January 23, 2010
Hubbard, Hilda M.
Hilda May (Matthews) Hubbard, a resident of Westwood since 1954, died Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at the Ellis Nursing Home in Norwood. She was 96. Hilda was born September 4, 1913 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a daughter of George Clarence and Edith May (Brassett) Matthews. She spent the first few years of her life in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada before moving back to Cambridge where she graduated from Cambridge High and Latin High School. She spent a year taking secretarial classes at Bentley College in Waltham before marrying her husband, the late James Nimmo Hubbard Jr. She and her husband enjoyed travelling and visiting their family members around the country. Hilda is survived by her son, James N. Hubbard III of Newport News, Virginia; her three daughters, Lee Seater of Ashland, Oregon, Virginia Rothwell of Columbia, Missouri, and Jane Hubbard of Portland, Oregon; as well as 12 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and 4 great great grandchildren, and her sister-in-law May Waugh of East Greenwich, Rhode Island. She was the sister of the late Warren Waugh, and the late Jessie Marshall. Hilda will be buried in the Mount Pleasant Methodist Church Cemetery in Charles City, Virginia with her husband. A Memorial Service will be held in St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Westwood on Saturday, June 26th at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers donations to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 95 Deerfield Avenue, Westwood, MA 02090 or to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.
Comments(18)
Hilda will be missed by many.
What a great picture of Hilda. What a wonderful long life and to have so many loved ones…it’s amazing! My thoughts are with you all. Please remember that many are thinking of your mother. You are in my prayers.
Hope you are doing OK. See you this week.
Your family is in my thoughts and prayers at this time.
Jane, Snookie, Lee and Nim,
You are all in our thoughts today. There are no words to express how wonderful it was for the Kenneys to live next door to the Hubbards for half a century. The bond of friendship between Alice and Hilda was so remarkable. I don’t think they ever had a cross word with each other in all the years they raised their families next door to each other. I smile when I think about them splitting the cost of 2 loaves of bread for 19 cents at Brockelman’s, taking turns each week to balance out the one penny difference. I don’t know what my mother would have done if your mother did not have a car to take her shopping. I remember shoveling the snow to clear the flagstone path between our houses, so that Alice and Hilda could get together, even though they had already spent time on the phone leading up to the visit. They sure don’t make neighbors like the Hubbards and the Kenneys. We are thankful that Hilda is finally comfortable now and she is probably sitting next to Alice in heaven talking about how well the kids turned out. Our love and prayers are with you.
I certainly have wonderfully fond memories of your mother growing up in Westwood. In particular the rock wall that separated our familys. Your father started digging to put in a garden and ended up with both a garden and rock wall. The side benefit of the rock wall was it kept, most of the time, the Effgen boy’s out of your parent plants. I never fail to think back to my childhood at 22 Redwood Road without thinking of your parents, they were truely wonderful people. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Michael Effgen
Dear Virginia and the family of Hilda Hubbard, Sam and I are saddened to hear of her passing, and know this is a sad time for the family. I’m pleased to have met both your parents, Virginia. They impressed me as fine people. May the caring of family and friends help you through this difficult time, and may God provide comfort in your loss. Love, Rosemary and Sam Gray
Dear Virginia, Lee, Janie and Nim,
What a great picture of your Mom! Love the hat! We are so glad to know that she went peacefully and that she was comfortable in her final days. We are especially glad that you ALL were able to be by her side at the end. That is so special and rare. I’m sure the people at the funeral home were impressed by what a close family you have…and also by what fantastic neighbors and friends she has. She was one lucky lady to have so many people to love and care for her. We all should be so lucky. We are so happy that we had the foresight to come see her in Boston this summer. It was a wonderful visit and so special for the kids to get to know her and to experience her city of Boston. We will miss her clippings and her compliments about our thank you notes and art work. She was a special lady and she will be missed. Try to enjoy your time together as you share fond old memories, and try to remember to rest. We love you! Sue, Jim, Kaitlyn and Olivia Rothwell
We were so saddened to hear of Hilda’s passing. While we had just met her when she became Effie’s roommate at Ellis, we knew immediately that she was indeed a very special person. It is no wonder that her family and friends are also special. Thanks ever so much for the time you all spent visiting our mother Effie when you visited Hilda. We can’t thank you enough for your kindness. It was truly a pleasure meeting Hilda and her family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sincerely, Russ & Marie
Jim & Family,
Our thoughts & prayers go out to you & family at this sad time. She was one lovely lady & will be surely missed by each of you. Cherish the fond memories of her.
