Mary Twining Grocott

Mary Twining Grocott passed away on March 26th, surrounded by her loving family after a long, valiant battle with cancer.
Mary was born on July 1, 1955, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the fifth child, and only daughter, of Elizabeth Harty Twining and Joseph Raymond Twining. In 1961, her family moved to Massachusetts, settling in Wilbraham. She graduated from Minnechaug Regional High School in 1973, where she followed her brothers Ken and Jody as a guard on the basketball team. She continued her education at Vermont College and then received her teaching degree from Westfield State. Mary then moved to Los Angeles, where her daughters, Hannah Beth of Sturbridge and Lauren Rose (fiancé John Bartel) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were born. At her beloved Tierra Del Sol Foundation of Sunland, CA, she spent many years as a special education teacher. After returning to Wilbraham in 1999, she began teaching at Birchland Park Middle School in East Longmeadow, eventually retiring in 2020.
Growing up in a family with five brothers wasn’t always easy, but she emerged with a sense of resolve and determination that served her well through life. As her brothers always enjoyed saying, she was their “favorite sister.”
Mary had the good fortune of inheriting her mother’s smile, love of life, kindness, and grace. With those gifts and a zest for good times, she made many dear, loyal and longstanding friends. Her love for travel, live music, and delicious food was balanced by the contentment she found in solitude and a good book. Mary lived with a humble, yet strong, nature that made her easy to be loved by all.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brothers Edward (partner Beverly) in 2008 and Timothy in 2023. She also lost her brother Joseph, who was her steadfast guardian angel in times of need, in May 2023. In addition to her daughters, she is survived by her brothers Kenneth (Linda) of Princeton, N.J., and Nathan (Camille) of East Longmeadow. She also leaves her nieces Christine, Caroline, Amy and Erin and nephews Joseph and Peter.
Her family thanks all the medical professionals who helped Mary over the past seven years, with a special thanks to her ever-caring oncologist, Doctor Nadine McCleary at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at a later date. Wilbraham Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Donations in Mary’s memory may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via dana-farber.org/gift) or the Cancer House of Hope (1999 Westfield Street
West Springfield, MA 01089 or via https://chd.org/support-chd/donate/ ).