Mary Weston MacGregor
BANGOR – Mary Weston MacGregor left us on Jan. 18, 2022, one day before her 93rd birthday. Mary passed away peacefully in her home of 67 years, where she raised her family and cared for friends and many generations of youngsters who lived in her neighborhood. As a child of the depression, Mary wanted to ensure that everyone had a warm home to come to.
She was the daughter of Irean Kitchen Whitney and Ralph Clifton Weston, born in Skowhegan, on Jan. 19, 1929.
She was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Roy A. MacGregor; her sister, Ruth W. Brophy, brother, Ralph M. Weston and his wife Dolores B. Weston.
Mary is survived by her four daughters, Terry MacGregor and life partner Bill Smith of Dresden, Deborah Maines and husband Douglas of Falmouth, Lynn Ann MacGregor of Bangor and Jodi MacGregor and life partner Theresa Amirault of Bangor. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Marjorie Coughlin of Kansas City, Mo., and brother-in-law, Richard Brophy and wife Sylvia of Livermore.
She was loved and admired by her five grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. The role Mary cherished most was being “Grandma and Auntie Mary” to everyone!
Mary attended the Goodwill Hinckley School for children and credits it with teaching many valuable lessons about survival, life, manners, and the appreciation of hard work. She learned these lessons well, for there was no one more attentive to other’s wants and needs than Mary MacGregor. What an extraordinary woman!
She was an avid athlete, and a member of the winning Lawrence Girls High School Basketball team graduating in 1947, and didn’t lose a game in four years. She was very proud of Cindy Blodgett for continuing Lawrence’s fine traditions! Mary loved the Red Sox, as her picture demonstrates, and was known to have a radio earpiece in during games when attending a wedding or church service so as not to miss a game!
She married Roy A. MacGregor on July 2, 1948, which she regaled as “the year that I married the wrong man”, and they spent 68 years together until his passing, raising four strong women in her likeness.
Mary loved her gardens, and thanks to her green thumb, family, friends and neighbors enjoyed the fruits of her labor. In recent years she would lay down on the ground to weed her gardens, startling those passing by. Her passion for animals, and dogs in particular, showed in her raising and training poodles, springer spaniels, a border collie and in befriending all four-legged creatures. Never backing down from a challenge, at 79, Mary raised a 60-pound Great Dane puppy as a surprise Christmas gift for her granddaughter, Amy!
She was invested in her family and knew no limits in teaching and supporting them, from years of taking them to Greenville to ski, (even though she didn’t ski), and as a lifelong dream taking her extended family of 21 to The Calgary Stampede, teaching everyone knock knock (a favorite family card game), doing the ice bucket challenge, joining in a Tik Tok dance and jumping off the Junk of Pork!
As Mary’s door was always open, a cherished friendship began when a 7-year-old neighborhood boy met Mary one day, and he has never left. Brendan Craig, who is now in college, stayed by her side everyday during her last week. He explains that “Mary said she really liked me, because I reminded her of herself when she was young.” Their mutual friendship is one that we all admire.
Her great granddaughter, Bella Novaria, moved into Mary’s home to attend nursing school and instantly applied her learnings as a caregiver to Mary. Bella’s huge heart and positive spirit were a joy to Mary, and when she and Brendan teamed up to ensure there was always fun around the house, “B&B Adventures” was born.
Mary’s life will be celebrated the weekend of May 21, and we invite you to join us to celebrate this wonderful woman, mother, friend and Grandma, Queen of our Hearts! Details to follow.
Love, Mary Weston MacGregor’s Family
In lieu of flowers, please do something nice for someone else. Pay it forward,
in honor of Mary.
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