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Mary Mae MacMillan
December 05, 2018

Obituary

GILMANTON – Mary Mae (Knowles) MacMillan, of Prescott Road, passed peacefully on December 5, 2018 at the Concord Hospice House after being diagnosed with lung cancer ten days prior.

Mae was born April 22, 1929 in Arlington, Mass, the daughter of Catherine (Beaton) Knowles and Wilfred J Knowles. Mae is the widow of Donald MacMillan who predeceased her on October 14, 2017. Don and Mae were married for 61 years. They lived in many different locations due to Don’s lifelong employment with the Woolworth Corporation.

Prior to her marriage, Mae worked for the phone company. After marrying Don, Mae enjoyed her life as a homemaker. While living in Upper Saddle River, NJ, their last location prior to Don’s retirement, they enjoyed weekend trips to their camp in Gilmanton. In 1985 they built a house in Gilmanton and moved there after Don’s retirement, making it their permanent home.

Mae and Don loved summer vacations to Back Lake in Pittsburg with their good friends Joe and Betty McClary. Mae and Betty could often be found around a scrabble board in a friendly, sometimes heated, competition.

Mae and Don so enjoyed their North Country vacations that they decided to buy a second home in Colebrook, and enjoyed many days in the beautiful log home overlooking the Balsam’s ski area as well as snowmobiling in the winter months.

Mae always had a faithful dog by her side. Her most recent furbaby was Oscar, a terrier, who filled Mae’s days with walks and companionship.

Mae had a wonderful sense of humor as well as an open door policy for those she loved. She was a very generous person who never hesitated to make a donation to those in need.

In addition to her parents and husband, Mae was predeceased by her brother Joseph Knowles. She is survived by her sister Dorothy Delorey of Winchester, Mass, her niece Nora Cook-Witkus and husband Steve(who very generously welcomed Oscar into their loving home), her nephew Joseph Knowles Jr and her niece Cheryl Cook, all of Peabody, Mass. Also her cousin Robert Hughes and wife Mary Lou of Andover, Mass as well as beloved family friends.

A Graveside Service for Don & Mae will be held in the Spring at the Smith Meeting House cemetery in Gilmanton.

Donations, if desired, can be made in Mae’s memory to the NH Humane Society, PO Box 572, Laconia, NH 03247.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.

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Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services / 603Cremations.com
164 Pleasant Street
Laconia, NH 03246
603-524-4300