Obituary of Marie Agnes Smith

Marie A. Smith (nee Beninati) passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, the night of Thursday, March 30, 2023, after a short illness. She was 74.

She was the beloved wife of 52-1/2 years of Raymond J. Smith of Tewksbury, formerly of Burlington. She was loving mother to two devoted daughters, Carolyn Smith Feyler and her husband Chuck Feyler of Brockton, and Jackie LaVerde and her husband Tony of Tewksbury, with whom she was living. She was the daughter of the late Benjamin and Josephine Beninati. Sister of the late Virginia Tocio and her husband Jerry Tocio of Arlington and Florida; Gay-Ann Cooney and her late husband Frederick Cooney of Haverhill and Barnstead, NH; and Jo-Ann Greene and her partner Terry Lee of Grover Beach, CA. She was also the loving Godmother to niece Michele Cooney-Cloyd and niece-in-name Robin Rahilly. Marie also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

Originally from Arlington, Marie met Ray, then a Cambridge resident, in a bowling league at Lanes 'N Games in Cambridge (then the Turnpike Bowladrome) in 1967. They married in 1970, and soon thereafter moved to Columbus, OH for 5 years while Ray earned his Master's and PhD from Ohio State University.

After moving back to Cambridge for 12 years, they then moved to Burlington in 1987, where their best friends Jim and Paulina Brady happened to live, and where they raised their daughters.

Marie was a longtime employee of Monks Manufacturing in Wilmington, from where she retired in 2018. She's been paying occasional visits to the Monks office and shop since her retirement, and her former coworkers and colleagues already miss her.

Marie loved her family, extended family and her dear friends; her grandfurbabies Penny Lane, Ringo, McCartney and Lucy; reading; Hallmark movies; music, especially Elvis and oldies (which prompted a family trip to Memphis and Graceland in 2018 to celebrate her retirement); entertaining; and feeding her friends and loved ones, especially with her well-known and well-loved pizza, of which she would never herself partake! She was the kindest, most giving person.

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Tuesday, April 4 from 4-7 p.m. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Wednesday, April 5 at 9am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish (www.stveronicama.org) at 111 Winn Street, Burlington at 10 a.m. The burial will be private.

Memorials in Marie’s name may be made to the Paws Project Foundation (www.pawsprojectfoundation.org).