BOOTHBAY HARBOR – Mary Read Grover formerly of East Stoneham, died Sept. 9, at the Gregory Wing of St. Andrews Village after several years of declining health.

She was born May 25, 1921, in Richmond, Vt., the daughter of Horatio and Mary Wright Read, and moved with her family to Maine when she was 3 months old. She was a graduate of Crosby High School in Belfast and Gorham Normal School, now University of Southern Maine, where she was their first Winter Carnival queen. She taught primary school in Waterford, where she met and married the love of her life, Dwight Grover, on March 4, 1945. They were married for 57 years.

Dwight and Mary made their home in East Stoneham. She was influential in supporting Dwight in growing his business, and loved being a homemaker. She was a woman of great faith and an active member of the East Stoneham Congregational Church by being a Sunday School superintendent and teacher, holding several church offices, singing in the choir, coordinating and working on church suppers, and organizing holiday shut-in boxes for many years.

She was an avid volunteer on the Stoneham planning board, Stephens Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Horizons 55, Church Women United, and supported various community events. When she moved to Boothbay Harbor in 2003, she joined the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church.

She enjoyed sewing, knitting, gardening, freezing and canning fruits and vegetables, loved her many pets and animals, and spending time at their camps in Blackguard and on Whitney Pond in Stoneham.

Her husband, children, and grandchildren were the primary joy of her life. She loved to have family and friends at her home, and was a great cook who always had plenty of food to add an extra plate to the table when anyone dropped in.

She is survived by three daughters, Beth Jones, and husband, Tom, of Minot, Peggy Pinkham, and husband, I.J., of East Boothbay and Martha Holden, and husband, Bob, of North Bridgton; daughter-in-law, Terri Grover of Waterford; grandchildren, Matthew and Timothy Pinkham, Mark, Tyler and Ross Holden, Luke Jones, Leslie, Dan, Kimberly, Casey and Amie Grover; several great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Edythe Read of Chatham, Mass., brother-in-law, Arthur Gouin of Norway; and many wonderful nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband; their son, Read; three brothers, Seth, Richard and Paul Read; sisters-in-law, Joyce Gouin, Miriam Higgins, Dorothy Read and Sara Read; brothers-in-law, Rodney and Keith Grover; two nephews, Keith Grover and Peter Gouin; and a special niece, Kathleen Grover.