Dr. Jacqueline M. Charette

Dr. Jacqueline M. Charette

Professor of Music, retired from University of Mass, Lowell.

Dr. Jacqueline M. Charette died Sunday September 27th at Mass General Hospital surrounded by her family after a five year battle with lung cancer. Daughter of Beatrice (Alexander) Charette and Joseph Leo Charette, she was born in Lowell on December 24th 1937.She was a graduate of St. Joseph’s High School and received her Bachelor of Music from Rivier College. She was a member of the Grey Nuns of the Cross for a few years where she taught at St. Joseph’s High School and in Lafayette Louisiana. She left the Grey Nuns then continued to teach at the University of Lowell. While teaching there, she earned her Doctorate from Boston University. A professor there for over thirty years, Jackie thoroughly enjoyed her work. Because of her keen interest in the music of composer Claude Debussy she authored a book on him which was published in 1990.She also spearheaded and was responsible for two sculptures of Debussy, sculpted by Mico Kaufman. One is placed in the pavilion of the North Campus and the other in Debussy’s home town in St. Germaine-en-Laye, just outside of Paris. She was the recipient of the Sun King Medal in 1999, a prestigious French philanthropic award. She was the only non-French citizen to have received that award. She leaves a brother, Norman, and sister-in-law Julie A. Charette; a sister Pauline Nutter, and several nieces and nephews. She had a special relationship with her nephew Norman, helping and encouraging him with his pursuit of music. He was her pride and joy.

Jackie was always a generous and loving person, and will be dearly missed.

A special thank you to Dr. Heist and Kelly Goodwin and the team at Mass General for their care, concern and love provided to Jacqueline.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Jackie may be made to the Massachusetts General Hospital in support of lung cancer research. Gifts can be made online at  https://giving.massgeneral.org/donate/  or mailed to the MGH Development Office, attention: Keith Erickson, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114. Checks payable to Massachusetts General Hospital.  Please include “MGH thoracic cancer fund for lung cancer research”, in honor of "Jacqueline Charette’ on the memo line.

Jaqueline’s Funeral Mass and Burial took place privately.  For online condolences or directions please visit www.tyngsboroughfuneralhome.com.

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