It is with great sorrow that we share the news that one of the founders of Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) and our first President of the MBCC board passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023.
In Ann’s own words, when she became President in 1991, “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989 and, like many others, was moved to action as I learned more about this epidemic… it’s important we have organizations like ours to offer support, education and advocacy. It is through this advocacy that we will be able to change the course of the rampant breast cancer epidemic.”
“Ann was my mentor, friend and guiding light for 32 years,” MBCC Executive Director Cheryl Osimo said in remembrance. “Ann will go down in history as one of the greatest activists of all time. Ann had the courage and commitment to change the world for future generations.”
Ann was a force for MBCC in its early days and moving MBCC’s mission into action. MBCC would not be the strong and significant organization that it is today without Ann’s guiding hand and eloquent voice. All of us at MBCC, and those who knew her or who knew of her, are so grateful to have had her as our leader and champion of our cause.
In an interview in 2014 with the Provincetown Banner, Ann said, “You can’t just sit. You’ve got to do stuff. Even if it’s just to volunteer. That’s how you make things better. That’s how things change.”
She added, “I truly believe in that great quote by Margaret Mead. ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”
Ann Maguire changed the world in so many ways, through MBCC, through other organizations and causes important to her, and for many individuals. The loss of one of our founders strengthens our resolve to be the kind of stewards of this organization that Ann was, and to ensure the continuation of the mission and vision that Ann created: to change the course of breast cancer for future generations.
