Priscilla Alden (Hackett) Sweet, died on July 1, after a three day stay in Epoch Senior Heathcare in Norton.

She was born on a hot evening, Sept. 23, 1921, in Taunton. She was named after her aunt who died in December 1903 of diptheria. Both Priscilla and Alden are family names going back to John Alden and Priscilla Mullen. Her mother walked to Morton Hospital that day from their apartment opposite Cohannet School.

She was the daughter of the late Charles and Millicent (Cooke) Hackett and the beloved granddaughter of Nannie and Robert Cooke. When her sister Roberta was born in 1924, the family was living on Johnson street, also in Raynham.

Beginning in 1928, Priscilla’s home was on 185 Dean street in Taunton. She attended Summer Street School, Cohannet School and graduated from Taunton High School in 1939. School, Sunday school, junior choir and Girls Scouts, all with her female friends, filled her elementary years.

She began wearing glasses at the age of five and had an eye operation in Mass Eye and Ear when she was eight. During fifth grade, convalescing from Thanksgiving to New Year’s with her grandparents in Attleboro, she began her lifelong love of handcrafts — knitting, sewing, crocheting, braiding rugs — all taught by her grandmother and aunts. She graduated from Bridgewater State Teacher’s College in 1934. The dean’s list always escaped her: a D in history of art and the clumsiness of phys ed did her in.

Priscilla began dating her husband, Neil, in her senior year in high school, but World War II intervened and they were not married until June 15, 1946. They shared 63 years together and renewed their vows last month. During the hurricane of 1938 they were attending a movie at the Park Theater. She was in Mulhern’s Drug Store when the radio announced the bombing of Pearl Harbor. While waiting for Neil to return from combat, she began her teaching career in South Dighton. After marriage, she taught at Annawan School in Rehoboth until her first pregnancy. Sandy (Neil, Jr.) was born in 1947, followed by Glenn in 1949 and Alden in 1953. In 1954, on Winthrop street, she established Wilmarth Kindergarten, the first home kindergarten in Taunton, and she continued it when she moved to Webster street in 1956.

Returning to public school teaching in 1964, Priscilla taught at Washington School, Maxham School and Sheridan Street School. She began in the first, moved to the second and then taught third grade. Her family teased her about never “getting out of the third grade.”

She retired in 1984, having taught 34 years. She and Neil retired to West Harwich and loved living on the Cape. She enjoyed traveling to Florida, Montana and Europe and on cruises in the South Atlantic. But of all the places she lived and traveled, Oak Bluffs and Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association held a special place in her heart. Her ancestor, Solomon Chadwick, built the first family cottage at 4 Siloam avenue and built several other cottages, including 16 Siloam avenue. Until this year, no summer of her life passed without time spent in Oak Bluffs.

She was a 50-year member of Eastern Star, Rose Croix Chapter, serving as Worthy Matron and as a Grand Chapter officer. She was a longtime member of Methodist churches — Grace Methodist, Calvary Methodist, Memorial United Methodist Church and Harwich United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Wesleyan Circle for 50 years. Both in Taunton and Harwich, she was active in making crafts for the church fairs. She served on many different committees and worked at the Thrift Shop at Harwich UMC.

In addition to her husband and sons, she is survived by her sister Roberta Hackett Lowe and her brother in law John of Florida and Oak Bluffs; her daughters in law Laurie, Karen and Pat; her adoring grandchildren, Charles, Kristin, Ryan, Kimberly and Josh; her great-grandchildren Alden and Jake, her favorite niece Nancy and her nephews Craig, Gary and Tim.

In lieu of flowers, her family would welcome memorial donations be made, in her name, to Memorial Fund of the Harwich United Methodist Church, 1 Church Street, East Harwich, MA. 02645. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service in the Memorial United Methodist Church, 176 Somerset avenue in Taunton, Mass., on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 11 a.m. Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home, 350 Somerset avenue (Route 138 South) in Taunton. To light a candle, get directions or to access the memorial register, go online to hathawayfunerals.com.