Jacalyn I. Mioglionico

HOLDEN - On April 12, 2023, Jacalyn Isabelle (Mentzer) Mioglionico, 69, of Holden, Massachusetts, was reunited with those who have passed before her. She passed while surrounded by love from her husband George and while cuddled up with her daughters Angela Mioglionico and Jennifer McQuade.

Since 2021, Jackie had been living with a slow progression of interstitial lung disease (pulmonary fibrosis). At the beginning of March 2023, she contracted the flu, which caused additional inflammation in her lungs which was insurmountable. She leaves behind her husband, her daughters, one grandson (Caleb), one foster granddaughter, 12 nieces and nephews, and many great nieces and nephews.

Jackie was born on July 3, 1953, to Donald Mentzer and Cora (Humphrey) Mentzer, and grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is already missed by her three older brothers: Donald Ivan Mentzer, Jr., married to June Mentzer; Robert Mentzer, previously married to Phyllis Mentzer; and Stephen Mentzer, married to Carron Mentzer. She had one older sister, Carole Windle, who predeceased her.

She attended elementary school at Nelson Place in Worcester, junior high at Forest Grove, and graduated from Burncoat Senior High School. While in school, she was active in the Girl Scouts as well as First Baptist Church in Worcester. It was in junior high where she first met George Mioglionico, with whom she would fall in love and eventually marry on June 2, 1973. After graduation from high school she began an education in home economics at Framingham State College, but after 2 years she decided to leave to dedicate her time to raising a family.

Jackie was kind, creative, thoughtful, intelligent, and introverted. She was not one to raise a fuss and would rather make the best of adversity-no matter how big or small-or solve problems quietly on her own. She was excellent at problem solving and working to accommodate others. She was a pioneer in the reuse-recycle movement, using reusable shopping bags and repurposing plastic containers, decades before the current international push to do so. This mindset was important to her as far back as the 1980s. She became active in her community in recent years, proudly serving as a Town of Holden Election Volunteer.

When Jackie's children were young, her full-time job was running the household. She was a "room mom" to her daughters' elementary classrooms, chaperoned field trips, made pancakes or bought donuts on birthday mornings, made school and work lunches, made dinners every night, and attended swim lessons, dance classes, theater performances, softball and field hockey games and practices. She taught her daughters how to care for themselves and their home, among many other life lessons. She was a shoulder to cry on, a homework assistant, and (although she disliked this one) a personal driver on days the girls missed the bus to school.

While running her household, Jackie held a part-time job as the administrative assistant to Chaffins Plumbing, George's well-known plumbing business. She was the friendly voice on the line when customers called looking for help with plumbing matters and the person who carefully wrote and sent invoices once work was completed. For decades, she and George were an excellent team in this endeavor.

Once her daughters were teenagers, Jackie pursued work outside her home. Her 26-year career as a pharmacy technician started in 1991, at Apple Drug in Holden, Massachusetts, where, at first, she worked in the greeting card department, changing over the stock. From there, she became a cashier, and then began working in the pharmacy. Through the changes from Apple Drug, to Brooks, to Rite Aid, and finally to Walgreens; she enjoyed her work with the community and her colleagues, often building friendships with customers she saw regularly. She greeted people with a smile and her kind, soft voice. She reluctantly retired from pharmacy work in 2018.

Jackie's passions and interests ebbed and flowed over the years. Her family was her first, favorite, and most consistent passion. Together, they had fun, supported each other, and were proud of each other's accomplishments. For the last 9 years, one of her greatest pleasures was babysitting and teaching her grandchildren.

She also loved plants and flowers. Even from her hospital bed, she wanted to see picture updates of the crocuses, tulips, and daffodils that she knew were growing in her flower beds. Her sunroom is filled with all manner of plants. She never saw a mini-African Violet or orchid at the store that she didn't want to take home with her. She could nurse any sick plant back to health, having a green thumb she seems not to have passed on to her children. She always had a pair of binoculars available to her so she could peep on the birds in the yard, often calling one of her daughters to let them know "who" had been there.

She was always a lover of hand crafts: sewing, knitting, quilling, embroidery, and cross-stitch. Sewing and knitting were talents taught to her largely by her mother, and Jackie then passed the knowledge and skills along to her own daughters. Over the years, she used these skills to make clothing, accessories, and costumes for her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and to donate to organizations helping others in need. She also used these skills to build priceless generational connections.

Jackie and George have become social throughout town in recent years. She enjoyed participating in frequent bus trips to Atlantic City, New Jersey, organized by friends. She also enjoyed cooking and baking, often "MacGuyvering" a recipe when she was missing an ingredient. Through the years, she also enjoyed playing video and card games, bowling, and watching decades of Wheel of Fortune and Chronicle.

We are confident that those who knew Jackie and are reading this will agree that there is still so much more to say about our beloved wife, mother, grammy, sister, friend, and aunt We welcome you to share your stories with family at calling hours to be held Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 5:00pm-8:00PM at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. There will be a funeral on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at 11:00AM at First Baptist Church, 111 Park Avenue, Worcester, Massachusetts. A small graveside service will follow.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to express condolences through financial means is encouraged to donate to the American Lung Association.

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