Mary Buttigieg Robinson, of Medford, Massachusetts, passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2020, at the age of 83.
She was the beloved and devoted wife of Richard A. Robinson who predeceased her in 2015. They were blessed to have shared 36 years of marriage together.
Mary was also a loving sister, a cherished aunt and great aunt, a dear cousin, a dedicated educator, a caring neighbor, and a wonderful friend.
She is survived by her dear sister Helen Hopkins and her husband Paul G. (brother in law), her loving and devoted family caregivers, of Medford and her dear brother Joseph (Joe) J. Buttigieg III and his wife Danielle (sister in law) of Boca Raton, FL. She is also survived by her cherished niece and nephews Joseph Buttigieg IV of Redondo Beach, CA, Jody (Christopher) Patsey of Kihei, HI, and Joseph (Paulina) Hopkins of Burlington. She is also survived by her cherished grand nephew, Elliot Hopkins, who always delighted her of Concord. Mary is also survived by her dear friend, Charlene Cleland of Concord. She is also survived by many dear cousins.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 14, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Joseph II and Mary (Borg) Buttigieg. She grew up in Detroit and in Dearborn, surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and family friends. Here she developed her deep devotion to family and friends.
After graduating from Dearborn High School, she attended Madonna College. She received a B.A. in English from Marygrove College. She furthered her education with an M.A. from the University of Detroit.
Fueled by a strong desire to help people, Mary began her career as a dedicated and devoted educator as a high school English teacher in Livonia. She moved to Massachusetts when she was hired to teach at Lexington High School. She also taught at Boston University where, in her leadership role, she mentored student teachers. Recently, Mary was featured in a newspaper article entitled, “A Reunion Decades in the Making: Former Lexington Teacher Reconnects with Students.” In this article, several students speak of how their teacher, Miss Buttigieg, was loved for her inspiring qualities and her guidance and how she made a difference in their lives.
Mary had many interests, but having been raised in the shadow of Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, her lifelong love of baseball was a natural interest she discovered at an early age. She also loved reading, the theatre, traveling, and cooking - with an expertise for several dishes from her Maltese heritage. But most of all, she loved spending time with family and friends. Staying connected with family and friends who remained dear to her throughout her life, was always one of Mary’s highest priorities. She often connected by sending cards, writing letters, and making phone calls just to see how you were doing.
Courageous, warm, compassionate, kind, supportive, generous, and humble defined Mary. She was beloved by all of her family and friends for her kind heart and her gentle demeanor and she will be cherished in their memories. Mary will be missed by all who knew her.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High St., Medford on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at 11 AM. Visitation will be held in the church, prior to the Mass from 10 to 11 AM. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford. Donations in Mary’s memory may be made to CatholicTV, PO Box 9196, 34 Chestnut St., Watertown, MA 02471 or to St. Joseph Church, 118 High St., Medford, MA 02155.
For additional information, please visit www.magliozzifuneralhome.com. For livestream of the funeral mass, please go to: https://youtu.be/_DVtFCXOkrs