Mary Lou Hickey

Mary Lou Hickey

RUTLAND Born to Eva (Rich) Hook and Vernon Hook on July 16, 1945 in West Carthage, New York.  Mary passed away on February 7, 2024 in Rutland, Vermont.  Mary is survived by her sister, Roberta Bicknell and spouse John, nephews, Jonathan and Henry Bicknell, sister in law, Shirley Warden, Jack Hickey (father of her daughters), Elizabeth Werch (spouse Tony) and Katherine Stansberry (spouse Sean) and grand-
children Emma, Maggie, Ethan, Hanna, Ayden and Noelle (Beth and Tony’s) and grand-
children Dylan, Audrey, Jackson and Riley (Kathy and Sean’s) and close friend, Charlotte Gladding.  Mary was predeceased by her brother, Richard Hook (Shirley) and sisters, Katherine Hook, Elizabeth Hook, and Sylvia Hook.

Mary received her Associates’ Degree from Rutland Community College and her Bachelor’s in Communication from Castleton College.  She grew up in Chelsea, Vermont on the West Hill in an old, uninsulated farmhouse on a dirt road with wood stoves for cooking and heating.  She described the outdoors as her world.  A free spirit, Mary was a strong advocate, caring about her community, friends, and family.  Mary loved her family deeply.  She cherished her grandchildren, sharing tidbits of information about their unique talents and describing not just their accomplishments as she learned about them but also what made up their individual personalities.  She served on the boards of area charitable institutions including BROC and the Vermont Farmers Food Center.

Mary met and overcame many challenges in her lifetime including serious health conditions, addiction, and other trauma.  May was active in the Long QT interval community of patients and health care providers providing emotional support and advocacy to her peers.  She was very proud of the presentation that she gave at their annual conference in 2018 describing her family history and the innovative treatments she received.

Mary loved people and she loved to talk.  If Mary decided to befriend you - you knew you had a friend for life.  She was true blue, straight forward and chose to live life without hate in her heart for anyone.  She could be really funny at times and loved joking with folks.  Mary was also a sometime artist taking pride in a series of photographs and odd assemblies of items she gathered to express her humorous thoughts.  She was a friend of Bill’s, making many close friendships among that community.  She loved to travel to new places.  She accompanied her friend to monthly dinners at Dismas House in Rutland where she connected with the guys in the only way she could by sharing her story and hearing theirs.  She worked at Lindholm’s sporting goods for a long time and was lunchtime cashier for Rutland Restaurant.  In recent years Mary has been engaged in studying her genealogy and writing a memoir of her life.  She enjoyed many summers with friends at the seashore in York, Maine.  Mary was also very proud of her Native American (Abenaki) heritage and spoke of it often.

A Remembrance Gathering will be held on Friday, February 23 at 1:00 at Grace Congregational UCC Church in Fellowship Hall.  In lieu of flowers please donate to the Vermont Farmers Food Center at PO Box 833, Rutland, VT 05702.

Arrangements are under the direction of Clifford Funeral Home.