FRANKLIN: Margaret Cecilia Pacelli

Margaret Cecilia (Mulligan) Pacelli, 97, died on December 24, 2025 at Benchmark Senior Living in Franklin, Massachusetts, just weeks shy of her 98th birthday. Margaret, known as Marjorie, was born in Medford, Massachusetts on January 14, 1928. She was the daughter of Willliam F. Mulligan and Kathleen A. (Riley) Mulligan, who principally resided in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Marjorie lived in Osterville, Massachusetts for 31 years before moving to Benchmark Senior Living.

Marjorie attended Foxboro High School and studied chemistry at Northeastern University in Boston. It was there that she met her future husband, Alfred J. Pacelli. They married in July 1948 at St. Mary’s Church, Foxboro, and were married 69 years until Alfred’s death in Hyannis in 2017.

Marjorie was a devoted mother to her four children, and she had a special place in her heart for cats. She earned a real estate license, although she did not practice. Marjorie was expert at refinishing woodwork and furniture, including upholstery and caning, and could turn any worn or damaged piece from a secondhand shop into a prized possession. In her later years, she became an accomplished investor who closely followed the financial news. One of her favorite activities in Osterville was visiting the ospreys at Dowses Beach.

Marjorie is survived by her children David A. Pacelli and his wife Nancy Wigginton of Great Falls, Virginia; Richard A. Pacelli and his partner Susan Melanson of Northbridge, Massachusetts; Chris Pacelli and his wife Nancy of Lakeville, Massachusetts; and Jennifer J. Pacelli of North Woodstock, New Hampshire. She also is survived by grandchildren Colin Pacelli, Brendan Pacelli, Devin Pacelli and his wife Michelle, Dr. Caelan Cordova, Au.D. and her husband Michael, Kaitlyn Fano and her partner Matthew Cole, and Taylor Mae Fano and her fiancé Joseph Antoine; great-grandchildren Caroline DeChambeau, Sofia Cordova, Margaret Pacelli, and Benjamin Cole; sister Janet F. Cushing and husband Larry E. Cushing; and nieces Brenda W. Fayed and her husband Toman A. Fayed, and Beverly W. Pini and her husband Ross A. Pini.

A funeral Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on January 2, 2026 at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church and burial was at Hillside Cemetery, both in Osterville. The family thanks Chapman Funerals and Cremations in Marston Mills for handling the arrangements.