Meaghan Jean Fickett, 39, of West Brookfield, MA, unexpectedly passed away in her sleep on September 23rd, 2024, one day short of her 40th birthday. Some knew her as “Meega”, and all will remember her for her warm kindness, selflessness, laid back nature, quirky attitude, and especially her sense of humor and sarcasm.
She was born in Worcester, MA, in 1984 to Jean and Dennis Halsdorff Sr, who provided such a loving upbringing to Meaghan and her siblings. She spent her childhood summers on a lake in Douglas, MA, surrounded by extended family, where she fell in love with the great outdoors. She grew up in Oxford, MA, where she excelled at youth soccer, even playing in a boys’ league, and also traveled with a regional premiere club team. She graduated from Oxford High School in 2003, where she participated in theater, chorus, student council, climbing club, and JV soccer. Meaghan went on to work in multiple departments at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA. She started in Valet Services, followed by Housekeeping, then ultimately transferred to Medical Records, where she stayed for many years, became a notary public, and also handled birth certificates.
Ever since she was young, Meaghan had an overly soft spot for furry friends. As a child, she brought home countless animals, usually without permission. From a rat to ferrets, and kittens to a sheep dog, she practically tried to start a zoo in her parents’ home. As an adult, she cherished three particular pets: Fang, Dexter, and Daisy. She lamented how short their lives were compared to humans, as they were truly a part of her family.
After they dated for a number of years since her teens, Meaghan married Randy Oldenburg in Webster, MA, and together they brought their son, Hunter, into this world in 2009. Although their relationship did not last, they successfully parented him as a team for over 14 years. Hunter was Meaghan’s absolute pride and joy. He has meant the world to her since the moment he was born, and she felt so incredibly lucky to be his mother.
Meaghan eventually rekindled an old flame with a previous soccer teammate and classmate, Joshua Fickett. They lived a fairytale love story for several years and were finally married in 2020 in Paxton, MA, during the height of the pandemic. Meaghan tragically lost Josh the following year when he suddenly passed away. The two had been madly in love, and her heartache never fully recovered from the devastation of that loss.
Heartbreak also struck in 2021 when Meaghan’s sister and her close cousin, Erin and Jimmy, departed this world and left a void in her life. Because any time that she could spend with the people she loved, that was what she lived for. She was endlessly planning either a road trip with loved ones, a campfire with her cousins, a boat ride with her siblings, a disc-golfing hike with her pals, a meet-up at the Big E, or someone’s birthday party. She laughed for hours on end during game nights, crashed on couches after movie marathons, and rocked out at so many concerts. Meaghan thoroughly enjoyed spending quality time with her friends and family, and it was a privilege to have her special soul in all our lives.
Meaghan’s legacy lives on through her beloved son, Hunter Oldenburg of Oxford, MA. She is also survived by her brother, Dennis Halsdorff II of West Brookfield, MA; sister, Colleen Palacios, her husband Anthony, and their daughters Clover and Winter, all of Brookfield, MA; close cousin, John Gibbons and his family, of Spencer, MA, and parents-in-law, Mark and Teresa Grubbs of Brookfield, MA. She was predeceased and is now reunited with her husband, Joshua Fickett; parents, Dennis and Jean (Gibbons) Halsdorff; sister, Erin Halsdorff; cousin, James Gibbons; and grandparents, John and Helen (O’Malley) Gibbons, and Benjamin and Gloria (Menard) Halsdorff. She will be sorely missed by numerous cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and so many dear friends.
Services:
A “Celebration of Life” Luncheon will be held on Saturday, November 16th, 2024, at 11am-2:30pm, at The Barn At Wight Farm, 420 Main Street, Sturbridge, MA 01566.
The family requests that anyone interested in attending, please text Colleen at 774-239-0764, for accuracy of head count. Graveside Internment at Brookfield Cemetery will follow at a later time to be determined, which will be a private service.
Donations:
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Second Chance Animal Services & Adoption Center in Meaghan’s memory: 111 Young Road, East Brookfield, MA 01515 https://www.secondchanceanimals.org.
