Mary I. Wefers' Obituary
Mary I. (Powell) Wefers, loving wife and mother, passed away on Tuesday morning at age 80 surrounded by her family. Mary was born on January 8, 1942, in Portland, ME, to the late Timothy F. and Doris H. Powell. She grew up in Munjoy Hill and graduated from Portland High School in 1960. Mary then began a career working in the Repair Service department at New England Telephone. It was through the telephone company that she met the love of her life, Jimmy.
Married for 59 years, Mary and Jimmy settled in North Andover, MA, where they raised their family and have been active members of the community. Mary had various jobs in the area. Notably, she worked for Dr. Sunit Mukherjee for multiple years. Then she worked for 16 years as a paraprofessional at North Andover Middle School before her well-deserved retirement.
Mary was a town poll worker and a member of the AOH Auxiliary, the NAMS book club, and the St. Michael Parish Bible Studies Group. She was active at the NA Senior Center and in the hospitality ministry at St. Michael Parish. Mary took great pleasure in attending her children’s and grandchildren’s various sporting events.
Mary and Jimmy traveled all over North America and Europe with family and friends, returning multiple times to their favorite spot, Ennis, in Ireland. Her annual girls’ trips to the Cape and Lake Winnipesaukee were a source of great joy.
Mary was known for her quick wit, fierce determination, and generous spirit. Her friendships were many and strong, and she was a beloved Mimi/Gram to her grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, James F., and their children, Heidi I. Wefers and her husband Michael Shaffer (York, ME), James L. Wefers and his wife Ursula (Franklin, MA), and Peter T. Wefers and his wife Amy Leibrock (Cincinnati, OH). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Joshua J. Wefers, Greta I. Shaffer, Neala F. Wefers, Santiago S. Wefers, and Aitana M. Wefers. Also among her survivors are her sister-in-law Patricia (Smith) Powell and niece Elizabeth Powell of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and nephew, Dennis Powell of Salem, OR. Mary was predeceased by her brother, Timothy F. Powell, Jr.
Family and friends may call on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, from 4 to 8 P.M. at St. Michael Church, 196 Main St. North Andover, MA which has changed location from the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, 35 Merrimack St. North Andover. For more information or to send an online condolence please visit our website at www.breenfuneralhome.com.
Family and friends please meet at church for a funeral mass that will be offered on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 10 A.M. at St. Michael Parish, North Andover, MA, followed by burial at Immaculate Conception Cemetery.
In lieu of giving flowers, the family asks that you kindly make a donation in Mary’s memory to the St. Vincent De Paul Society at St. Michael Parish, 196 Main St., North Andover, MA 01845 or the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization, 92 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101.
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