Kathleen "Kay" M. (Hoban) Scanlon

Retired Wilmington Town Clerk

Kathleen “Kay” M. (Hoban) Scanlon passed away on September 16, 2023, at home following a brief illness.  She was the beloved wife of the late Richard J. Scanlon Jr

Kathleen M. (Hoban) Scanlon was born on October 23, 1935, in Woburn, MA; she was the cherished daughter of the late Francis "Nifty" Hoban and Cecelia (O’Doherty) Hoban. 

Kathleen graduated from Wilmington High School in 1953. She went to work at Liberty Mutual in Boston for two years after graduation. She then became an airline stewardess for Northeast/Delta Airlines from 1955-1959.  She commented frequently that President Jack Kennedy was one of her frequent flyers.  She left the airline in 1959 to marry the love of her life, whom she met on a blind date.  Kay and Dick were married June 11, 1960, and they shared 42 years of marriage before Dick’s death in 2001. 

Kathleen began her career as an employee of the Town of Wilmington in 1969 as a Clerk at the Board of Appeals.  She began working in the Assessor’s Office in 1972.  She was appointed Assistant Town Clerk in 1977.  She was promoted to Town Clerk in 1992 and held that position until her retirement in 2006. She was also a Justice of the Peace, and she officiated many weddings for couples.  She believed it was a great honor to be part of a wedding ceremony, and she spent many hours making each wedding “just right”.  Kathleen worked for the Town of Wilmington for a total of 37 years, and she loved the Town.

Kay had many interests and enjoyed being active.  She was well-read and enjoyed talking about current and local events.  She reveled in listening to all the exploits of her children and grandchildren.  She loved spending time with family and friends through lunches, dinners, holidays, and family celebrations.  She had a great love for the beach and the ocean and spent many weeks’ vacations at Hampton and Seabrook Beach NH and Old Orchard Beach ME. Late afternoon with some wine and cheese & crackers was her favorite part of the day.  She was also a great fan of Wilmington HS sports, especially baseball, soccer, and hockey as she watched her husband and son passionately from the sidelines. She also took to technology easily and stayed in touch with her grandchildren through texts and humorous emojis. Kathleen was a devout Catholic and devoted parishioner of St. Dorothys Church. Her faith guided her through all of the joys and sorrows of her life.  People were struck by her beauty and by how gracefully she aged.  She was a kind, loving and supportive wife, mother, and Grammy.  A beautiful and positive light in the world.  She will be tremendously missed.

Kathleen is survived by her children; Richard J. Scanlon of Billerica, MA, Stephen and Tina Scanlon of Wilmington, MA Michael Scanlon of Billerica, MA and Susan and Christopher Carter of Wilmington, MA.  She was the adored “Grammy” of Timothy and Jackie, Shannon, Jessica, Colin, Siobhan, Patrick, Kaitlin, Shailagh, Colleen, and Alexander, as well as 5 great grandchildren: Grace, Nathan, Jordan, Lucas, and Liam. She is also survived by her brother Richard Hoban of Naples, FL, her brothers and sisters-in-law Richard and his wife Margie Harrington Merrimack, NH, Robert Andersen of Wakefield, NH, and Catherine Hoban of Middletown, NY, she is predeceased by Francis Hoban, Sheila (Hoban) Harrington, and Ann (Hoban) Andersen. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law: Marcia Scanlon and Louise Scanlon, and her lifelong friends: Linda Connolly (“My Linda”) of North Andover, MA, Phyllis Vieira of Tewksbury, MA, Peggy White and Carol Hulbert both of Wilmington, MA.  Kay is also a much-loved Aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington, MA, on Monday, September 25th at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Dorothy's Church, Main St. (Rte. 38), Wilmington, MA, at 10:00 a.m.  Interment Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington, MA.  Visiting Hours will be held at the Funeral Home on Sunday, September 24th from 3:00-7:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kathleen's memory may be made to the Wilmington Food Pantry, c/o Wilmington Community Fund, P. O. Box 147, Wilmington, MA  01887.

To leave a message of condolence for the family please visit our website at www.nicholsfuneralhome.com