Mary Hickson Musumeci

Mary (Merrie) Frances Hickson Musumeci peacefully passed away on May 4, 2016 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was the youngest of four siblings and the only daughter of Eugene and Frances Hickson. Born and raised in Washington, DC, she graduated from Immaculata High School and worked for a short period of time at Lord and Taylor. She met and married Valentino (Val) Musumeci in 1946 and together they raised a family of six. The family resided in Viers Mill Village, Wheaton, Md in the home Val and Merrie purchased in 1950—a tiny 2-bedroom home that expanded as the family did. In 2003, Val and Merrie joined several of their children by moving to Arizona where they lived until assisted living became a need for them both.

Merrie was a lover of music and learned classical piano at a young age, but her favorite was playing boogie-woogie tunes and they often rang out in the home where the piano sat in the living room. She loved reading especially Louie Lamor or anything related to Native Americans and the Reader’s Digest. She also appreciated music of all types from big band to Elvis, to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix and beyond. She especially enjoyed rhythm and blues and had taken to Percy Sledge, James Brown, Aretha and others. She often went to the ball rooms in DC and danced to the live music of Glen Miller, Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra. Her perfect pitch made her a natural singer and she could often be heard singing while doing chores or digging in her flower garden. The last song she could still sing and remember was “Take me out to the ballgame” which could often be heard in the assisted living home.

Merrie had fond memories of visiting her Grandmother in Maine listening to the rain on the tin roof. She passed this love of Maine on to her children when the entire family started visiting Maine in the mid-60s and some of the grandkids even took the long drive from Maryland up to Down East. She treasured her time at the ocean and would often walk along Marginal Way while Val and some of the kids would fish off of Lobster Point. Another favorite spot was Brown’s Ice Cream Shop, down the hill from Nubble Light and, of course, Perkins Cove and Barnacle Billy’s Restaurant and the shops in the Cove. Even tenting in the dunes of Ocean City, Md was a joy especially surrounded by her family.

Merrie joins her husband Val, to whom she was married for 69 years, and leaves behind six children-Tom, Susan, Chris (Deb), Gina (Fran), Patrica (Pedro) and Faith (Jeff), seven grandchildren-Lisa, Josh, Kristin, Chad, Matthew, Cheyenne and Solan and four great-grandchildren-Andrew, Merrie, Savannah and Aidan, plus many nieces, nephews and a vast number of friends. She doted on her grandchildren, often playing with them or teasing them and Savannah could bring a smile to Merrie whenever she visited. She will be sorely missed, especially her “killer” smile and those warm, caring eyes.

Service for Merrie will be at Mariposa Gardens, 400 S Power Rd, Mesa, Arizona at 1:00 PM on May 13, 2016. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, 34 Washington St., Suite 200, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 or a local Alzheimer’s organization in your area.