Elaine McNiff

February 6, 1938 - July 20, 2024

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Obituary for Elaine McNiff

Read more at C.R. Lyons & Sons Funeral Directors

Elaine (Campbell) McNiff of Danvers passed away on July 20, 2024, at the age of 86, after a difficult battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Salem, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Louise (Mullarkey) Campbell. Elaine graduated from Salem High School and from Salem State with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. She married the love of her life, Edward J. McNiff, Jr. on Flag Day, June 14, 1958, and continued to adorn her home and outfits with American flags. They lived in Danvers, where they raised their family and were parishioners of Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church.

Elaine was a true educator at heart. She was a dedicated elementary and middle school math teacher for several decades in the Peabody public schools, retiring from Higgins Middle School. She continued teaching at the learning center at Saint Mary of the Annunciation School in Danvers. She was an active member of the Bishop Fenwick High School Advisory Board for many years. She started McNiff Educational Consultants and taught some of the first North Shore personal computer classes. She continued to provide SAT preparation classes and tutor students well into her 80s. It seemed like wherever she went she was greeted by former grateful students and their even more grateful parents.

Elaine and Eddie spent nearly 60 summers in Wolfeboro, NH at their beloved Lake Wentworth where Elaine’s parents and extended family vacationed. Their greatest joy was watching their girls and their friends and then the next generations of grandchildren and great grandchildren enjoying the lake. Some of their most memorable trips were to the1972 Olympics in Montreal, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Disney World with their daughters, sons in law and the grandchildren, and true to their Irish roots, traveled several times to Ireland, including to Dublin to cheer on the Boston College football team.

Elaine is survived by four daughters - Sharon McCarthy and Maureen Branconnier of Danvers, Karol-Anne O’Leary (spouse Thomas O’Leary) of Newburyport and Kathleen Mortimer (spouse Jeffrey Mortimer) of Weston. She had 12 grandchildren (Andrew McCarthy, Kristen (McCarthy) Aprile, Shayla McCarthy, Laura (Branconnier) Lanzi, Carly and Nicole Branconnier, Brigid (O’Leary) Graham, Michael, Ellen and Eamon O’Leary, Alexander and Kyle Mortimer) and 9 great grandchildren as well as numerous beloved nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, husband and siblings including James, Eleanor, Paul and Dennis Campbell, Marie (Campbell) O’Neil, Claire (Campbell) Tache, and Kathleen (Campbell) Sharp.

Her family would like to extend a sincere thank you to the amazing staff at Seasons of Danvers and Care Dimensions who provided loving care to Elaine for the last few years of her life.Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10AM on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, 24 Conant St., Danvers. Burial will follow in Annunciation Cemetery, Danvers. Visitation will be held from 5-7PM on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at C.R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Directors, 28 Elm St., Danvers. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Elaine’s name to Care Dimensions Hospice (https://www.caredimensions.org) or to Friends of the Danvers Council on Aging, 25 Stone Street, Danvers MA 01923.