Marybeth Walker

Marybeth E. (McGoldrick) Walker died March 26, 2026, in Bolivia, North Carolina, after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loving family peacefully at home. She was the daughter of Edmond A and Mary E. Dunai McGoldrick. She was born in Reno, Nevada, on Nov. 19, 1946. She was raised in Meriden, Connecticut, and was a 1964 graduate of Maloney High School, where she was president of the Future Nurses Club and a longtime candy striper at Meriden Hospital.

Her stellar academic record earned her a Kiwanis Club scholarship that enabled her to attend the University of Connecticut, where she was admitted to the prestigious Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She graduated cum laude from UConn in 1968 with a B.S. in nursing and later earned her master’s degree in 1988 from Anna Maria College in Massachusetts.

She began her nursing career in pediatrics and later moved to psychiatric nursing at the Undercliff Mental Health Center. She was a staunch advocate of psychiatric and mental health care. She further challenged herself to become a national board-certified clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing and practiced in that field for over 30 years.

After moving to Massachusetts with her family, she belonged to the American Nurses Association and Massachusetts Nurses Association and served at vice president of the Massachusetts Mental Health Nurses Association.

In 2011, she and her husband, Wellington, retired to Bolivia, North Carolina, where they enjoyed boating and beaches. She stayed active and sincerely enjoyed time with her wine-tasting group, book club, craft group and beloved friends and neighbors in the Palmetto Creek community.

Marybeth was predeceased by her husband, Wellington James Walker, and her older brother, William McGoldrick. She is survived by her son Heath and wife Candace; her son Leigh and wife Sarah of Hopkinton; four grandchildren, Damon, Rhys, Tessa and Evelyn; and her brother, Patrick; along with many nieces and nephews.

On April 2, there was a celebration of life service at Brunswick Funeral Service Southport/Oak Island Chapel in Bolivia, North Carolina. There will be a private burial service for family members at a future date.

Donations may be made to NAMI North Carolina, which is a prominent mental health charity that provides support, education and advocacy for individuals affected by mental illness, or a charity of one’s choice.

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