Michael P. Monaghan

Mike Monaghan had many important roles in his short life:

• Devoted Husband, Father, and Family Man: His wife and children were his absolute priority, his strongest loves, and his deepest sources of pride.

• His role as brother, uncle, neighbor, and friend were also incredibly important to him.

• Sergeant and Patriot: A proud U.S. Air Force veteran who considered it a lifelong honor to have served his country.

• Coach: A master of the "backcheck," discipline, and finding potential in every player.

• Healer: A gifted counselor who used puzzles, humor, and genuine respect to reach the minds of his students.

• Nature Lover: A man at peace while weeding a meticulous flower bed, walking the woods, or observing "nature’s classroom" from his window.

• King of the Dad Joke: A soul whose humor never waned through a six-year battle with cancer, living by his own mantra: “As I walk through life I try to make other people happy.”

And he did.

Michael “Mike” P. Monaghan, 61, died peacefully at home in Medway, MA, surrounded by his family, on Friday, March 13, 2026, following a six-year battle with cancer.

Mike was raised in Winthrop, MA and told many stories of growing up in a small town where everyone knew your name. His childhood was shaped by his loving parents and four older sisters and their home on Thornton Park. He told stories about family trips to Papoose Pond, hunting for turtles, long drives with his dad, and how his passion for ice hockey began. Mike was always on the move, riding his bike, playing catch, delivering the newspaper, and working at Shirley Hardware.

Mike graduated from Winthrop High School and then enlisted and served in the United States Air Force, from 1982-1987. As a crew chief, he worked on F-4 fighter jets at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC and F-16s at Hahn Air Base in Germany. Mike served on the number one maintenance unit in Europe in 1986 and the number one maintenance team in the Department of Defense in 1987. He received several commendations during his service including an Outstanding Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Long Tour Ribbon, Longevity Ribbon, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon and Training Ribbon. His years of service also gave him the opportunity to explore the world and travel to 12 countries. Mike was the ultimate patriot and was immensely proud of his country and to be a veteran.

Mike was able to continue his passion for hockey by playing on a base team at Hahn and a semi-pro team, the Neuwied Vikings. One announcer there liked to introduce him as “Michael Magoo” just to get him riled up so he would have a great game. Mike enjoyed sharing stories about his days as a sergeant, a hockey player, and the friends he made while abroad.

Following his years of military service, Mike attended St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, where he met Laura, the love of his life. In addition to being a student, Mike was also a resident assistant and a Burlington youth hockey coach. A lifelong learner, Mike graduated from St.Michael’s in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and continued on to earn a Masters in Clinical Social Work from Boston College in 1999.

After graduation, Mike worked at the Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps, an adolescent treatment facility and then as a school adjustment counselor at Dedham Middle and High schools for over 20 years. Mike was passionate about counseling students. He taught them how and why their brains work the way they do to help them understand what they were going through. If a student didn’t want a traditional counseling session, Mike would pull out a puzzle, challenge them to a game of Uno, toss around a football, or shoot hoops with them. He earned their trust by treating them each with respect and showing genuine interest in their lives. Mike considered the staff at Dedham second to none and after his retirement, he missed the expert teamwork with his colleagues and everything about interacting with his students.

Mike and Laura’s love story began as a friendship sparked during a leadership weekend at college, eventually deepening into an everlasting and loving partnership. Their early days together were filled with the simple joys of Vermont with walks through Red Rocks Park and weekends away in Stowe. Mike was a patient teacher, explaining the complex nuances of hockey to Laura and holding her hand as she navigated many introductions to his large, lively Irish family. Their shared love for travel and road trips even led them to a hockey game on their honeymoon. As they settled in Medway their free time shifted from quiet parks to bustling rinks and sidelines, where every practice and game felt like home and teammates truly became extended family.

Mike’s three children, Evan, Maggie, and Shane were the apples of his eye and he loved being their dad. Mike was immensely proud of their hard work in school and sports, but even more so of their character and to witness the incredible people they have become. Mike was also blessed to have Cisco (everyone’s favorite Monaghan, a beautiful golden retriever) who joined the family in 2021 and brought Mike comfort and companionship every day of his fight.

For more than 17 years, Mike coached all three of his kids in multiple sports but ice hockey was the family favorite. If there was ice and a whistle, Mike was happy. Mike coached for the Tri Valley Indians, South Shore Kings, and Massachusetts Spitfires and instilled discipline, teamwork, and a strong work ethic in his players. He was known for prioritizing conditioning, making his players skate and skate (and skate) in practice. His distinct voice could be heard loud and clear, telling the kids to keep their “stick on the ice,” “backcheck” and what became his most well known chant “SKAAAAATE!” He also made sure he coached one on one, helping his players understand the play, where to adjust next time, and of course, where they did a great job. Most importantly, he coached to help the players fall in love with the game of hockey.

When Mike retired from coaching after his cancer diagnosis in 2020, he could be found in the stands, cheering his kids on at as many of their games as he was able to attend. His pre-game words of encouragement for his kids was simple: “Love you. Play like a beast!”

Outside of the rink or the sidelines, Mike’s happy place was working in his yard mowing, planting, raking, weeding, and pruning, making everything as meticulous and beautiful as possible. Neighbors, nephews, friends and, as soon as they could walk, his children were all assigned various tasks to help. Mike also filled the yard with birdhouses and enjoyed watching their activity year-round.

Mike made an impact on every life he touched. He was a man of incredible character who could fix a jet engine, coach a power play, and counsel a struggling student with equal strength, enthusiasm, and grace. He will be deeply missed.

Mike is survived by his wife, Laura (Volpe) Monaghan; his children Evan, Margaret, and Shane; his sisters Maureen MacAdams (Gary), Deb Pappas, Jeanne Boudrow (Bill), Nancy Scioli (Mike), mother and father-in-law, Fran and Robert Volpe, and brother in law Paul Volpe (Mia). Mike’s 19 nieces and nephews and 11 great nieces and nephews also survive him. He was predeceased by his parents, Richard and Jean Monaghan and his brother in law, Harry Pappas.

The family would like to thank the hundreds of doctors, PA’s and nurses that cared for Mike during his battle with cancer the last six years. A special note of thanks to Dr. Xu, Beth Marshall, and the team at Dana Farber for their friendship and unwavering support of Mike and his family.

In lieu of flowers, and due to limitations at the national cemetery, please help the family continue Mike’s passion for caring for children by making a donation to St.Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 19, from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at the Charles F Oteri and Son Franklin Funeral Home, 33 Cottage Street, Franklin MA.

A funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 AM on Friday, March 20 at St. Mary's Parish, 1 Church Square, in Franklin MA followed by a burial at the Massachusetts National Cemetery at 12:30 PM. To view the Mass stmarysfranklin.org

Guestbook www.franklinfuneral.com