Mary Louise Macneill

Mary Louise “Mary Lou” MacNeill, of Sun City, Bluffton, SC (formerly of Dartmouth, MA), passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on August 7, 2025. Born in New Bedford, MA on July 16, 1938, she spent most of her life in the South Coast area before, in her mid-70s, embarking on one more grand adventure—moving south with her beloved husband to Bluffton.

Mary Lou lived her 87 years with an open heart, a quick wit, and a boundless zest for life. She was a woman of love, laughter, tenacity, and deep gratitude for the blessings she cherished. She will be deeply missed by her devoted husband of 20 years, Arthur E. MacNeill, and by her children Carolyn (Michael) McCarthy, David (Jennifer) Horan, and Stephen Horan as well as her step-children Wendy (Bob), Stephanie, Liz and John. To her eight adoring grandchildren—Kerri, Meagan, Matthew, Allison, Jillian, Abigail, Ella, and Christopher and two great-grandchildren Kore and Julie as well as her five step-grandchildren Anna, Michael, Jack, Jameson and Grace—she was simply “Nana”!

A proud graduate of Salve Regina College in Newport, RI, Mary Lou never stopped learning. In her late forties, while working full time and raising her family, she earned her Master’s degree from Providence College—a testament to her determination. For more than 30 years, she poured her heart into teaching elementary school in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with 5th grade holding a special place in her heart. Generations of students remember her as “my favorite teacher,” a mentor who sparked curiosity, inspired confidence, and made learning joyful.

Outside the classroom, Mary Lou embraced life with enthusiasm. She loved traveling the world with her best friend and husband, Art, forming friendships in every corner of the globe. She enjoyed mornings on the golf course, lively Mahjong games with her friends, engaging in book club and treasured “mother-daughter” pampering days. Creative and talented, she leaves behind many handmade keepsakes for her family—each one a piece of her heart. Even into her 80s, Mary Lou was vibrant, active, and full of energy, living independently until just months before she was called home to the Lord.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Mary Catherine Benoit; her brother, Donald Bennett; and her former husband and father of her children, William Horan.

Visitation will be held at Sauls Funeral Home, 90 Simmonsville Rd, Bluffton, SC, on Sunday, August 17 from 2:00–4:00pm, with a special prayer service at 3:30pm. A Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, 31 St. Gregory Dr, Bluffton, on Monday, August 18 at 10:30am. Interment will take place at a later date at St. Mary’s Cemetery in New Bedford, MA

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mary Lou’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate), a cause close to her heart and one she supported faithfully for many years.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105
Tel: 1-800-805-5856
Web: http://www.stjude.org/