Jacqueline McAvoy remembers her sister, Maureen, as a best friend, someone with whom she’d spend time sleigh riding during the winter months and swimming year-round. Despite a six-year age gap, Jacqueline deems her an exemplary older sister known for her courage.
“I remember once when she was a senior in high school and on varsity soccer, someone stepped on her hand – because she was goalie – and broke her hand,” said Jacqueline. “But even though it was hurting her, she kept playing because she didn’t want to leave the game. She loved sports.”
Jacqueline, 13, said it was this fortitude that kept Maureen McAvoy ’10 in high spirits after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 2006. Throughout McAvoy’s illness and recent death, her sister said she never complained.
“She just dealt with it. She did whatever was needed to help her get better,” Jacqueline said.
Maureen McAvoy’s 18-year-old sister, Siobhan McAvoy, agreed that her energy and modesty were visible.
“When she was first diagnosed, she didn’t really show that she was upset at all. [Maureen] just said, ‘I’ll get through this,'” Siobhan added.
Siobhan said McAvoy had been receiving treatments at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, five days a week since January 2007. Although the tumor shrank, it returned more powerfully in late August. She said the treatments weakened McAvoy before her death on Monday, Oct. 15.
“The last few days, that’s when she really had it tough,” she said.
McAvoy’s older sister, Kelly, 22, said treatments were reduced to only once a week during the summer. But when McAvoy began having difficulty breathing and eating earlier this month, her family brought her to Sloan-Kettering, where she later passed away.
Although McAvoy was only able to complete her first semester as a freshman on campus, her father, John McAvoy, said she completed online courses during the spring to continue her studies.
“She did very well through the summer and was fully enrolled to come back fall semester but unfortunately had to withdraw in late August,” he said.
A mathematics major from Brewster, N.Y., McAvoy left a lasting impression on many from her hometown as well as at Fairfield.
Gina Bartolomeo, for example, met McAvoy at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School in Somers, N.Y., in 2002. They became friends after playing sports, sharing classes and participating in the National Honor Society, where McAvoy tutored fellow students in mathematics.
“We also coached three- and four-year olds in soccer together, volunteering every Saturday morning bright and early. But Maureen didn’t mind because she loved children,” said Bartolomeo, adding that McAvoy lifeguarded at a local summer camp.
Bartolomeo commented on McAvoy’s maternal instincts: “My friends would joke and call her ‘mom’ because she had a mother-like quality about her, worrying over everyone and looking out for all of our best interests, even if she didn’t have to.”
Close friend Joanna Cloherty echoed Bartolomeo’s sentiment.
“I can see her being such a great mom. I mean, she already is one to our group of friends,” she said.
A companion since first grade, Kristina Lambertus said McAvoy was a “funny, kind-hearted, intelligent person.”
“She was always there for you when you needed her the most. She wrote me a letter last year just to say ‘Happy November’ while I was at school in South Carolina, telling me about how … she loved it there at Fairfield,” Lambertus said.
Sarah Fuller ’10, who met McAvoy at freshman orientation, said McAvoy enjoyed her time at Fairfield and deeply touched those around her.
“Maureen was always laughing, telling jokes and playing tricks on us,” she said. “Twice we went into New York City, once to see the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center because Maureen loved Christmas.”
McAvoy’s father emphasized his daughter’s contributions to the community. In August 2002, McAvoy created a backpack drive in Mahopac, N.Y., to fund back-to-school supplies for less fortunate families. She raised approximately $2,000.
“She did it one year, and it was so successful that we’ve done it every year since,” he said.
“It was such a resounding success that she received the Mahopac Good Citizen Award for it. More importantly, she helped a tremendous number of families that really appreciated it.”
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