Mary Hasson Obituary (1933 - 2015) - South Portland, Maine

SOUTH PORTLAND Mary C. (Bowden) Hasson passed away peacefully on January 28, 2015 at Maine Medical Center due to multiple health complications. She was born the daughter of Cecil J. and Delia (OToole) Bowden on September 2, 1933 in Portland. She grew up in Portland and Cape Elizabeth. She attended the former Peary School in North Deering, Cathedral Grammar School and was a 1951 graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School. She married the love of her life Stephen G. Gig Hasson on August 31, 1954 during Hurricane Carol and they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last August. Mary was voted most attractive and best dressed by her Cape senior classmates, and her husband would joke that there were only 41 members of her graduating class. Those who were fortunate to know and love her, however, know that Mary was beautiful inside and out. Mary and her family resided for many years on Peaks Island and in Portland before moving to South Portland in the late seventies. She was a communicant of Holy Cross Church, and past communicant of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, St. Josephs Church and St. Christophers Church on Peaks Island. She was past president of the St. Christophers Womens Council. Before becoming a stay-at-home mother, Mary worked at Fort Dix, New Jersey as secretary for the commanding officer of the Signal Corps where her husband was stationed in the U.S. Army during their early marriage, and for Travelers Insurance and for City Service Oil Company in Portland. She also worked for Tower Publishing and was hired as one of Portland Public Schools first teacher assistants (now educational technicians) at Peaks Island School. She also served on the Civil Service Board for South Portland. Before retiring, she enjoyed working at the Southern Maine Community College Bookstore while her husband held the office of State Fire Administrator at the college. Mary possessed a keen intelligence that often was masked by her interest in shopping she rarely met a shoe or sale that she didnt like! Mary was a passionate and voracious reader who would read two to three novels a week. When her vision declined due to macular degeneration, she would check out six large-print books from the public library every two weeks. As her vision declined more rapidly, she transitioned to reading two to three novels a week on a Kindle with enlarged print until the last two weeks of her life. Despite declining physical health, she also continued to complete daily crossword puzzles in record time and outperform her family members watching her favorite show Jeopardy on television each evening. Mary was predeceased by an infant son John Daniel Hasson in 1961, her parents, and two brothers Cecil J. Bowden Jr. and John Bowden. She is survived by her loving husband Gig, loving daughter Kelly Hasson and her husband Nicholas Mavodones, Jr. of Portland, three step-grandchildren Nicholas Mavodones III of Burlington, Vermont, Joseph Mavodones and his wife Emily Mavodones of Portland, Jillian Mavodones of Portland and two great-grandchildren Lydia and Jack Mavodones of Portland. She also is survived by her sister Christina Tina Bowden Smith of Durham and several nieces and nephews. Marys family would like to give heartfelt thanks to her local physicians Dr. John Reynolds, MD, Dr. Paul Sweeney, MD, Dr. John Love, MD, Dr. Benjamin Smith, MD, as well as Dr. G. William Dec, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital for their outstanding and compassionate care over the years. Her family also would like to give a very special thanks to the nurses on R7 at Maine Medical Center, especially Darcy, Heather, Neeburbunn, Barbara, Sally, Emily, Courtney and Aimee, and the physicians in the Emergency Department Critical Care Unit and Family Practice at MMC, especially Drs. Paul Amann, Debra Rothenberg, Katie Brennan and Michael Raco as well as ER nurses Brian, Betsy and Patty. Additional thanks goes to Dr. Richard Marino, MD and the devoted staff at Falmouth by the Sea who provided rehabilitative care to Mary as well. Her family believes all of her providers to be a very special flock of angels. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, February 6, 2015 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland. Prayers will be recited at the Funeral Home on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at 12:15PM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 124 Cottage Road, South Portland. Private burial will be held in the spring at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland. To share an online condolence or memory with the family, please visit www.ctcrawford.com In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Marys name to the following: Stephen G. Hasson Scholarship SMCC Foundation 2 Fort Road South Portland, ME 04106 The Center for Grieving Children 555 Forest Avenue Portland, ME 04101 Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation PO Box 6225 Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107