Marianna Grimes

DOVER - Marianna (Reardon) Grimes, 76, died peacefully at The Meadows at East Mountain after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's.

Marianna grew up in Dover, N.H., where she attended St. Mary's Grammar School and Dover High School. Shortly after graduation, Marianna married her high school sweetheart, John (Jack) Grimes. While caring for a young family at home, Marianna became a non-traditional student at The University of New Hampshire, where she graduated with a degree in Computer Science and began her professional career. After nearly 30 years of employment at UNH, she retired as a Vice President of the University of New Hampshire Foundation. She and her husband still have an annual scholarship given to a UNH student annually. Marianna truly believed education was a path to success.

Marianna and Jack enjoyed a full life together in Dover, and then moved to Fort Myers, Florida upon retirement. They spent 15 years in Florida golfing, entertaining, and avoiding the snow. Marianna's other passions over the years included UNH athletics (especially hockey), Red Sox baseball, The New England Patriots, gardening, entertaining at their house on the NH bay, and public service. She believed in civic duty, volunteering with the Seacoast United Way (past president), My Friends Place, Friends of UNH Hockey, and Employer Assistance of the National Guard and Reserves. She served as a Citizen Ambassador to the nation of Belize while assisting the New Hampshire National Guard with the construction of a school. She also volunteered and donated to numerous political campaigns of both parties, supporting who she thought was the better candidate.

Marianna is survived by her husband of 57 years, Jack; her daughter Terese Whelan and her husband Leonard (Newport, R.I.); her son Jay Grimes and his wife Jennifer (Rutland, Vt.); her granddaughters Amanda Grimes (Rutland, Vt.) and Ciara Grimes (Berlin, Mass.); and her great granddaughter Jaelyn Grimes (Rutland, Vt.); as well as in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents John (Bubba) and Terese (Tess) Reardon and her brother John Reardon.

SERVICES: A wake will be held at Clifford's Funeral Home, on Monday, September 24, 2018, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. A funeral will follow at Christ The King Church at 1:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, Marianna would want you to donate to a local charity of your choice. A local humane society, veterans' group, United Way, or homeless shelters are organizations she supported.