Margaret Healey

Margaret Ann Healey, of Saint Johnsbury, aged 74, died Wednesday, March 19, 2025, after a brief battle with cancer.

Margaret was born in New Jersey and was married to Lawrence Dolan for more than fifty years. Together they raised two wonderful children, Kathleen Jamjuree and Amara Anongsuda. In addition, Amara and her husband Donald Butterfield have two children, Kiara, aged four and Kayden aged three. The Butterfields live with Margaret and Lawrence and Kiara and Kayden were the joy of Margaret's life.

Margaret earned a BA from Rutgers University and a Masters in Business Administration from Rutgers. In addition, Margaret was a Certified Management Accountant.

After beginning her career with Johnson & Johnson, Margaret joined the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a Foreign Service Officer. USAID is the international development arm of the U.S. Department of State. Margaret worked with USAID for 25 years as Executive Officer. In that capacity she served in Indonesia (twice), Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Ghana. In addition, she supported USAID Missions in Cambodia, Mongolia and Vietnam. In the late 1990s, she was a member of a team of five that created the first USAID program in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War.

Upon her retirement in 2016, Margaret was an active volunteer in Saint Johnsbury, serving as a founding member and treasurer of the Caledonia Food Co-op, as treasurer of the Council on Aging and volunteer member of the Community Restorative Justice Center. She served as head of the Vermont Chapter of FARNE, the Foreign Affairs Retirees of New England and was a Member of the Charcot Marie Tooth Association, a group dedicated to the cure of this hereditary neuropathy and a disease that affected Margaret all of her life.

Margaret was the author of a book entitled Backpacking Around Africa 1975-1976 and with her husband was co-author of a two volume book entitled Overseas Posting: Letters from Indonesia and Thailand.

In addition to her husband, children and grandchildren, Margaret leaves behind two sisters, Joan Ross and Patricia Gannon, a brother William Healey and his wife Lois as well as a niece Leigh Ann Healey and nephew, Kenneth Gannon. On her husband's side she leaves behind sister-in-law and brother-in-law Lynn Dolan and Robert Nabinger and their children Renee and Tyler, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Jen Dolan and Dan Gerber, and their children Corey, Jessie and Josh, brother-in-law Martin Dolan and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Matt Dolan and Jennifer Dolan and their children Christian and Molly.

Margaret asked that her tombstone include the following inscription:

WE LED AN AMAZING LIFE TOGETHER.

Visiting Hours will be held at Sayles Funeral Home, 525 Summer Street, St. Johnsbury on Wednesday, March 26 from 6-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Thursday, March 27th at 10am at the St. John the Evangelist Church with Rev. Fr. Lance W. Harlow officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Margaret’s name can be made to the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging or the Caledonia Restorative Justice Center.

Memories and condolences can be shared with the family at caledonialifeservices.com.