She was born on February 16, 1928, in Bangor, Maine, to Frank Sterling and Willena MacNeill Rand. The Rand family moved to Yarmouth when Mary was a child, and she lived there for the rest of her life. She would always tell stories of growing up in town, including packing sardines at the local cannery, where the Royal River Grill House is today.
Mary attended Yarmouth schools and graduated from North Yarmouth Academy in 1946. She married her high school sweetheart, Robert O’Donnell, not long after graduation. They soon started a family and were blessed with three children: Robert Jr., JoAnne, and Frank.
Robert Sr. passed away at just 30 years old, and Mary became a widow and single mom. She started waitressing at the Country Kitchen restaurant to provide for her family and put herself through college. Mary then became a teacher, spending many years teaching first grade at Rowe School in Yarmouth.
When her children were grown, Mary fell in love again and married E. Thomas Hacker. She adopted and helped raise his two children, Susanne and Thomas Jr. Mary and Thomas Sr. spent their retired years together on their boat, cruising the coast of Maine. They made many friends on their boating adventures, which included special trips to the town of Castine.
Mary was strong, kind, and generous. She would drive around town giving gifts to the crew who worked hard at the local dump or her favorite gas station. Mary enjoyed clamming off the coast of Yarmouth, fishing off the Cousins Island Bridge, playing the banjo, and she loved the Boston Red Sox. Her favorite accessory was an L.L. Bean bandana wrapped around her hair. Mary was tons of fun, and taught us all never to take ourselves too seriously. She was famous for telling people, “be bad!” The world is a better place for having 90 years of “Mammie.”
Mary is reunited in heaven with her parents, stepmother Emily Rand, brother Alan Rand, two husbands, and son Frank. She leaves behind her children Robert O’Donnell Jr. (Barbara), JoAnne Barker (Ron), Susanne Kibler-Hacker (Mark) and E. Thomas Hacker Jr. (Brenda). She also leaves grandchildren Amy Spooner (Nate), Kate Shub (Adam), Christopher Kibler, E. Thomas Hacker III (Kaisa), and Laura Larrison (Matt).
“Mammie” had a special relationship with her four great-grandchildren who lived nearby, Paige & Lily Spooner and Henry & George Shub. She enjoyed visits and letters from her Minnesota family, including Beverly & Barrington Larrison and Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Elijah Hacker.
Mary also leaves nephews, nieces, and many devoted friends including Martha Hamilton Doughty. Thank you to Bay Square in Yarmouth and Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick for taking such good care of Mary.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mary Hacker’s name to Yarmouth Fire Rescue (P.O. Box 964 in Yarmouth, ME 04096). A graveside service will be held at Riverside Cemetery on Route 88 in Yarmouth on Thursday, July 19, at 11:00 AM.
To offer your condolences and to sign Mary's online guestbook, please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com
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