Jean M. Andrews

Jean Marie Andrews, 93, of Lynnfield passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family and the many memories of a life beautifully lived.

Born on April 2, 1933, in Little Falls, New York, Jean was the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Costello) McCarthy. She grew up alongside her two brothers, Richard and Robert McCarthy, and her identical twin sister, Joan Newton, with whom she shared a lifelong and extraordinary bond.

Jean spent her early years in Little Falls before attending Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Business. While raising her four daughters she enjoyed skiing, and sailing at their cottage in Maine.

Jean shared a remarkable life with her beloved husband, James Robert “Bob” Andrews. They worked together for many years at Personnel Management Group, the company Bob founded in Wakefield, Massachusetts in 1960. Beyond their professional life, they shared a deep faith and adventurous spirit that led them around the world through missionary work and travel. Their journeys took them to England, Russia, China, Korea, Singapore, and many other places, creating friendships and experiences they treasured throughout their lives.

During their time in England, Jean developed a lifelong love of tea culture and hospitality. This passion inspired her to research and write several tea travel books, including In Search of the Perfect Scone, In Search of the Perfect Cream Tea, and Tearooms of New England. She delighted in hosting elaborate tea parties for friends and family, always creating warmth, beauty, and connection around her table.

After retiring in 1989, Jean and Bob devoted themselves fully to missionary work with CRU, serving for five years in Florida and California before spending a year in Beijing, China. They belonged to Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for over 45 years. Church, Bible study, prayer, and Christian fellowship were at the center of her daily life, and she found great joy and purpose in sharing her faith and encouraging those around her.

In her later years, Jean continued to live out that faith through service and community. She was active in the Lynnfield Garden Club, volunteered at the local library, participated faithfully in Bible study groups, and knitted for charitable causes. She also cherished time spent with dear friends from her many book clubs. Her church family at Grace Chapel remained a deeply meaningful and central part of her life.

Above all else, Jean’s greatest joy was her family. She lovingly referred to them as “my four beautiful daughters.” She is survived by Kathryn Crook and her husband Stephen of Reading, Massachusetts; Lynda Gallagher and her husband Richard Smith of Newmarket, New Hampshire; Sandra Hussey and her husband Robert of Waterville, Maine; Lauren Bunker of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts; and her stepson John Andrews and his wife Martha of Allons, Tennessee. She is also survived by her eleven grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, all of whom brought immense joy and pride to her life.

Jean was predeceased by her beloved husband, James Robert Andrews; her stepdaughter Roberta Poorman and her husband John; her brothers Richard McCarthy and his wife Coma, and Robert McCarthy and his wife Marie; and her identical twin sister, Joan Newton and her husband Robert.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer Street, Lynnfield on Friday, May 22 at 12pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Arrangements are in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home, Wakefield.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kaplan Family Hospice House, c/o Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B102, Danvers, MA 01923.