Mary Jo McConnell

MARBLEHEAD - Mary Jo McConnell, 88, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, passed peacefully on December 29, 2025, with her daughters by her side. 

Mary Jo lived to the beat of her own drum, seeing the world through a lens uniquely her own. An artist in both spirit and practice, she found beauty everywhere—in birds and fish, flowers, and even overlooked creatures, including beetles and rats. Curious, creative, and deeply observant, she delighted in sharing this perspective through her art and her actions, reminding others to slow down and appreciate the extraordinary in the ordinary. 

Born Mary Jo Armstrong, she grew up in Cortland, New York, and attended Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, where she met Navy pilot Spencer McConnell. Rather than a traditional engagement ring, she chose to put the money toward a houseboat where they could live and where she could paint. While purchasing sails, they fell in love with Marblehead, settled there, and raised their family. 

Mary Jo also had a deep passion for learning about Indigenous cultures and spent much of her life traveling the world in pursuit of that understanding. 

She is survived by her daughters, Elizabeth (Libby) Carter of Foxborough, Alexandra McConnell Cernkovic of Boynton Beach, Florida, and Amanda (Mandy) McConnell of Woodstock, Georgia; her grandchildren, Benjamin, Rebecca, Thomas, Meghan, Christina, Katie, Michael, Cinnamon, and Willow; and her great-grandchildren, Emma, Ivy, Zoey, Jack, and Abby. 

She will be remembered for her originality, her love of the natural world, and her generous way of sharing beauty in all its forms.”

ARRANGEMENTS: All services for Mary Jo will be held privately. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O’Donnell Cremations-Funerals-Celebrations, 84 Washington Square, SALEM. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com