Mari-Jo C. Harney, of Southborough, MA and formerly of Hopkinton, MA, died peacefully in the comfort of her home on July 24th, 2015, after a battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her loving husband, Joseph, and her sons, Joe, Jake and Justin. Mari-Jo was the daughter of Joseph F. and Esther (Grandy) Charlebois and was born in Potsdam, NY.
After graduating from D’Youville College’s (Buffalo, NY) Nursing Program in 1969, she moved to Boston, MA, where she met her husband Joseph. Mari-Jo worked as a Registered Nurse at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Newton Wellesley Hospital, where she taught young nurses surgical nursing. After a number of years instructing nurses, Mari-Jo recognized a need for the placement of nurses within local nursing homes and religious convent infirmaries. Mari-Jo and Joe raised their family in Hopkinton, MA, where they resided for over 25 years. In 1978, Mari-Jo established Professional Nursing Placement Services, Inc., a nurse-staffing agency. Acting as a pioneer in the healthcare industry, Mari-Jo identified another need to place private nurses and home health aides to assist with acute medical care and individual personal care services in the comfort of a one’s home. Mari-Jo was the agency’s Executive Director & Director of Nursing for over 35 years, and she dedicated her entire professional career to improving the health of her clients and their families. Mari-Jo also developed very close relationships with her employees and staff. Some of her closest friendships are with those who continue to have worked within the agency. Her success and longevity in the healthcare industry is a credit to her extraordinary caring nature and her persistent work ethic. Today, the agency has serviced over 3,500 elderly, disabled and sick patients in the Metro-West and Greater Boston area.
Mari-Jo was an avid golfer, artist and painter, although her true passion and joy were her grandchildren, Joey, Jack, Jimmy, Ryan, Timothy and Abigail. As a fixture at her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events over the years, she developed lifetime friendships with the many people she encountered. Mari-Jo was active in the community and her service was evident in the many networks and organizations she was a part of, especially the St. Sebastian’s Country Day School in Needham, where Mari-Jo was president of the Guild of St. Irene, an organization that works for the enhancement of St. Sebastian’s School through social, fundraising, and volunteer activities. She loved deeply her sons and their wives – Joseph & Jennifer, Jake & Christina, Justin & Meghan. She is survived by her husband, Joseph Harney, mother Esther Charlebois, siblings John, Dan, Patsy & Joe, and many nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at the Chesmore Funeral Home, 57 Hayden Rowe St., Hopkinton, from 3:00pm to 7:00pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, Chestnut Hill, on Friday, July 31, at 10:00 am. Please omit flowers. Donations may be made in the name of Mari-Jo C. Harney to D’Youville College Nursing Scholarship Fund, Buffalo, NY; St Sebastian’s School, Needham MA; Nativity Preparatory School, Boston and The Paraclete Academy, Boston MA.
(Obituary via Chesmore Funeral Home)
