On Friday, March 29 Ernestine A. Hoban (Simpson), mother of eight and loving wife of Joseph Hoban for 54 years passed away unexpectedly. Since her birthday, on October 26th 1939 in Boston, MA, Ernestine never stopped. As a teenager, she played basketball, painted, earned the title of valedictorian and prettiest girl of Burlington High School, and even helped her father build their house. Smitten by her beauty and brains, Joe Hoban married her in 1958 and moved his new bride first to Jamaica Plain, MA and then to Medway, MA where they lived happily for 44 years. During those years, Ernestine’s energy and determination stunned all who knew her. She was the chairman of the town’s finance committee and founded The Medway Players theater troupe, even producing and acting in A Feather for Caleb for the town’s 375th anniversary celebration. She taught herself whatever she needed to raise her eight children and create a beautiful home. She sewed, cooked, painted, restored and designed furniture, laid tile, dug ditches, repaired appliances, baked the best apple pies, studied astrology, read palms, learned the computer, and practiced feng shui before feng shui existed. When she rested, she read at the same speed as she worked, sometimes reading as much as a book a day. And every Saturday night she and Joe went dancing. Ernestine stopped dancing last Friday, but her vibrant spirit lives on in her eight children: Lisa Fleming of Harvard, MA; Daniel Hoban of Westborough, MA; Kathryn Hoban of North Bergin, New Jersey; Carolyn Pisani of Groton, MA; Stephanie Hoban of Arlington, MA; Jennifer Johnson of Westford, MA; Jeremy Hoban of Worcester, MA and Eric Hoban of Geneva, NY and her first of ten grandchildren, Christopher Hoban of Dedham, MA, who is the father of Ernestine’s two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by siblings: Linda Southen, Joe Adamick, Ralph Simpson, and Donald Simpson. Her funeral mass will be held on Thursday April 4th at St. Joseph’s Church, 151 Village Street, Medway at 10:00. Calling hours will be on Wednesday April 3rd from 5-8 in the Ginley Crowley Funeral Home ,3 Barber Street, Medway. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Catholic Charities in her name by using this form or by going to the website: http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/how-to-help/donate/