Joanne (MacPhee) Mullen

Joanne (MacPhee) Mullen, 88, of Newton Highlands, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2022.  Beloved wife of 64 years to Louis J. Mullen, Jr.  She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Adelaide MacPhee.  Loving mother of James Mullen and his wife Elizabeth of Walpole, MA, Edmund Mullen and his wife Patricia of West Roxbury, MA, Paul Mullen and his wife Carol of Abington, MA, and Richard Mullen and his wife Karen of Needham, MA.  Dear “Nana” of Matthew Mullen and his wife Kristen, Hannah Mullen, Daniel Mullen, Elizabeth Mullen, Susan Mullen, Melissa Mullen, and Katherine Mullen.  Joanne grew up in Newton Highlands.  She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Newton (Class of 1952), and she remained an active member of the Sacred Heart Parish.  Joanne worked in a variety of positions, starting in her 20’s as a secretary.  Later in life, she held part-time positions in several businesses in Newton Highlands, including a convenience store, drug store, hair salon, and news delivery service.  Thanks to these roles, she was a constant lively presence in Highlands Square, which led her friends to nickname her the Mayor of Newton Highlands.  Some of Joanne’s favorite pastimes were dancing and photography.  Joanne enjoyed any opportunity to go dancing, whether it was taking dancing lessons with her friends or dancing with Lou.  In her 20’s, Joanne looked forward to summer getaways with her friends to Wingaersheek Beach.  Later in life, these getaways evolved into summer vacations with family to the beaches of Cape Cod.  Joanne started taking pictures when she was a teenager, and she never stopped.  The equipment may have evolved, but whether she was taking snapshots with a Brownie camera or filming Super 8 movies with a blinding floodlight, she loved to record the happy moments spent with family and friends.

Visiting hours will be held in the Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave, Needham, on Tuesday April 26th from 4-7pm. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in Sacred Heart Church, 1317 Centre St, Newton Center, on Wednesday, April 27th at 10:30am. Burial will be private.  In lieu of flowers, a donation in memory of Joanne to the McCourt Foundation, 100 Grandview Road, Suite 100, Braintree, MA  02184 https://www.mccourtfoundation.org would be appreciated.  

PLEASE NOTE: The Mullen Family will be livestreaming the Mass on Wednesday morning beginning at 10:30am for those unable to attend in person. Please click on the following link: www.harborview.live