Brunswick community mourns the death of our friend Mary Biette
BRUNSWICK, Maine--Mary Alvord Biette died on Thursday, May 5, at the age of 89, in Brunswick, Maine.
Mary was born on November 29, 1932, in Medford, Massachusetts, the daughter of Carl H. and Carmen (Buckley) Alvord, and spent her early life in Newton Centre. She worked at her father's drugstore alongside her siblings, and earned her bachelor's degree from Regis College in Weston.
On October 6, 1956, she married Robert Biette at Sacred Heart Church in Newton Centre, and they soon moved to Reading, where they raised their family. When their children - David, Suzanne, Matthew, and Anthony - were young, the family took long car trips across the United States and Canada, seeing national parks and camping along the way.
Mary bucked trends early, taking a job when her children were young to promote textile finishes across the country for several years. She began a long career at Endicott College (then Endicott Junior College) in Beverly, Massachusetts, where she taught textiles and other topics. She especially enjoyed teaching personal finance classes to her students, having kept the Biette family books in tip-top shape for years. Mary earned an MBA from Northeastern University in 1986, and soon took on the role of director of alumnae relations at Endicott, a position she held until her retirement in 1992. She won the "teacher of the year" award three times during her tenure; she loved teaching, and kept a plaque from her office reading "Prof. Biette" in her home until she died.
When they retired in the early 1990s, she and Bob built a retirement home overlooking Middle Bay in the Pennellville section of Brunswick. It was filled with talking and laughing (two things Mary excelled at); the scent of her famous cookies; and many, many dear friends and family members. She and Bob also traveled across Europe and to Egypt, Turkey, and Israel.
In retirement, Mary became involved with the local soup kitchen, and on a wing and a prayer, formed a team to lead a capital campaign to found a permanent home for meals and social services that became the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, which now addresses hunger and social needs of midcoast Maine. Her grandchildren have fond memories of being put to work stuffing envelopes for that fundraising initiative. She also sang in the choir at St. Charles in Brunswick for many years.
In her later years, her dementia started to take its toll, but she continued to find joy in being social and spending time with others, especially her family.
Mary is predeceased by her siblings, Lucille Swan, Jack Alvord, and Jim Alvord. She is survived by her husband, Bob; her children, David Biette (of Brooklyn, New York), Suzanne McCance (of Reading, Massachusetts), Matthew Biette (of Middlebury, Vermont), and Anthony Biette (of Belmont, Massachusetts); their spouses; and her 10 grandchildren.
Condolences, fond memories and photos may be shared at www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com
Published by Stetson's Funeral Home - Brunswick from May 9 to May 10, 2022.
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| August 6, 2013, Brunswick Garden Tour with Mary (right) is pictured with Pat Currier |
Mary was born on November 29, 1932, in Medford, Massachusetts, the daughter of Carl H. and Carmen (Buckley) Alvord, and spent her early life in Newton Centre. She worked at her father's drugstore alongside her siblings, and earned her bachelor's degree from Regis College in Weston.
On October 6, 1956, she married Robert Biette at Sacred Heart Church in Newton Centre, and they soon moved to Reading, where they raised their family. When their children - David, Suzanne, Matthew, and Anthony - were young, the family took long car trips across the United States and Canada, seeing national parks and camping along the way.
Mary bucked trends early, taking a job when her children were young to promote textile finishes across the country for several years. She began a long career at Endicott College (then Endicott Junior College) in Beverly, Massachusetts, where she taught textiles and other topics. She especially enjoyed teaching personal finance classes to her students, having kept the Biette family books in tip-top shape for years. Mary earned an MBA from Northeastern University in 1986, and soon took on the role of director of alumnae relations at Endicott, a position she held until her retirement in 1992. She won the "teacher of the year" award three times during her tenure; she loved teaching, and kept a plaque from her office reading "Prof. Biette" in her home until she died.
When they retired in the early 1990s, she and Bob built a retirement home overlooking Middle Bay in the Pennellville section of Brunswick. It was filled with talking and laughing (two things Mary excelled at); the scent of her famous cookies; and many, many dear friends and family members. She and Bob also traveled across Europe and to Egypt, Turkey, and Israel.
In retirement, Mary became involved with the local soup kitchen, and on a wing and a prayer, formed a team to lead a capital campaign to found a permanent home for meals and social services that became the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, which now addresses hunger and social needs of midcoast Maine. Her grandchildren have fond memories of being put to work stuffing envelopes for that fundraising initiative. She also sang in the choir at St. Charles in Brunswick for many years.
In her later years, her dementia started to take its toll, but she continued to find joy in being social and spending time with others, especially her family.
Mary is predeceased by her siblings, Lucille Swan, Jack Alvord, and Jim Alvord. She is survived by her husband, Bob; her children, David Biette (of Brooklyn, New York), Suzanne McCance (of Reading, Massachusetts), Matthew Biette (of Middlebury, Vermont), and Anthony Biette (of Belmont, Massachusetts); their spouses; and her 10 grandchildren.
Condolences, fond memories and photos may be shared at www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com
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| Mid Coast Hunger Prevention- Community, Food Dignity |
A Mass of Christian Burial ♰ will be celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick on Thursday, May 12, at 11:00am followed by committal prayers at St. John's Cemetery also in Brunswick. In lieu of flowers, her family asks that contributions be made to the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (mchpp.org) in her memory. Arrangements are under the direction of Stetson's Funeral Home & Cremation Care 12 Federal St, Brunswick, 725-4341.
Published by Stetson's Funeral Home - Brunswick from May 9 to May 10, 2022.
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