Gail McNiff

Born in Cambridge, MA to the late John F. and Adeline L. (O'Neill) Temple. Gail was a proud Cantabrigian who often shared stories of her time growing up, to include hanging out at the War Memorial Pool with her Father while he worked. She learned the ‘tricks of the trade” from him and eventually became a future lifeguard and swim instructor at the same pool, many times referring back to her Dad saying she “learned from the best”. A graduate of Cambridge Latin High School, she spoke fondly of her time as a Cheerleader, Prom Queen, friend to all and her love of sports. Her fondness for sports carried forward beyond high school. Gail earned her professional certification as a stenographer and secretary applying those skills to become the Secretary for the Boston University Athletic Director. Her time at BU added to some of her proudest and fondest memories, prior to meeting her husband Jim and eventually becoming a homemaker.

As Gail and Jim began their life together, they moved away from the city to the suburbs and raised their young family in Brockton. As time went on and their children grew older, they eventually made their way down to the Cape settling into the Bourne area. Bourne always had a special place in her heart because of the many summers spent there with Jim and the kids. It was a gateway to some of her favorite places, which included the beaches in Falmouth, especially Nobska Light and Falmouth Heights, or simply walking around Woods Hole and along the Canal.

Early on Gail and Jim made the decision that she would focus all her time on her family and become a homemaker, ensuring she was always there for her kids. Gail embraced being a Mom and made sure she gave her children every opportunity possible. Gail was not often found at home because she would be driving all over New England and beyond to support her son with his many travel hockey teams. At his games, she could be found sitting on her own taking detailed notes of his shots and saves, keeping track of his stats in her “little notebook” and overall areas that she could “work with him on his angles” to help him improve each time he went back onto the ice. She was the “quintessential goalie Mom”. In addition to supporting her son’s hockey path, she was molding her daughters into confident, strong women who learned the value of independence, speaking up, sharing their opinion-even if it isn’t a popular one, and being confident enough to advocate for what they believed in. Gail took pride in watching her girls become these women she had hoped for, setting them up to achieve great things. With all that her children succeeded in, she never hesitated to remind them of this importance of humility when “taking charge”, a key factor in success for anyone in anything. Gail, a strong woman herself, with a strong voice that would make her kids and all their friends stand at attention if she shouted their names, was always proud of her children and their accomplishments. She will be missed terribly and has left an irreplaceable void with her passing.

Gail is survived by her children, Kelly McNiff of Bourne, Amy Richards and her husband Benjamin of San Diego, CA and James M. McNiff, Jr., of Marshfield, MA; granddaughters Caelan McNiff, Madison Richards and Abigail Richards. She is also survived by her sister, Joan Shaw of Arlington, MA, her brother and sister-in-law Joe and Jan McNiff of Weymouth, MA and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her husband and parents, Gail was predeceased by her mother-in-law, Helen D. McNiff, brothers-in-law Paul T. Shaw, Thomas P. McNiff, and Patrick McNiff. She was also predeceased by her closest cousin, Martha Strachan, her “partner in mischief” when they were kids and adults.

Relatives and friends are invited to a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at St. John the Evangelist Parish 841 Shore Road Pocasset, MA. Visitation 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 40 MacArthur Blvd., Bourne, MA. Burial is private.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.nickersonbourne.com for the McNiff family.