A life very well lived

ROCKPORT — Jojo McAlary passed away peacefully at Wingate Residences, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, her “home away from home” for the last two and a half years, surrounded by family and friends, after a short period of declining health on July 21, 2026. She was two weeks short of her 103 rd birthday.

Born August 8, 1923 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the only child of Everett E. Pitts and Diana Wall Pitts (later Fogler). She lived in New Orleans until 1937 when the family moved back to the family home in Rockport, Maine. Jojo was in a class of nine that graduated from Rockport High School in 1940. She went on to attend Colby College, graduating in December 1943.

She met her future husband, Frederick McAlary, at Colby College and they were married two hours after she received her diploma on December 12, 1943. Frederick, also a Colby graduate was in the U.S. Army at that time. He was soon deployed to Europe during WWII, not returning until the Fall of 1945. In his absence Jojo lived in Rockport, taught high school and gave birth to their first child, Diana.

After being discharged from the Army, they moved to Bangor, Maine where Fred began a 38 year career with the Bangor Daily News. In 1947 they had a second child, Fred, Jr. In addition to bringing up her young family, Jojo was active with the womens’ group at St. John’s Episcopal Church, scouting clubs, Lionetts and Patawa Club.

In 1963, she returned to teaching in the Math Department at Fifth Street Junior High School. In 1972 she transferred to Bangor High School where she taught algebra and geometry, was a class advisor and was very active many school activities. She and Fred both retired in 1985. After retiring they moved into the Rockport house that they had inherited from her parents which became their year-round home. Traveling annually became a passion; Europe to celebrate D-Day’s 50th anniversary, Australia, New Zealand, Florida and many Caribbean islands.

In 2004, after several years of failing health Fred passed shortly after their 60th anniversary. Jojo decided that Rockport would remain her forever home where she was surrounded by many relatives and friends. She enjoyed daily walks to Rockport Harbor, frequent visits to the top of Mount Battie and being a long-time member of the Mid Coast Community Chorus.

She was always ready to go anywhere with anyone that wanted to travel. Over the next 15 years among other adventures she: walked the Great Wall in China, rode an elephant in Thailand, ziplined over Victoria Falls in Africa, did a train trip across Canada, rode a camel Tunisia, fed the macaques in Gibraltar, hiked the glaciers in Patagonia, visited the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, cruised the Amazon in Brazil, visited the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, hot air ballooned in Turkey, also toured Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Finland, Estonia, Singapore, South Africa and many other destinations. She fulfilled her world travel bucket list except travel to Antarctica.

Jojo was predeceased by her husband, Fred, in 2004; her daughter, Diana Hicks in 2013; and her grandson Andrew Hicks in 2010.

She is survived by her son, Fred McAlary and his wife Mary of Andover, Massachusetts; grandson Ryan and his partner Phil Coppola of Haverhill, Massachusetts; son-in-law Tony Hicks, of Leesburg, Florida; granddaughter, Jennifer Hicks of Brunswick, Maine; grandson Andrew Hicks and his wife Karen of Annapolis, Maryland; as well as five great-grandchildren. two great-great grandchildren, and a nephew, David McAlary.

A Memorial Service will be scheduled in August in Rockport, Maine. Further details will be forthcoming.

Condolences and memories may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Camden.