Mary Louise (Buck) Paiva, age 79, Winchester, passed away February 1, 2021 at the Winchester Medical Center, VA, after a prolonged illness. She was the daughter of Raymond and Louise Buck of North Easton, MA.

She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, John C. Paiva, and their four children and spouses-Mary Beth Paiva; Candace White (Joel White); Cynthia Strother (Kenneth Strother); and John Paiva Jr (Kathy Paiva). She was grandmother to seven grandchildren -Caitlyn, Vanessa, Brandon, Amanda, Cody, Dylan, and Megan. She also doted upon the next generation of her clan, in the joy provided by her 4 great-granddaughters-Magdalena, Lily, Davina, and Kennedy. She is also survived by her brothers, David and Raymond Buck, of South Carolina and Rhode Island, respectively. She was particularly close to her sister-in-law, Elaine Maclean of Plympton, MA, as well as her friends in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Mary Lou loved interactive word games, playing cards, and on occasion, a mean game of amateur croquet, much to the delight of her grandchildren. She loved travel, taking road trips north to New England to visit extended family members. She worked for many years in the service profession, often encountering unique personalities on the job. Her comment after meeting Frank Zappa -“polite, quiet, and sort of weird -but a nice guy.” And Maria von Trapp? “Cranky old lady, but one would be, stuck in a hospital bed.” Mary Lou diligently worked throughout her lifetime, often juggling several jobs as well as being full-time homemaker, mother, and wife. She retired from work at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center after a 20-year career. Along with her husband John, she performed caretaking duties at the Meccawee Club in West Bridgewater, VT, notable as being a respite spot for President Calvin Coolidge. This location provided many opportunities for family visits and hijinks, including trout fishing, s’mores making, bonfires, and cooking large family dinners.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148 as a continuing reminder of her love for the children who made her life funnier, sweeter, and enormously brighter. She will be missed by those she touched, but never forgotten.

All services will be private. Arrangements are being handled by Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel.