Mary Jane Sullivan

Mary Jane Sullivan

Mary Jane Sullivan (Marchand), 58, of Newmarket, NH passed peacefully in the comfort of her home, with her loving family by her side, on January 1, 2015, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Mary Jane was born on December 2, 1956, in Exeter, NH the daughter of the late John and Lorraine (Beauchamp) Marchand.

She was raised in Exeter, NH and graduated from Exeter High School in 1974. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1978, in elementary education from Mount Saint Mary College in Hooksett, NH.

Mary Jane is survived by her loving husband of 35 years, Paul A Sullivan, her two children; Brian A Sullivan, 27, and Lauren M Sullivan, 24, her sisters, Judy Bilodeau and Patricia Robidas. Her heartwarming smile and beautiful personality lit up each room she entered and touched the lives of every person she met. Mary Jane’s love for her husband, children, family, and friends was undeniable and unconditional.

Her love and selflessness extended beyond her family and into her classroom as an educator. She began her career as a first grade teacher in the Freemont school district. From there she moved onto Main Street School in Exeter, NH, and spent the majority of her career as a kindergarten teacher at Newmarket Elementary School, in Newmarket, NH. In the school district she is remembered for her nurturing instincts, her bubbly “hello’s” as she walked down the hallway, and her genuine dedication to her students, colleagues, and her work both inside and outside of the classroom.

Mary Jane loved the beach and spending her New England summers on Lake Winnipesaukee with her family and friends. She especially enjoyed spending those days on the boat acting as co-captain to her husband and watching her children and their many friends, ski, wakeboard, and tube. In addition, she spent many years coaching and mentoring children and adults in the sport of competition jumprope. The skills learned, and words of wisdom instilled, will be carried with them for a lifetime. She will be forever remembered for her unconditional love of her family, her selflessness and generosity to all, her exquisite sense of fashion, and her absolute love of life.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Michael Church, corner of Front and Lincoln Streets, Exeter, Monday at 10 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited and may visit with the family Sunday from 2-5 PM at the Stockbridge Funeral Home, 141 Epping Road, Exeter. Private burial will be in the Exeter Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Dana Fiber Children’s Cancer Research or Rockingham VNA/Hospice, 137 Epping Road, Exeter, NH 03833.

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