Shrewsbury – Mary V. (Robbins) Smith, a longtime local resident, died peacefully Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 at Autumn Village, Worcester, where she has made her home for the past several years. She was 94 years old. Mary was predeceased by her beloved husband, Laurence Smith in 1991.
She leaves her two sons, Kevin Smith and his wife Carol of Princeton, and Galen Smith; her three grandchildren, Kelina Smith, Katie Kinnear, and Dean Smith; as well as her eight great grandchildren, Zackary, Emma, Jack, Anna-Kate, and Katrina Kinnear, and Ruby, Rosemary, and Griffin Smith, and her good friends Rita Mahoney, Ursula (Schaetzke) Piazza , Eileen Macey and Hanan Aoude. Besides her husband, Mary was also predeceased by her son, Clinton and her siblings, Lillian Goodall formerly of Worcester and more recently Florida, Ewart Robbins and Clyde Robbins, both formerly of Oxford.
Mary was born in Bear River, Nova Scotia, a daughter of the late Frederick and Mildred (D”Arcy) Robbins. She immigrated to Massachusetts at a young age, and later graduated from the former Classical High School.
Mary cared for her family as a homemaker in her younger married years, and later went on to work for more than 15 years at the Paul Revere Insurance Company, Worcester, from where she retired. She also worked for the Massachusetts Protective Association.
Along with her husband, Mary enjoyed archery for many years, and was a New England Champion in 1958. They were also active square dancers for many years, with Mary creating many of the costumes with her wonderful sewing talent. They later also took up ballroom dancing. Mary's creative talents were also enjoyed in the many hooked rugs she created, and was known to search out any discarded wool clothing objects to garner and create material to use in her rugs.
Always active, Mary also excelled at yoga and always loved a good walk. She was well known for her ferocious raking of the lawn through the years.
Mary was a longtime member of the Greendale People's Church and created many displays during the years, showing off all of her handiwork.
A service honoring and celebrating Mary's lifetime of love and gifts was held Jan. 22 at the Britton-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, with private burial at the Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton.