Love & Sympathy,
Jerry & Linda
Hilda just loved those “manhattans”, so do I! Maybe that is one reason why we hit it off so well. We all had fun at those times when Lee was here and the college group got together for lunch and Hilda was there to share in the fun. I will always remember her as one wonderful lady, and the Good Lord will welcome her with much love. I know that you will remember her in all the good things you do on this side of heaven and that will make her very proud. Semper fi. and God bless.
John Crisafulli
Dear Virginia,
Kit told me your Mother had passed away and I’m so glad you told us some of the stories about her. The picture tells even more!! She must have been a lady with a definite mind of her own.
I feel your family is so close and this will bring all of you even closer. It must have been a loving farewell to have all of you there for you Mother. It would make any Mother proud that her children assumed the responsiblity you all did by dedicating your time to make her days as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Take care,
Dixie
Dear Lee, Janie, Snooky, Nim and Families,
Our family sends their love and sympathy to all of you. We remember when Hilda visited the beach and went swimming in the frigid AK Cook Inlet, saying she was used to colder water in MA. In later years, we have all enjoyed the many clippings she carefully cut out and underlined from the Globe, especially all the dog and pet stories.We will be there in spirit and say a special prayer for her. Love and hugs, Norma, Leo and Family
Grandma Hilda Hubbard was no ordinary woman and will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. I am so glad my daughter Dersu was able to meet her great grandmother before she died. Though we did not always see eye to eye, I greatly admired and appreciated Grandma Hilda, and the way in which she lived her life. She was the epitome of frugal, and held the bar high till the bitter end. She had her standards and never caved in to the throw away society that we live in today. Her pans were as old as she was, they were functional, and she did not need new ones thank you very much. I claim she was the original recycler. She collected remnants of bar soaps and put them together in old nylon stockings for hand washing, she washed and reused tin foil and bags, she saved and ate all leftovers, nothing was wasted. Frustrating at times, but great life lessons. She will forever keep me in line when I attempt to buy something that is not on sale, or without a coupon. And every time I eat salt (which is often), I will think of Grandma Hilda Hubbard. I am grateful to have known you, and to have been a part of your life. I love you. Katrina
Virginia and family: Your Mom was a very “spiffy” lady. I don’t remember if we ever met when you lived on the best street in the USA-Rose Drive. It was so nice all of you were with her when she passed away. That doesn’t happen very often. She certainly was loved by many. I especially enjoyed the comment her granddaughter wrote about how frugal she was. That is a lesson we all should learn. Please know that we are praying and thinking about all of you. I am sorry the weather delayed your plans. Maybe we will see you soon.
COACH HUBBARD AND FAMILY;
MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. YOUR MOTHER WAS
SO WONDERFUL TO TALK WITH . WHEN I WAS INVITED TO BOSTON
TO SPEND TIME AT HER HOME IN THE SUMMER OF 2003,WHAT A
REMARKABLE JOURNEY IT WAS! I BEGIN A FRIENDSHIP WITH
“MISS HILDA”. WE TALKED BY PHONE OFTEN AND HER STORIES
WERE FILLED WITH MANY HEART WARMING TREASURES.I THANK
ALL OF YOU FOR SHARING YOUR MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER ,AND GREAT GRANDMOTHER WITH ME.
Virginia and Family,
Although I never got to meet your mom I felt like I knew her from all of Virginia’s stories. How blessed your family is to be so close in spirit and how blessed your mom was to have so many love and care for her. My sympathy goes out to you and may you always keep her memory in your hearts.
Zarek said when we passed your house last night, “I cannot believe that she is gone!” She was so much a fixture in our lives. We miss her terribly. She was a wonderful friend to all of us.