Maria Roseann Withey

Maria Withey of Montpelier, aged 95, died peacefully at the McClure Miller Respite House on January 12, 2026.
Maria was born in 1930 in Long Branch, NJ to Rocco Foderaro and Rose Vonella Foderaro. She grew up on the New Jersey shore, attended Rumson High School and graduated from Douglass College in New Brunswick, NJ where she majored in social work and music.
While at Douglass she met Rutgers student Robert Withey – her college sweetheart, her future husband and the love of her life. Bob and Maria married on the Rutgers – Douglass campus in 1952 and moved to Metuchen, NJ where they started their life as a family.
Maria embraced her life as 'Mom'. She made cookies and bag lunches and spaghetti dinners, drove to school and games, put bandages on scraped knees, acted as Scout Mom and PTA Mom, and made friendships along the way that lasted throughout her lifetime. She recently described those early days as 'pure joy'.
In 1972 Bob and Maria followed their dream and moved to Vermont. They lived in Shelburne for several years, moved to Montpelier, and eventually settled in a century farmhouse in North Calais. During their 20 years there they completely restored the farmhouse and property to create their haven. Maria's artistry was evident throughout the house. Her hand-pieced quilts and cushions, the stenciled ceilings and walls and the art pieces were all beautiful to see, and the gardens she created in the crumbling foundation of a ruined building made the outdoors as lovely as the indoors. After the house was finished and there were no more 'projects', Bob surprised Maria with the gift of a baby grand piano. She cherished that gift and loved playing for him and for her family. And if that didn't keep her busy enough, she upgraded all of her 'Mom' skills to 'Grandma' skills, volunteered at the Statehouse and opened an antique shop in their barn and operated it for years.
In later life, Maria and Bob moved back to Montpelier, where Bob passed away in 2020. On her own for the first time in her life, Maria was able to live independently, continuing to cook for her family, play the piano, and tend a few plants. She did complicated jigsaw puzzles and read voraciously. Arthritis had made quilting and sewing difficult, so she turned her talents to knitting and donated hundreds of hats, scarves and mittens to families and children throughout the area. She passed many weekend afternoons following the WNBA on television and was not shy about talking back to the screen when she didn't agree with a coach or referee.
Maria was predeceased by her husband Bob Withey, her sister Phyllis Foderaro Tober, and her sister Carol Foderaro Ricciardelli.
She is survived by her devoted and supportive children, her son Bob Withey of South Burlington and his wife Brenda Ellwood Withey, her daughter Kym Maynard of Duxbury, and her son Ted Withey of Montpelier and his wife Dagny Hoff.
Maria and Bob believed that they had the two best grandchildren possible. They were a rock and a mainstay and proud loving presence to them for their entire lives. Their grandson Master Sgt. Dylan Maynard, his wife Jaclyn Maynard and children Carter, Gianna, Jackson and Isaiah, and their granddaughter Chelsea Frost-Tessier, her husband Brandon Tessier, and their sons Treyton and Zyris will be left to honor and cherish their memories.
A private family service will be held at a later date. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Maria, please visit our floral store.