Honora (Albert) Kaplan

Honora Kaplan, 81, of Newton, a lawyer, local elected official, wife, mother and grandmother passed away at home on October 22, 2021.

Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Honora was an extraordinary student at Monroe High School, where she was Daughter of the Flag as the top-ranked female student. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Smith College in 1961 when she was just 20. That year, she married her high school sweetheart, Martin Kaplan, to whom she was married for more than twenty years.

Honora received a masters degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Public Administration at Harvard University in 1964, as one of its few women graduates at the time. She later received her JD cum laude from Boston College Law School while raising a family.

Honora had a successful and varied career. She worked as special assistant to the Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health and later practiced law in the private sector until her retirement in 2013.  Active in progressive political causes in Massachusetts her entire adult life, Honora was elected to the Newton School Committee in 1975. She was re-elected twice and served as chairperson, leading the city’s public schools (which all of her children attended).  In that role, she led the coalition advocating for expanding opportunities for students through a period of declining enrollment.

Honora married Dr. William (Bill) Terry in 1984, and together they shared the joys of travel, the birth of grandchildren, summers on Martha’s Vineyard as well as a deep love and respect for one another.  Honora’s family and friends will remember her brilliance, sense of humor, warmth, dedication to liberal causes, love of art, fierce loyalty, rich friendships, joy of reading, competitive Scrabble-playing, and the deepest love for her grandchildren.

Beloved wife of William Terry. Loving mother of Jonathan Kaplan (Jill Wilkins) of Bethesda, MD, Shira Kaplan (Eric Kahan) of Chappaqua, NY, and Benjamin Kaplan (Orietta Barletta) of Lexington, MA. Stepmother of Ellen, Mark, William Dan and Karen Terry. Dear sister of Mary Jane Tucker.  And doting grandmother to Harry, Max, Ruby, Emily, Giacomo, Francesca, Stella, Gus and Haley.

A funeral service for friends and family will be held at Burke & Blackington Funeral Home in West Newton on Tuesday, October 26 at 10:00am. A private burial will be held at Sharon Memorial Park in Sharon. A link to the livestream can be found here.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Honora’s name can be made to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer Research, 10 Brookline Place West, Floor 6, Brookline, MA 02445.