Teresa Ann (McGee) Boylan

Teresa Ann Boylan (née McGee), age 94, formerly of Lake Elmo, MN, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Terry was the second oldest of six children. She graduated from St. John’s Ursuline High School and later earned her degree from San Francisco State College.

Terry began her teaching career at Petaluma Junior High School, where she also embarked on her first international adventure to Mexico City. It was during her time in Petaluma that she met her future husband, William J. Boylan, who was teaching vocational agriculture. They married in 1958 and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Bill pursued graduate studies and Terry continued teaching until the birth of their first son, Christopher—born on her 29th birthday.

After their second son, John, was born and Bill completed his Ph.D., the family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. There, they built a home and welcomed their daughter, Mary Kathryn. Family photo albums are filled with joyful images of the children playing in the snow.

In 1967, the family returned to St. Paul, where their youngest son, Todd, was born. Bill and Terry purchased a large home in St. Anthony Park, which became a lively gathering place for bridge games, political events, birthday parties, and Cub Scout meetings—where Terry served as a dedicated den mother.

During the 1970s, Terry became an active member of the University of Minnesota Women’s Club, a community she remained involved with until nearly age 90. She especially enjoyed reading plays with the drama section and hiking with the club’s outdoor group.

In 1972–73, the family spent a year living in Edinburgh, Scotland, while Bill was on sabbatical. Terry had previously traveled across Europe 25 years earlier, including a memorable visit to distant cousins in Ireland.

Later in the decade, the family moved to a 40-acre hobby farm in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. There, Terry added “shepherd” to her list of roles, caring for bottle-fed lambs and helping newborns bond with their mothers in the barn. She became adept at rounding up escaped animals—famously once herding several cows back into a pasture, only to discover they belonged to a neighbor. She was affectionately dubbed a “cattle rustler” for a few days afterward.

Bill’s work took him to conferences and farms around the world, and Terry joined him whenever possible. Together, they enjoyed extended stays in Egypt (with Todd during his high school years), South America, Turkey, and Canada.

Reflecting on her life, Terry once said, “I was a good spouse and a good mother.” Her family wholeheartedly agrees.

Terry was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; her sisters, Delores McGee and Sheila Doran; and many dear friends. She is survived by her siblings Joan Mancuso, Susan Freitas, and Thomas McGee (Cathy); her children Christopher (Kristin), John (Michelle), Mary Kathryn (Richard Verner), and Todd (Kristin McLallen); her grandchildren Derek, Brendan, Aidan; Zachary, Bryce; Frances, Thomas, Patrick, and Nora Verner; and her great-granddaughter, Annabelle James.

Visitation on Thursday, July 17th, at 5:00-7:00 p.m., at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Services, 575 Snelling Ave S, St Paul, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18, at Guardian Angles Catholic Church in Oakdale, MN. 

A special note of gratitude to Lexington Landing for their attentive and compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Minnesota Women’s Club Scholarship Fund (umwc.umn.edu/Scholarships) in Terry’s memory.