people & happenings
A FOND FAREWELL TO FOUR REMARKABLE TRUSTEES
By Jean Fleischman, Board Relations Officer
12 ount Auburn Cemetery has thrived for nearly two
M centuries under the guidance of dedicated and visionary volunteers who have served on its Board of Trustees. These individuals have offered their time, talents, and leadership to safeguard its mission, steward its resources, and shape its future. As we prepare to bid farewell to four extraordinary Trustees— Patricia B. Jacoby, James F. Hunnewell, Jr., Sean McDonnell, and Paul Kuenstner— we reflect with deep gratitude on the enduring legacies they leave behind.
Collectively, these four individuals have contributed nearly 45 years of service to the Cemetery. Their departure after the June 2025 Annual Meeting marks not just the end of their formal roles, but a moment of profound appreciation for the wisdom, passion, and steady leadership they brought to Mount Auburn.
Patricia Jacoby served on Mount Auburn’ s Board from 2013 to 2025 and as its fourth Board Chair from January 2018 through September 2021. Pat brought extensive governance and institutional advancement experience to her role as Mount Auburn Cemetery Board Chair, having served as Deputy Director Emerita of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. While at the MFA, she oversaw a large staff and a broad array of externally-facing responsibilities and successfully completed two campaigns that raised in total over $ 600 million.
During her tenure as Chair, Pat initiated foundational efforts for Mount Auburn including the 2020 Vision & Values
Task Force that, through stakeholder conversations, illuminated the values that continue to guide the Cemetery’ s evolution and vision for the future. She established new board policies and committee charters while also steering the drafting of the Strategic Bridge Plan in 2020 – 21, and the 2021 sale of the Grove Street parcel.
James Hunnewell joined the Mount Auburn Board in September 2013 and became the inaugural Chair of the Preservation, Facilities & Infrastructure Committee( PF & I) in January 2015. Jim is an LEED-accredited, registered architect with over 40 years of professional experience, including with Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott, where he was a Principal for 14 years. He has shared his extensive professional expertise in design, planning, and preservation in countless endeavors over the years ranging from Cemetery development projects and infrastructure sustainability to historical collections and building renovations.
Jim started his work with Mount Auburn in an advisory capacity in 2007 on the Horticultural Task Force at the invitation of former President Bill Clendaniel and was actively involved for six years in the engagement with William Rawn Associates for the design and construction of the new greenhouses. Later, with Jim’ s guidance as PF & I Chair, significant capital projects during his tenure included: the 2015 Main Entrance Gateway restoration; the 2016 – 18 Bigelow Chapel / Crematory renovation & addition; the multiyear Story Chapel masonry repair project; the 2023 – 24 Story Chapel / Administration Building ADA improvements that