Mary Loulina Rankin, 88, of Derry, NH, formerly of Piscataway, NJ, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 9, 2015, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Pittsfield, MA on October 28, 1926, the daughter of Walter and Annie (Brown) Wyand.
She met her Bob, the love of her life, when he visited her church. It was love at first sight for him when he saw this beautiful young woman who was the life of the party. They were married on October 9, 1948 and shared 57 years of marriage. A happy, lively home was the base for their growing family in Piscataway, NJ. For many decades they were part of the Rutgers University faculty community and made great memories as part of the summer pool club. With their nest emptying, they enjoyed camping and square dancing. They were delighted to travel to England many times and loved Elderhostel trips. Nothing made them happier than family dinners at their home with loads of kids and grandkids.
Loving, effervescent, and sociable, Mary made friends wherever she went. Her joie de vivre and infectious laugh will be dearly missed. Mary was an avid reader, a gifted painter, and her ability to multi-task and be included in several conversations at once is a family legend.
Mary and Bob's legacy is their five children and their families: Robert and Karen of Austin, TX, and their children Tracy, her fiancé Andreas Clesle, and Greg, his wife Pamela Pontius, and their children William, Patrick, and Ian; John and Lynne of Pennington, NJ, and their children Lauren and John; James and Linda of Zionsville, IN, and their children Hillary, Ruth, Robert, and Cameron; William and Susan of Derry, NH, and their children Rebecca, Charlie, and Heather Hall, her husband Barry, and their son Curtis; and Anne Rankin Pfannkoch and Tom of Chester, NH, and their children Laurie Beth Pliakos, her husband Nick, Tommy, David, and Julie. She is also survived by her brother, Chuck Wyand, of Dalton, MA; her sister, Gertrude Garrity of Pittsfield, MA; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends who will miss her dearly.
Mary was predeceased by her husband, J. Robert Rankin, her brothers, Herbert and Walter Wyand, and her sister, Ruth Wyand. She was also predeceased by her beloved first grandchild, Amy Kathryn Rankin.
Calling hours were held on Thursday April 16, 2015 from 5 - 8pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A memorial service will be held on Saturday April 18th at 10 AM at the First Baptist Church, Crystal Ave., Derry. Interment will be at the Great Hill Cemetery in Chester, NH.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Amy Kathryn Rankin Memorial Scholarship, Hopewell Valley Central High School, 259 Pennington-Titusville Rd, Pennington, NJ 08534.