Obituary: Mansfield Resident Mary Ruth Bridges Passes Away at 100

Mary Ruth (Navitsky) Bridges of Mansfield died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013 at Epoch of Norton. She was 100 years old and the beloved wife of the late Robert C. Bridges for 54 years.

Born in Lithuania on Nov. 16, 1912, she came to the United States in 1914 with her mother Thelma Navitsky and three siblings, settling in Orange, Mass., with friends while awaiting the arrival of the rest of her family. Mary met her future husband in 1930, married in 1932 and moved to Mansfield in 1934, caring for her two younger siblings after the passing of her mother.

Mary was a self-taught seamstress and instructor of sewing classes for Mansfield Adult Education Classes.

After becoming a naturalized citizen, she returned to high school in Mansfield and earned her diploma in 1963 at age 51. Mary was a frequent guest speaker at Foxboro High School history classes, sharing her invaluable personal experience of the immigrant's challenges.

Mrs. Bridges was the loving mother of Robert Bridges and his wife Barbara of North Easton, and Judith Guenard and her husband Lionel of Foxboro. She was the dear sister of Frances Rowland of Florida and cherished grandmother of six and great-grandmother of 15. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Memorial visitation will be held at the Bolea-Amici Funeral Home, 115 North Main St. in Mansfield, on Friday, Feb. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9 at noon at the Highland Cemetery in Athol.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mrs. Bridges memory to the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of Mansfield, Inc., P.O. Box 23, Mansfield, MA 02048. www.boleafuneralservices.com

Obituary courtesy of Bolea-Amici Funeral Home.