East Windsor, Conn. – Marion June (Hosley) Webber, 91, of East Windsor, passed away on Oct. 2, 2021.
She was born on July 9, 1930, in Grafton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Wilbur and Zelma (Cushman) Hosley and sister of Mabel (Mickey). She had many happy memories of growing up on a farm.
She graduated from Deland (Florida) High School, Class of 1948. She attended Cumberland Junior College in Tennessee, had a BS in home economics from Carson Newman College in Kentucky, and taught in Tennessee, Massachusetts and California before settling in Connecticut, where she later worked in home economics and as a substitute teacher in East Windsor for many years.
She married her husband, Bob on June 4, 1955, and had 55 happy years of raising a family, church activities, Maine and Florida vacations and fun times with the Johnstone, Gray and Leask families; later in life….traveling to visit Jay and John and families in Hawaii, California and Texas, holiday gatherings, picnics and other adventures with the extended Hosley, Johnstone, Destro and Noel families and endless wonderful memories until Bob’s death in 2010.
Marion was a past president of the East Windsor PTO, founding member of the Booster Club, and a helper in girl scouting. She was a faithful member of the First Congregational Church of East Windsor for 66 years, where she served in the Women’s Fellowship and countless other capacities and committees, including many years of teaching Sunday School where she was always willing to come back for “one more year.’
Most of her lifelong friendships were with her wonderful circle of friends at church. She was also a longtime member of the First Congregational UCC in Lake Helen, where she attended in the winters during her retirement and had many friendships. She took great pride in her role in establishing the Growing Tree Child Development Center and served on its board for many years.
She had a love of reading and libraries and served on the Board of Directors of the Library Association of Warehouse Point and as its Assistant Treasurer. She felt a sense of fulfillment in helping the library to reach and serve the residents of East Windsor, and had a wonderful family of library friends. She was still a board member upon her death and she regularly attended meetings by zoom! She was also a past member of the Enfield Community Chorus.
Marion loved sewing and baking breads and desserts. (She enjoyed eating them as well!) She enjoyed cards and games of all kinds, especially Flinch, dominoes and Uno and spent countless hours playing games with her family, grandchildren, and Florida friends over the years, where she was very strict about the rules and always denied cheating. She would smirk when she had a good play, loved sneaky moves and cackled when she won.
She loved the birds in her yard and had a daily routine of caring for them, always ensuring fresh water and plenty of birdseed. She loved butterflies, “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” and attending plays, musicals and church suppers with her good friend, Aunt Jo.
Upon arrival in Florida each winter, her sister, Mickey would also have a list of upcoming plays and tickets ready to go and they shared many fun days at the theater.
She covered her calendar with birthday and anniversary dates of her family members and always sent cards and gifts with time to spare. She loved sending and receiving cards and letter writing, and always spent as much time as it took to carefully and thoughtfully make it personal and find the right words….always running out of room and writing up the side of the paper.
She enjoyed weekly rides for errands, lunches, adventures, day trips and mini- vacations with Jayne, Steve, and her best grand-dog, Buddy. In Florida, she enjoyed palling around with her very best friends, K and Barbara, going on adventures during the day and turning to cards at night.
She loved living with her son, John, and scaring the wits out of him (accidentally) by yelling down the stairs, turning off the light or dropping something on the floor while he was working on a delicate woodworking project in the basement.
She loved her Sunday night calls with Jay and keeping up with and attending when possible all the activities of her grandchildren in Connecticut, Texas and California. But her favorite pastimes were talking and meeting and knowing people. She loved hearing peoples’ stories….where they worked, where they lived, what their interests were…and she remembered them all…. forever. She prided herself in being able to instantly recall and recite facts such as these about anyone she had met in her 91 years. She also enjoyed telling stories about her family members in great detail to all who would listen! Marion lived her life with grace and dignity and was beloved by all who knew her.
Marion leaves her children, Judy Destro and husband, Joe of Broad Brook, Jay Webber and wife, Marcie of California, John Webber of East Windsor and Jayne Noel and husband, Steve of Windsor Locks. She leaves her sister, Mickey Johnstone of Deland, Florida; and her special friends, K and Barbara Barron of Lake Helen, Florida. She leaves six grandchildren, Joanna (Josh), Amy (Tom), Marlena, Robert, Jacob and Corby (Brendon); and seven great- grandchildren, Josie, June, Piper, Christian, Nathan, Brenleigh, Hudson and baby-to-be Bibb. She also leaves special nieces and nephews, Larry and Joan, Steve and Suzanne, Linda, Annie, Brenda and Joel, Paula and Simon, Scott and Lena and their families.
A celebration of Marion’s life will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m., at the First Congregational Church of East Windsor, 124 Scantic Rd. Barring severe inclement weather, it will be held outdoors on the grounds of the church.
Calling hours will be held Friday, Oct. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Bassinger & Dowd Funeral Home, 37 Gardner St., East Windsor. The family respectfully requests that masks be worn by all in attendance at both the indoor and outdoor event.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Congregational Church of East Windsor, 124 Scantic Rd., East Windsor, CT 06088 or the Library Association of Warehouse Point, 107 Main St, East Windsor, CT 06088.
