Obituaries

Obits: 101-Year-Old Nun, "Fence Lady" and School Teacher

We list area obituaries.

She was 101 years of age and had been a Sister of the Good Shepherd for 75 years. Sister Mary Nativity was born in Holyoke, the daughter of Ludger and Marie (Gouin) Berard.

NorthboroughMarsha Robbins Coder died on May 6 at UMASS Memorial Hospital at age 64.

Find out what's happening in Marlboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She married high school sweetheart Bill in 1972 and they adopted daughter Chrystie in 1980. Opening her heart and family to those closest to Chrystie brought another adult daughter, Kym, in 2001, several "sons of the heart", and two grandchildren into the family.

In her 29 year career as a school teacher, she left lasting impressions on many hundreds of students, often remembered for active teaching of math skills, as well as for her well-stocked candy drawer.

Find out what's happening in Marlboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

ShrewsburyJoseph E. Greenfield, 69, died Wednesday May 22, 2013 after a long illness.

He was a 1960 graduate of Commerce High School and lived most of his life in Worcester moving to Shrewsbury several years ago. Greenfield was a US Army Vietnam veteran serving from 1964 to 1967. He worked as a toll collector for The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority for many years.

MarlboroughWilliam E. Gray of Hopkinton died on Monday, May 20, 2013 at home surrounded by his loving family after a long period of declining health, at the age of 73.

He was born in Marlborough on September 10, 1939 and was the son of the late Asa E. Gray, Jr. and Virginia A. (Merrills) Gray.

GraftonEvelyn I. (Tebo) Skidmore, 91, died May 28th, 2013 following an illness.

She worked for 16 years at State Mutual Company and was an active volunteer at the Grafton Senior Center. Evelyn lived in Millbury and then in Northboro for many years.

MarlboroughCarmela A. (Bottari) Tummino, 84, died early Sunday morning after a long period of failing health. She was the wife of the late Salvatore Tummino who died in 2011. They were married for 50 years.

Prior to getting married Tummino worked as a dressmaker on Newbury St. in Boston and after raising her family went back to work as a dressmaker and worked in the industry for many years.

ShrewsburyJanet Sylvia (Ireland) Delorey, 80, of Shrewsbury, died peacefully at home on Monday, May 27, 2013.

She worked in the insurance industry, retiring in 1977. In 1978, she was the grateful recipient of a kidney transplant from an unknown donor. After serving her well for 15 years, Janet returned to dialysis and in 1995 she was again humbled, grateful and blessed to be the recipient of a second transplant.

NorthboroughCarl Alfred McAffe, Jr., World War II Army Veteran, of Amesbury, formerly of Northborough, died January 11, 2013 in Amesbury. He was the husabnd of the late Mary (Goodwin) McAfee.

ShrewsburyBernadette A. Holbrook died at the age of 65 on Monday, May 27, 2013.

WestboroughEdna A. Akdikmen, 85, died on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

ShrewsburyEsther (Bell) Lindberg , 101, died peacefully at home on Friday, May 24, 2013.

At age two, after the passing of her father, she and her mother lived with her mother's parents, immigrants from Finland and Norway, in Austin on the west side of Chicago. After her marriage in 1933 to Harry G. Lindberg (d. 1990) she resided most of her adult life in Oak Park, Illinois.

NorthboroughJoseph A. "Joey" DeGrenier, 39, died Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at home after a period of declining health.

DeGrenier worked as a night supervisor at Shaw's in Shrewsbury before it closed. He also did landscaping on a part-time basis. He enjoyed the outdoors and gardening. He was a former member of St. Joseph Basilica in Webster.

MarlboroughRosalie M. (Pakus) Krager, 84, of Marlborough, died Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Marlborough Hills Health Care Center after an illness.

She was a 1946 graduate of Marlborough High School and was Vice President of her class and a member of the cheerleading squard. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church, enjoyed doing yardwork and was well known as "The Fence Lady" because of the many festive and decorated holiday scenes she displayed throughout the year on her fence in her yard for all the passersbys to see and enjoy as they passed by her home.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here