Farmington-Mary Margaret Sullivan Smith passed away on December 28, 2018 at the age of 96.

She was born May 1, 1922 and was raised in Swanzey, NH as the youngest of 11 children of Jerome Sullivan and Hannah Carroll Sullivan, both immigrants from Ireland. Mary’s mother died early in her life. Mary often recounted tales of her father’s strawberry gardens and the pond across the street where she learned to swim and skate. Mary also spent formative years in Boston with her Aunt Kate, who served as a domestic caretaker. Mary attended Catholic school while in Boston, returning to New Hampshire in the summers.

In 1941 she began her job as secretary at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where she met and later married her beloved ”Hughie”. Together, they raised five children on Elm Street in Topsham, ME, the one place Mary always thought of as home. She worked as school secretary at the Williams School in Topsham and in her spare time enjoyed the outdoors, gardening, walking and watching the sunset from the dock at Moosehead Lake. She loved to read, especially anything about her favorite president, Lincoln.

Mary lost her own mother at an early age but even without that example became a wonderful mother herself. She was generous with her love and laughter and always had time for long chats after dinner or over the dishpan. When her husband suggested camping would be good for the kids and even though she had never spent a night outdoors in her life, she graciously planned and packed for family trips that often involved rainy nights in a tent.

Mary took pleasure in crafting beautiful sweaters for her family and numerous mittens and needlepoint work. She was known for her countless apple pies, chocolate chip cookies, and lasagna for her family.  She hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, filling our memories of the holiday season with warmth and love.  In her home on Long Pond in Rome, Maine, Mary cultivated rose gardens, and until memory loss diminished her ability to garden, she enjoyed visiting greenhouses and nurseries to bask in the beauty of growing things.

She was predeceased by her husband, Hugh Clifford Smith Jr. and two daughters, Patricia Mary Smith Siviski and Margaret Ann Smith Pierce.

Mary will be lovingly remembered by her sons, Hugh Smith and wife Mary of Falmouth, ME; Michael Smith and wife Pamela of Holden Beach, NC; Daniel Smith and wife Becky of West Bath, ME; sons-in-law Nick Pierce of Mercer, ME and Ron Siviski of Yarmouth, ME and 12 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

The family is grateful for the compassionate care Mary received from the staff at the Governor King Community at the Highlands in Topsham, the caregivers from Beacon Hospice and especially Mary’s caregivers at the Sandy River Center in Farmington where she received outstanding care in her final years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, January 7^th at  11 AM at St. Charles Borromeo Church-All Saints Parish 132 McKeen St. Brunswick with a reception to follow in the parish hall. Spring interment will be in the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Civic Center Drive, Augusta, Maine.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mary’s memory to Sandy River Center Resident Council Fund, 119 Livermore Falls Road, Farmington, ME 04938-6241. Arrangements are by Stetson’s Funeral Home 12 Federal St. Brunswick where memorial condolences may be expressed at stetsonsfuneralhome.com