  She would put face masks, hand sanitizer, chocolates, a few dollars and a Dunkin gift certificate in a baggie.  She would distribute the baggies out to people in need at red lights.  Intentionally looking the recipient in the eye, she told them, “I see you.”

Her cancer was more advanced and aggressive than even she knew; she was keenly aware that her passing would cause tremendous pain.  We ache for ourselves; but our dear girl is pain free and laughing and soaring with the angels.

Theresa’s knew that COVID would play a role in her funeral and asked for a Mass when appropriate to do so.  The delay in scheduling was due to COVID, church schedules and a sabbatical.   As she wished, her Funeral Mass will be at St. Cecelia’s in Boston with Father Unni. on October 29, 2022 at 10:00.

If you wanted to make a donation in Theresa’s memory, you might consider a donation to St. Cecelia’s or Father Bill’s.  You could start a coat drive, purchase socks or mylar blankets for the homeless, plant a tree, donate blood…

Trece was about action and not words. She was the verb and not the noun.  Trece  was all about peace and love.

Let’s honor our beloved by being kind – to one another AND ourselves.

She used to say, “It’s all about the love, baby!”  Go love!  It certainly worked for Trece…