Marie J. Weston, 83 of Concord, NH, died peacefully on Friday February 3, 2017 at her home surrounded by her five children. Marie was born in Manchester, NH on July 2, 1933, a daughter of the late John and Eva . (Legendre) Murray. Raised in Derry, Marie spent more than 25 years residing in Walpole, NH, before returning to Derry in retirement. After the passing of her husband, Carl in 2009, Marie moved to Concord, NH to be closer to her children.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother (and soon to be great grandmother!), Marie battled ALS courageously in an effort to continue to be the caregiver matriarch of her large, loving family; indeed, in recent months she was frustrated that she became in need of the very care that was her expertise and that she felt was rightly hers to give. Taking care of people was at her core. Marie took enormous pride in her children and grandchildren and delighted in being a fixture on the sidelines of games, a front-row audience member at dance performances, or a well-dressed presence at grand-parents days. Nothing made her happier than supporting the accomplishments and activities of those she loved. Even in her later years, it wasn’t unusual to find her swimming in the lake, taking a turn on the slip n-slide, or dancing in the kitchen with her grandchildren. Her house was as open as her heart, and nothing made her happier than being with her family.
But her care extended beyond her family. A devoted member of the Catholic Church, Marie was a driving force in initiating and organizing the Sunday school curriculum for St. Joseph’s Church in the family’s hometown of Walpole, NH. Despite the demands of raising her own children, Marie gave generously and willingly of her time to ensure that St. Joseph’s had thriving programs and the resources to support those programs. She helped establish The Church Women of Walpole to support the spiritual life of the larger community, as she was eager to find ways to bring people together. She was quick to host fundraisers and to plan events, and her philanthropic spirit extended beyond the church. She served the community as a member of the Walpole Library Board of Trustees, the Walpole Heart Fund, and the Walpole Exchange. Whether in Walpole, Derry, or in her most recent service as a Eucharistic Minister at Christ the King Parish in Concord, Marie sought opportunities to help others and to serve her community.
A graduate of Pinkerton Academy in Derry NH in 1951, Marie excelled in school and was a fierce advocate for education. She made it a goal to see that her children attended college, taking great pride in their schooling and in the professional careers that ensued. A voracious reader and ready learner, Marie became a teacher in her later years, taking advantage of a program that offered her the training to become certified in the local public schools. Math, science, arts, or even gym, the discipline didn’t matter to Marie; she loved working with children, and her youthful spirit and creative energy enriched the experience of countless students.
Beyond her volunteer and educational work, Marie had a love of interior design and antiques. Accompanied by her good friend, Liza Stark, Marie loved frequenting the local shops in search of the perfect piece of furniture or bolt of fabric. An accomplished seamstress and self-taught upholsterer, Marie’s home and those of her children contain several beautiful pieces that are the result of her hobby and a testament to her talent.
She is survived by her five children, Cynthia Weston of Londonderry, Dianne Weston of Manhattan, John “Jack” Weston and his wife Lori of Concord, Robert Weston and his wife Ann of Middletown, RI, and Maura Weston and her husband Jeff Bartlett of Concord; 12 grandchildren, Carl Printzlau, Olivia Printzlau Spiak, Katherine Dorian, James Weston Dorian, Kate Weston, Lizzie Weston, Andrew Weston, Juliet Weston, Helen Weston, Jack Weston, Jeffrey Weston Bartlett, and William Carl Bartlett; her soon to arrive great-granddaughter, Baby Girl Spiak, and her sister-in-law, Barbara Gratton of Henniker, NH.
