Mary Paiva Drouin, Was Active Church Volunteer

Mary Paiva Drouin died Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, at Martha's Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs.

She was born in Vineyard Haven in 1922, the daughter of Claudino Paiva and Celestina Ferreria. Mary was raised on the Island with her six siblings.

She married Alfred R. Drouin Sr. in 1954 in Nashua, N.H. They had three children.

The Drouins returned to the Vineyard in 1961, where she and her husband ran a few small businesses for many years. Mary's later years were spent working at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School cafeteria for 17 years, until she retired at age 72.

Mary had many talents including baking, woodworking and crocheting. She donated many afghans to the Oak Bluffs Senior Center and other organizations for fundraising. She was a member of Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Oak Bluffs, where she was an active volunteer for 28 years. In 2003, she was awarded the Marion Medal for her dedicated service.

Mary was predeceased by her husband of 34 years, Alfred R. Drouin Sr. Also predeceasing her were her brothers Manual, Raphael, Henry and Louis Paiva; her stepson, David Drouin; and her step-grandson, Brian Drouin.

Survivors include her son, Alfred R. Drouin Jr. of Wellesley; two daughters, Lisa Drouin, of Boonton, N.J., along with her partner, Marianne Dorigo, and Celeste M. Berg of Oak Bluffs and her husband William J. Berg 3rd; her sister, Fortunata Metell of Oak Bluffs; her brother, Herbert Paiva of South Dartmouth; her sister in law, Kathleen Paiva of Vineyard Haven; her stepson, Ronald Drouin of Austin, Texas; a stepdaughter, Sherry Veinot and her husband Terry of Derry, N.H.; four grandchildren, Nicholas LaBell, Suzanne Graham, and Madeleine and Austin Drouin; four step-grandchildren, Kevin, Sarah, David and Angela Drouin; and two great-grandchildren, Anna and Matthew Graham.

Her funeral mass was scheduled to be held Dec. 4 at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Oak Bluffs. Donations in Mary Drouin's memory may be made to Good Shepherd Parish, P.O. Box 1058, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.