Mary Connor

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of their mother Mary ( Tobia ) Connor on Saturday, April 26. Mary , a first generation American, was one of eight children born in Southbridge to Camillo and Angelina Tobia , originally from San Tommaso, Italy. She graduated from Mary E. Wells High School in 1939 and was active in sports. Even though small in stature she excelled in basketball and became captain of her team. In October 1994, Mary was contacted to return to Southbridge to be honored and inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame as a star basketball and field hockey player in 1937, '38, and '39. In addition to being a member of the cheerleading squad, she was also adept at archery and voted the school's best female athlete in her senior year earning six letters in sports.

In 1942 Mary started her working career in Southbridge as an Office Payroll Clerk at American Optical. She was later employed by the Accounting Firm B.F. Hamblin, CPA. Mary married hometown friend Joseph (Joe) F. Connor in 1946. When Joe accepted a job at Hanscom Air Force Base, the family moved from Southbridge to Tewksbury where they raised their four children. Mary continued as a working mom, employed as a bookkeeper, in nearby Lowell, at H.P. Hood & Son, and 4 years later at Astro (Circuit) Technology as a full-charge bookkeeper to the Vice President/Controller. In 1977, Joe and Mary retired to Pompano Beach, Florida, and spent their remaining years enjoying golf and spending time with hometown friends and her oldest brother John (Claire) Tobia . Upon the passing of her husband in 2005, Mary returned to Massachusetts and lived with her oldest daughter in Wakefield where her health eventually declined.

In addition to her husband Joe, Mary is preceded in death by her siblings John Tobia , Lucy Wilson, Salvino Tobia , Thomas Tobia , Susan Niejadlik ; and grandchild Kayla Marie Buell. She was a loving and devoted mother of four: Gail Nardone (Richard) of Wakefield; Kathy Buell (Jim) of Placerville, California; Joseph Connor , Jr., (Amy) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Marylou Pritchard (Ted) of E. Kingston, New Hampshire. She is also survived by her grandchildren Jay Wright, step-grandsons David and Ricky Nardone, Briana ( Connor ) Garcia, Ryan Connor , and Patrick Connor; three great-grandchildren Gracelynn Garcia, Hailey Connor , and Nolan Connor; and also survived by her siblings Grace McCarthy and Anne Tobia of Southbridge.

Mary was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend and will be dearly remembered. A Catholic Mass will be held at St. Mary's in Southbridge, MA, on Friday, May 23, at 10:00 am.

May 23, 2014
10:00 AM

St Mary Church
263 Hamilton Street
Southbridge, ME 01550
(508) 765-3701