December 19, 1930 – November 15, 2024
Mary E. (Marie) Huber passed away on November 15, 2024, just shy of her 94th birthday.
Marie was born in Providence, R.I. on December 19, 1930. She was the youngest daughter of John Xavier Weber and Julia (Reardon) Weber.
Marie had five siblings, Frannie, Eleanor, Jackie, Allie and Bobby. Due to the early passing of her parents, Marie came to live with her older sister Eleanor in 1946. This led Marie to move from her native Rhode Island to the Panama Canal Zone, where she graduated from high school, and then to California and eventually Norfolk, Virginia. It was in the Tidewater area of Virginia where she met and married Doyle William (Bill) Huber, who was completing the end of his 20-year career with the U.S. Navy.
Bill’s career then took him, Marie and their young family from the Norfolk area, to Illinois, Massachusetts, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, California, Connecticut and finally to Washington state in l977. Marie made lifelong friends everywhere she lived and kept up with many of them for years. Her beloved husband Bill died in January 2003, after several years of care by Marie.
Marie lived a very active life. As her children grew older, she spent time volunteering, advancing her education, developing friendships and enjoying outdoor activities. She obtained her licensed practical nurse certification and was a respiratory therapist at Waynesboro (VA) General Hospital for several years. She became an avid tennis player, and a determined but friendly competitor.
It was in the state of Washington that she became a true outdoor enthusiast. Together with her many friends, she hiked numerous trails, summiting Mt. Whitney in California, peaks in Switzerland and New Zealand, and falling just shy of the top of Mt. Rainier. She hiked and kayaked in Washington, California, Alaska and other points in the United States and beyond. She participated in Dragon Boat competitions, tennis tournaments, and far flung camping and hiking expeditions. She snowshoed, cross-country skied, and backpacked, sometimes in very rugged conditions.
In time, she traveled throughout the world, from Alaska to Hawaii, to the top of Machu Picchu, snorkeled in the Indian Ocean and spent time hiking or visiting in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Guam, the Samoan Islands, Argentina, Brazil and the Antarctic. She had a knack for making friends along the way and accumulating a wealth of stories. She was an avid reader, imaginative and curious about everything- never hesitating to wonder and question. She was generous to family, friends, acquaintances and anyone else she met. She was also a skilled card player. Few could beat her in cribbage.
Marie will be missed by her family and many dear and loyal friends. She leaves behind three sons, J. (Jay) Kendall Huber, of West Falmouth, Massachusetts; John J. Huber, of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Richard James Huber of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; a daughter, Victoria Lee Smith of Dickinson, Texas, their life-long spouses, and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She was an especially wonderful grandmother to her grandchildren, whom she loved dearly.
A service to honor Marie will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington, at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2025.
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