Therese ‘Terry’ Stewart, former French Immersion teacher & Vice Principal in Holliston…

Therese ‘Terry’ Rose Stewart, 75, of Holliston, passed away on June 26th at Milford Regional Hospital. Born in Central Falls, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of the late Rita Claire (Blanchette) and Harve Beaudette.  She was the beloved wife of 53 years to Kevin James Stewart of Holliston. 

Terry studied education at Rhode Island College and before meeting her husband, had been an acolyte in the Catholic Religious order of the Little Sisters of the Poor.  She chose to marry and spent 53 years in a loving marriage instead.  After their wedding on the 4th of July, they lived briefly in Rhode Island before moving to Massachusetts and settling in Holliston, where they have lived for 50 years. Terry worked at Allstate as an insurance adjuster before returning to school at Framingham State for her Master’s in Education. She returned to teaching in Holliston as the third grade, half-day French Immersion teacher in 1986. She would spend nearly two decades as one of Holliston’s French Immersion teachers, working in the Kindergarten program where her love for all things chocolate earned her the treasured nickname, ‘Madame Chocolate’.  As any former student will tell you, she never forgot who they were or to speak to them in French before switching back to English. She was also the President of the Holliston Teachers Union for many years, fighting for the rights of the teachers of the town from her room at Andrews or Placentino, at the Administration offices, or from her dining room table. 

She moved from teaching to administration and became the Vice Principal of Placentino Elementary School until she retired. Madame Chocolate became Madame Stewart, a caring, but firm vice principal who affected the lives of every student and family who came through the school. She retired to take care of her two beloved granddaughters, Claire and Reese, who were the light of her life.  She was with them nearly every day of their lives; after school as a babysitter, a cheering fan at soccer, baseball, Irish step dancing, hockey, or Ninja Gym. 

She traveled with her husband Kevin, during her retirement going to visit family in Arizona and California. They also shared trips to Rome and Israel, Newfoundland and Labrador. She was a lecturer for many years at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Holliston as well as the instructor for Protecting God’s Children. She was a devout and steadfast Catholic her whole life.

Besides her husband Kevin, Terry is survived by two children, Brian Stewart of Holliston and Meredith Carey, and her husband, Hal of Westwood. She leaves behind her brother, Paul of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and his wife Alona Rotkovitch; and her two grandchildren Claire and Reese Carey. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 30th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. www.ChesmoreFuneralHome.com A funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, July 1st, at 9:00 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Church of Holliston with burial following in the parish cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, www.cff.org