The Valley Breeze

Mary A. Chamberlin - Cumberland

Mary A. (Fitzpatrick) Chamberlin, 91, formerly of Cumberland, passed away Oct. 19, 2009, at the home of her daughter, Maureen F. Plumleigh in Old Lyme, Conn.

She was the wife of the late Warren E. Chamberlin and the daughter of the late Richard and Margaret (Farrell) Fitzpatrick. In addition to her daughter Maureen, she leaves another daughter, Kathleen A. Feeney of Cumberland and a son, Richard M. Chamberlin of South Weymouth, Mass. She also leaves a granddaughter, Karissa L. Williams of Fairfield, Conn.; three beautiful great-granddaughters, Lily, Ella and Flora Williams, also of Fairfield; and her twin sister, Emily F. Wahl, of South Kingstown.

Mary was born in and lived in Woonsocket for many years before moving to Cumberland in 1989. In 2007 she moved to her daughter’s home in Connecticut, where she spent many happy days involved in family activities. She also enjoyed dining out at her favorite restaurants, reading her much loved newspapers and magazines–The Woonsocket Call, The Valley Breeze and Rhode Island Monthly–and watching “Wheel of Fortune” and “Lawrence Welk.” Mary and her husband also owned a summer home at Sand Hill Cove in Narragansett and spent every summer there for two decades. In 1934, as juniors at Woonsocket High School, Mary and her twin sister were two of the founding members of the Sigma Delta, a sorority originally formed to socialize and play bridge while fostering friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Her other favorite activities in younger days were roller skating at Misquamicut Beach, line dancing and swimming, especially at their Sand Hill Cove summer home. Mary graduated from Hill College in 1937 and worked at the Woonsocket Call for many years as personal secretary to the publisher. It was at The Call that she met her husband; she eventually retired from the newspaper to raise their family.

The funeral will be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. from the O’NEILL Funeral Home, 3102 Mendon Road, Cumberland, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in Saint Charles Church, North Main Street, Woonsocket. Burial will be in Saint Charles Cemetery, Blackstone, Mass. Relatives and friends are invited. Visiting hours are Thursday from 4-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary’s name to Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut, 227 Dunham St., Norwich, CT, 06360 will help their outstanding nurses, home health aides and volunteers continue to provide the excellent and loving care to others that was so vital to Mary and her care-givers in their hours of need. For online condolences, www.rifuneral.com

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