MELROSE — Marie T. (MacDonald) Wood, of Melrose, died peacefully on September 2, 2021.
Beloved wife of the late Edwin B. “Bud” Wood Sr. Loving mother of MaryEllen Dee of Stoneham; the late Edwin B. Wood Jr., and his surviving wife, Angela Wood, of AZ; Patricia A. Campbell and her husband, Ron, of FL; Joey Galipeau of Peabody; Karen Vernaci and her husband, Nicholas, of Saugus; Shawn Auger and his wife, Cheryl, of NH; and Arlene Maggie Willette and her husband, Jim, of Methuen. Sister of Alice Clattenburg and her husband, George, of FL; and the late Frederick MacDonald Jr. She is also survived by many loving grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Visiting hours will be held on Thurs., Sept. 9, from 4-7 p.m. at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 10, at St. Mary’s Church, Melrose. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Marie’s family kindly asks those attending the wake and funeral to please wear a mask. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Shriner’s Burns Institute at LovetotheRescue.org
Maries nature was to always doing something, preferably for others, community and church. She championed the “underdog” and, although not a “hugger”, her affections for others reached far and wide. Her heart was big and shared with many.
Marie and her husband, Bud, fostered 32 kids. They shared their summer home with countless nieces and nephews who all have great lake memories.
Marie became bored with her dressmaking and cake decorating abilities and decided to take a real estate class. After passing her exam, she moved on to opening a business in the foyer of her front hall and then on to Main Street. She enjoyed selling homes to people and prided herself on being in nearly every home in Melrose, at least once. She was constantly on the go and when flying out the back door, we would ask “what’s for dinner?” and she would say “check the freezer”! She never left us without a substantial stock of Rice A Roni or Banquet frozen dinners. For hours Marie would sit at the dining room table, calculator at hand, figuring out how one could afford a house. It was her pleasure to call a client and say “Congratulations home owner!”
It was during this time Marie became involved with the Victorian Society (now the Historical Society) and all things Victorian. She worked hard to improve the downtown appearance of Melrose and collected photos and memorabilia about the city. Marie loved the Victorian look, and much to Bud’s dismay, started collecting many, actually too many, Victorian artifacts and furniture!
Marie served on many committees and boards within the community, raising money for many worthy causes. If you enjoy the gazebo at Ell Pond, you can thank Marie!
She loved her East Emerson home. It was there she and Bud took in her mother and aunts to live with them, and yes, more kids, as well as a scattering of grandchildren. She celebrated Halloweens with haunted houses and Christmases with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Marie always looked for the worst tree in the lot because she wanted it to have a home.
After her son’s death at the age of 42, she became the glue holding the family together and forged forward with a life that was often difficult for many. She proved herself to be a rock.
Retirement was a concession on her part, so off Bud and Marie went to Venice, Florida. He with a smile and she with one of her famous frowns. After Bud’s death in 2001, Marie found many opportunities to keep busy and to volunteer. She sang in the choir and was an active member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey, FL. She volunteered at SPARC donation center (safe place and rape crisis center) and visited residents in assisted living homes. For many years she belonged to the Military Ministry of Nokomis, collecting items and sending packages to Iraq. She also ran yard sales to raise money for its postage. She collected goods and clothing for local migrant workers.
A canasta fan, Marie would never say no to a game. Not surprisingly, she was highly competitive. She, and her dear friend and sidekick, Ruthie, would play for hours. After Ruthies passing, she found herself aligned with a new set of friends and the YA YA sisters were born. They attended countless events and enjoyed themselves immensely with Marie as the designated driver. Marie loved being behind the wheel of a car and would go anywhere, even driving from Florida to Massachusetts while in her late 80’s.
Life changed for Marie when she bought an iPhone and discovered Facebook. Her friendships doubled and she became a part of so many peoples world. In March of 2020 Marie went into quarantine. Facebook and the “You Know You’re from Melrose” page kept her connected while she lived alone at the age of 91.
Three weeks ago, Marie decided to return to Melrose, visiting with family she had not seen since the start of the pandemic. Her last days were filled with visits from children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her smiles were endless.
Feisty, determined, independent and stubborn, a terrible cook and killer of plants, Marie possessed many caring traits. She will be sorely missed, greatly appreciated and fondly remembered by many! To leave an online message of condolence please visit gatelyfh.com.
