TEALE HATFIELD, Mary Lillian
1931 - 2021
Mary Lillian Teale Hatfield, age 90, died peacefully on October 8 at Magog Hospital after a brief illness.
Mary was born on March 28, 1931, in Westfield, Massachusetts, the nearest hospital to her hometown of Granby, Connecticut. Her father, Rev. Dr. Arthur Teale, born in Newport, Monmouthshire, England, was minister at South Congregational Church in Granby for 37 years. Mary’s mother, Lillian Johnson Teale, a schoolteacher, was born in Waterville, Quebec, the twelfth child of Swedish immigrants. Arthur’s first parish was in Waterville. There, the couple married and started a family. For Mary, this Canadian heritage connection was strengthened by spending many years in Quebec with family as a child and as an adult.
As the third child of a village minister, community and church connections came naturally to Mary. All of her life, she was involved with community-building: most notably, as a youth worker (along with her husband Carson), with the United Church of Canada’s Quebec/Sherbrooke Presbytery for 19 years. Through her Youth Forum weekends, Mary touched the lives of many young people. At these events, attendees from all over the province met to choose and discuss the themes important to them, such as spirituality in a secular world, acceptance of difference, sexuality, and social justice issues.
Mary studied Liberal Arts at King College in Bristol, Tennessee. Later, at Ohio State University, she took courses in psychology, history, logistics and landscaping.
She met her husband Carson on a blind date while attending King College. Within a year, they were married. After raising three children, the couple moved from Ohio to Quebec in 1974. Four years later, they were hired by the United Church for the youth ministry program. Carson assisted Mary with the youth work. Their patrimonial home, “The Packard House”, on Chemin de l’Est in Georgeville was the focal point for many church meetings and events. As an acknowledgement of her contribution to the United Church’s youth ministry, Mary was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the United Theological College in Montreal in 1997.
Apart from her church involvement, Mary loved her family, her home with Carson on the East Road, riding her horse Tommy, caring for her farm animals and garden, visiting with neighbours, and taking part in many village activities. She was an avid photographer and used her camera to document events happening around her. Mary was a member of the St. Paul’s United Church choir and the Georgeville Historical Society.
Mary is survived by her husband of 71 years, Carson Hatfield, of Georgeville; her son, Rev. Dr. Mark Hatfield and his wife Alice Hatfield of Pomeroy Ridge, New Brunswick; her daughter Allison Hatfield and her husband Jonathon Whitney of Waterford, Maine; her daughter Gretchen Hatfield and her conjoint Jacques Valiquette of Georgeville; her brother Dr. Stanley Teale of Fairlee, Vermont; her sister, Christine Howes of Kennebunk, Maine; grandchildren Aaron Hatfield, Ian Conyngham, Jessica Conyngham Priola, Calvin Hatfield, Leah Schultz; as well as great-grandchildren Aria Priola, James Priola and Madeleine Hatfield. She is predeceased by her parents, Rev. Dr. Arthur Teale and Lillian Teale, her sister-in-law, Shirley Teale, and her brother-in-law, Rev. Robert Howes. The Hatfield family is very thankful for the kind staff members at Magog Hospital Palliative care and long-term care who kept Mary comfortable during her time there.
A celebration for the life of Mary Teale Hatfield will be held Saturday, November 13, at the Georgeville United Church at 2pm. Due to Covid restrictions, the in-person attendance to the service in Georgeville is limited. The service will be available through a zoom link and will be broadcast to Beulah United Church in Ayer’s Cliff. For those who wish to attend in-person at Georgeville, please contact Gretchen Hatfield at 819-238-8742. For those who wish to attend in-person at the virtual service at Beulah, please contact Sue Young at 819-578-8851. For those who wish to attend via zoom only, please contact either Gretchen or Sue for the link.
