The indomitable Jessie Rodrique, age 66 of Concord, MA, passed away peacefully on April 15, 2026, in Lincoln, MA, following a brave battle with cancer. Friends and family gathered in her final hours, mirroring the love she had given them over the years they had spent together.

Born July 16, 1959, in Shirley, Massachusetts, Jessie grew up in Auburn, MA, graduating from Auburn High School in 1977. Her propensity for learning blossomed into a distinguished academic career. After graduating magna cum laude from Assumption College with a B.A. in history and sociology, she enrolled at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she earned her Ph.D. in American History.

Jessie parlayed her education into a life advancing the humanities. Whether editing the correspondence of John and Abigail Adams at the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, MA, or archiving the works of fifty jazz legends of America’s swing era at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., Jessie’s agile mind was prodigious and productive.

In her role as Director of Programs for Newbury Court Senior Living in Concord, MA, and later as Curator of Cultural Experiences for North Hill Senior Living in Needham, MA, she curated art exhibitions, cultural events, and learning opportunities equal to the intellectual stature and cultural literacy of the residents she served.

Jessie was a staunch feminist, mindful that many of the rights she enjoyed had been hard won by generations of women who came before her. In 2002, she published the Worcester Women’s History Heritage Trail Guidebook for the Worcester History Project.

Jessie drew sustenance from nature, art, literature, and music. She “walked with the trees” for quiet reflection and read voraciously to satisfy a mind in motion. Art and music in all their forms were intertwined with the essence that was Jessie.

Predeceased by her parents, Judith and George Rodrique, Sr, Jessie leaves many cousins in the Wood and Rodrique families: her aunts and uncles who spent much time with her through the years, Patricia Wood Duran, Hazel Wood Hopkins and Craig Hopkins; her brother George, his wife Mizuho Minegishi of Stamford, Conn; her sister Cathy Berse Crucius of Wisconsin; her dearest, lifelong friend Annie Walker Merry of Eastport Maine, and a host of other beloved friends whose hearts are tenderly imprinted with her memory.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Jessie on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 11:00 am in the Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap Street, Concord, MA.

To view the service remotely, visit: https://iframe.dacast.com/b/156599/c/541148

Arrangements are under the care of Concord Funeral Home, 74 Belknap Street, Concord, MA 01742 978-369-3388 www.concordfuneral.com