Obituary

Margaret A. (Connolly) Smith, age 88, of Brockton, died on January 27, 2022 at Boston Medical Center. Margaret was the wife of the late Hugh L. Smith. Born in Brockton and raised in Hull, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Elizabeth (Knowles) Connolly.

Margaret was a 1951 graduate of Hingham High School and a 1955 graduate of Bridgewater State College. She continued her education at Bridgewater State to earn her Master’s degree in education in 1957.

Margaret valued education and her years spent as a teacher where she could help her students. For many years she taught school, first in Hull at the Damon School then coming to Brockton where she taught at the Gilmore School. She spent the majority of her career at the Raymond School in Brockton and retired in 1998. Following her retirement, she enjoyed tutoring at Education Inc. until the age of 86.

For many years, she was a Union Officer as Secretary for the Brockton Education Association and supervised student teachers in the Education Department at Stonehill College. Margaret had a deep, quiet faith and had been an active parishioner of St. Patrick’s Church. She also sang in the church choir.

An avid reader, she was a loyal follower of local Brockton politics. She also enjoyed the Boston Red Sox. Summers were spent by the ocean in Hull with her beloved father and she was able to travel to Ireland, Europe and throughout the United States.

Margaret is survived by her children Robert Smith of Brockton, Elizabeth LaForest and her husband William of Duxbury, Joann O’Connell and her husband Tom of Hull and her stepchildren David Smith and his wife Fran of Plymouth and Nancy Hill and her husband Steve of Lakeville. She was the grandmother of Jack and Kyle LaForest and sister of the late Mary Connolly, Elizabeth Connolly, Fr. John Connolly and James Connolly.

Visitation will be held in the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) Brockton, Tuesday, February 1, 8:30-10:00am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Patrick’s Church at 10:30am. Donations in Margaret’s name may be made to the Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle, 24 Clark Street, Boston, MA 02109.