Jeanetta McColl of Framingham, MA has gone home, leaving behind a circle of those who loved her.
Here is what we wish the world to know of Jeanetta.
It is in the silence afterward that we hear how loud a life was.
Jeanetta McColl, 94, was born in Hampstead, UK, surrounded by music. Her Scottish father, Alexander McColl, was a piper and her Welsh mother, Olive, was a pianist. Together they introduced Jeanetta and her brother Iain to music and dance.
Jeanetta had a life-long interest in Scottish Country Dancing starting in 1945 as a dancer, then as a teacher in 1950. She held certificates for teaching both Highland and Country Dancing, having acquired her Highland certificate in the UK. She gave much of her life to the dance community, directing the Pinewoods Scottish Dance Camp Session 13 times, teaching for decades and leading performance groups. She was also one of the founding members of the Scottish Dance and Cultural Education Association (SDCEA) whose mission is to enable dancers and musicians to participate. Jeanetta was very special to the Stow Scottish dance group and as recently as 2 weeks before her death taught a dance that she wrote and for which her father had recorded the music on the pipes.
Jeanetta was a school teacher in the UK before coming to the US in 1961 and settling in the New England area where she had family members. She worked for many years at John Hancock as an accountant and was an early adopter and manager of computer data entry teams. Jeanetta moved to her home in Framingham Mass 50 years ago. She leaves 2 nieces: Alexandra Gale of the UK and Catherine McColl of New Zealand. She is predeceased by her parents and brother, and leaves numerous friends, especially Keith Nichols who always made sure to help her when she needed it.
Jeanetta was a great friend to many people from around the world, all of whom enjoyed her energy, dedication to high standards of dancing and teaching and great sense of humor. She described herself recently in the StoryCorpArchive recording as "somebody who has a lot of memories about a lot of things." She always had a glint in her eye and loved to tell a good story. She will be missed.
Donations in her memory can be sent to Scottish Dance and Cultural Education Association (SDCEA). https://www.rscdsboston.org/pdf/SDCEADonForm.pdf
A memorial will be held in the future.
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© 2024 McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home & Cremation Services | Design by FireHawk Funerals Pty Ltd & Legacy Tribute Solutions
