Ursula B. McCune

Ursula Brigitte McCune, 87, of Wakefield, Massachusetts, passed away on September 20, 2026. She was born in Munich, Germany, on September 27, 1938, to Manfred and Irmengarde Backmund.

Ursula was a traveler at heart, visiting more than 70 countries and loving the adventure of exploring. After meeting her husband, James, on a trip to the United States at 21, she made her home here and discovered her passion for teaching, becoming a beloved lecturer in languages at Tufts University for 25 years.

Ursula loved the arts. She studied ballet until the age of 20, later enjoyed ballroom dancing until she was 87, and remained a devoted lover of classical music all her life. A passionate skier, she water skied into her eighties and skied on snow all the way to age 87. She took special joy in watching her grandchildren learn to ski and in skiing alongside them. Whether it was a new place or a new activity, Ursula embraced it with enthusiasm and a love of fun.

She is survived by her sons, Christopher and Robin, and their families, including her grandchildren, Benjamin and Emma. She is also survived by her step-grandchildren, Casey and Ben. She was predeceased by her husband, James, and her stepdaughter, Jaimie, in 1996, and by her stepson, Douglas, in 2011.

A memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, November 1, at 12:00 p.m. at McDonald Funeral Home in Wakefield, followed by a reception and celebration of her life at the family home from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. The address will be provided at the memorial gathering.

Having experienced the end of World War II as a child in Germany, Ursula supported humanitarian aid charities throughout her life. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a humanitarian charity of your choice that helps victims of conflict on every side.