Mary Ann (Hollister) Hoxsie died peacefully with her family by her side at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield on Tuesday, Sept. 18. She was 85.

Born in Newton on March 25, 1927, she was the daughter of Dwight G. W. and Dorothy (Tryon) Hollister. She was raised in Wellesley where she attended Wellesley High School and met Russ Hoxsie, who became her high school sweetheart. After a long courtship spanning their college years, his military service and then medical school, Russ and Mary Ann married in 1949.

She attended Bradford Junior College, obtaining her associate’s degree and accomplishing an “un-scored upon” career as a field hockey goalie. She later received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from New York University. She taught kindergarten until she and Russ started their family.

She was a longtime member of Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven where she helped to organize the first nursery school program. She was actively involved in the community, chaperoning school sports trips, helping introduce field hockey to the high school, becoming a certified field hockey referee, baking for every imaginable occasion and primarily being on call for her children, numerous dogs and cats, and her doctor husband whose office was situated through all those formative years in their house. Later on she volunteered with the Samaritans and NAMI: the National Alliance on Mental Illness and was active in Martha’s Vineyard Community Services. She also returned to her teaching roots helping with reading programs at Tisbury School, eventually becoming “the most important substitute teacher” in the Chilmark School where she was affectionately known as the Grandmother of the School.

In her leisure she enjoyed cooking and baking, collecting Indian artifacts, antique bottles, jokes, watching Boston sports, especially the Bruins, and volunteering as a reading tutor in the Chilmark School until “the old knees gave out” and she couldn’t get down on the floor with the kids anymore.

Mary Ann and Russ lived for over 50 years on Martha’s Vineyard and their hearts are forever in the little house on Menemsha Pond where they retired and were able to spend many wonderful years. Together they have left to the Island a rich history of love, friendship and community service and will be much missed. Dr. Hoxsie died in July 2011 at the age of 83.

Mary Ann will be sadly missed by he r four children, Steven Hoxsie and his wife Martha of Scarborough, Me.; Deborah Lomas and her husband Duncan of Wilbraham; Russell Hoxsie Jr. of Dorchester; and Christopher Hoxsie and his ex-wife Pamela of Martha’s Vineyard; along with her six precious grandchildren, Conor and Corey Lomas of Wilbraham; Alex and Trevor Hoxsie of Scarborough, Me.; Hannah Perceval and her husband Thomas of South Portland, Me.; and Gabriella Hoxsie of Martha’s Vineyard. Besides her parents she was predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Dr. Russell Hoxsie, daughter, Pamela Hoxsie and her brother Dwight Jr. A memorial service and reception was held Thursday at Grace Episcopal Church, followed by interment at Abel’s Hill Cemetery in Chilmark. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, 111 Edgartown Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. Beers and Story Palmer Funeral Home have been entrusted with arrangements. Please visit beersandstory.com for more information.