Mary (Gladys-Varney) Timmons ... active in VNA

GONIC - Mary (Gladys-Varney) Timmons, of Church Street in Gonic, died suddenly at the age of 78 on Saturday, October 20, 2018. Mary was born on March 21, 1940 in Newburyport, Mass, to the late Robert and Janet (McCrone) Varney. She grew up in Barrington, and was a resident of Gonic since 1964.
She graduated from Spaulding High School in Rochester, class of 1958. She was soon engaged to be married to Richard (Dick) Timmons, also from Rochester and a graduate of Spaulding High School class of 1957.
Mary went on to Nursing School at the New England Baptist College where she graduated with a Degree in Nursing. She and Dick were soon married 6 weeks after her graduation in 1961.
After becoming a Registered Nurse, Mary spent her first year as a nurse at Frisbie Memorial Hospital until the birth of her first son Paul. Over the next six years, Mary gave birth to two more sons, Carl and Glen, and enjoyed her time as a full time and very involved Mom, participating in her sons' activities including as Den mother and Secretary/Treasurer for the Boys Scouts. She was also a Sunday school teacher at her church and the secretary for the Gonic School PTA.
Mary returned to nursing at Frisbie Memorial from 1971-1976. In 1976, she joined the Rural District Health Council which later became the Rural District VNA. In her role as a home care nurse, Mary held many positions including coordinator of community care, home health nurse, nurse trainer and clinical supervisor. Mary had the pleasure of working with and developing relationships with many people-clinicians, support staff, volunteers, and her favorite- her patients-and maintained countless friendships throughout her nursing career.
Mary retired from the VNA in 2006 after 30 years of dedicated service. But her service to others continued. As a lifelong Follower of Christ and Servant of God she became a prominent member of the First Church Congregational in Rochester since 1974. Up until her death she attended Bible studies, served as the Financial Secretary at Church, and volunteered for Red Cross Blood Drives. She was also a Deacon of the Church and was on the Committee of Church and Ministry of the Carroll and Strafford Association of the UCC.
In 2007 Mary became a hospice volunteer for Seacoast and Beacon Hospice and in 2011, returned to Cornerstone VNA as a hospice volunteer. Through her volunteerism, as in her nursing career, she has not only brought companionship, care and comfort to patients and their families but has also found meaning, purpose and fulfillment from the all of the relationships that she had acquired. On December 1, 2015 Mary received the Cornerstone Award for her dedication and commitment to advancing the mission at Cornerstone VNA.
Mary sought to see the world by visiting such countries as England, Israel, Egypt, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, China, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany and Alaska. She recently travelled to Colorado to spend time with her two nieces, Debbie Hamrick and Susan Hamilton Hollowell. At home, she enjoyed gardening, reading, and going out for dinner, plays, flower shows, cat shows, a day at the beach- anything that involved spending quality time with her beloved and large circle of family and friends.
Mary was the rock and the heart of her family, which includes her children Paul and wife Marti of York, Maine; Carl of Dover, and Glen and wife Joanne of Malden, Mass.; three grandchildren CJ and wife Molly Timmons, Christopher and Graem Timmons; one brother Bruce and wife Kathy Varney of Milford, N.H.; several nieces and cousins.
She was predeceased by her husband Dick Timmons, who passed away in 2016. The two of them would have celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary on October 21, 2018.