Geraldine McLaughlin, 92; organized teas for JFK’s run for Senate

She was part of the tight circle of women who organized the ladies tea receptions on behalf of Kennedy that his opponent, incumbent Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, credited with putting the young politician over the edge.

“It was those damn teas that licked me,’’ Cabot Lodge was widely reported to have said at the time.

In an era of prejudice, Mrs. McLaughlin actively encouraged other women to vote for the country’s first Catholic president. Later, in the aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination, she helped his widow send thank-you cards to the hoards of people who sent condolences from every corner of the world.

“I don’t think I’ve ever known a kinder, more caring, more devoted person than Geraldine McLaughlin,’’ said Roger Altman, former deputy Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and a former neighbor who grew up a few houses from Mrs. McLaughlin in Chestnut Hill. “Just an extraordinarily generous spirit. I never heard a cross word, I never saw a bad mood - and never saw anything but compassion and sensitivity.’’

Mrs. McLaughlin died May 26 from multiple organ failure at her home in Langhorne, Pa. She was 92.

She grew up with Polly Fitzgerald, whom the Kennedys called “Cousin Polly,’’ and that put her in the center of Kennedy political circles.

The Kennedys were known to pour a lot of money into the teas, which would win over women’s votes - and Mrs. McLaughlin helped Fitzgerald, the chief organizer.

“These ladies got dressed up like they were going to a formal dance. It was a big deal,’’ said Mrs. McLaughlin’s son, Jay, of Langhorne.

She brought together women’s organizations and contacted women voters to get them to turn out at the events, often held in the ballrooms of area hotels.

After graduating in 1934 from Notre Dame Academy, which was then in Boston, Mrs. McLaughlin earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Regis College in 1938.

She worked for a time at the New Bedford Standard-Times newspaper before marrying John J. McLaughlin, whom she had met as a teen, in 1942. He was an FBI agent, so they moved several times, living in Detroit and Sioux Falls, S.D., before settling in Chestnut Hill in 1946.

In the early 1950s, Mrs. McLaughlin became very active in the local political scene through her involvement with the Kennedy campaigns. When Kennedy landed the presidency, the longtime Sunday school teacher was beyond thrilled.

“I think she was very happy to see that he was elected because there was a prejudice that was overcome,’’ said her sister Mary Murphy of North Attleborough.

In her social circles, her brownies were legendary, her sister said: “She put a lot of love in.’’

She enjoyed scouring newspapers and magazines for new recipes to add to her repertoire. She also had a signature mustard relish that she would whip up from time to time.

Trim, well-dressed, and not one to dye her hair, she had a low-key style that made her a natural for coaxing others to get involved in political campaigns.

She and her husband made it a point to go to every Boston College football game, until his death in 2003.

“Gerry was extraordinary,’’ Altman said. “She took extraordinary care of everyone, starting with her own family.

Services have been held.