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Life story

" Maury Robb lived the American Dream!

He was born on November 20th, 1925, into poverty. His father, William Robb, had passed away 3 months earlier. His mother, Loretta Picard, was uneducated, unemployed, and left to raise her 3-year-old daughter, Mary Jane, as well as her unborn child.

Loretta was able to work cleaning houses for $1/day and found an attic apartment in Lowell, MA for $10/month. The 3rd floor apartment had two small bedrooms but no heat and no hot water. Maury would build a great work ethic early on, carrying oil for their stove up from the basement as a child. He began working at the age of 10 delivering newspapers and then worked on a farm at the age of 13, earning $5.50 per week, $5 of which he’d give to his mother to help support the family. He attended a French/Catholic primary school and became fluent in French. He was a proud altar boy and a boy scout.

At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Navy, driven by patriotism as well as the financial security it provided his mother. He went to bootcamp in Newport, RI and was drawn towards healthcare and helping others. He was sent to Northern Ireland as a Pharmacist Mate and would care for the wounded soldiers from across Europe. He would serve for just over 2 years until the end of WWII, honorably discharged as a Seaman, 2nd class.

Upon his return to the U.S., he decided to learn a trade. He was introduced to the world of printing and became fascinated with it. He would work as an apprentice for a printing company in Lowell under the GI bill for 4 years. He then decided to move south to Washington DC and found work in Lithography. He worked for the Navy’s Hydrographic office and then for the Lanman Company, where he’d serve as plant superintendent for 15 years. He would eventually open his own business, Colorgraphics, which specialized in reproducing color images into four colors that were used to print books and magazines for clients such as National Geographic. After 12 years on his own, he was approached by Lanman to merge his company with theirs, he would serve on the executive team there until his retirement in 1990.

Maury started a family in the 1950's, was married, and soon had a lovely daughter, Carla. The marriage was not meant to be, and they parted ways. He cherished his time with Carla, and later with her husband Rich Marcotte, their kids Adam, Lauren (husband Noel Morin) and Candice (husband Michael Dyer), and his great grandchildren, Samantha, Maxen, Hadley, Hudson, Michael, and Charlie. Sadly, both Carla and Adam have passed away.

In 1960, Maury’s life would change when he met the love of his love, Irene Soponis. She was a professional pharmacist where he had been a pharmacist mate, a match made in heaven! They were married on September 22nd, 1961, in Washington DC and then embarked on a month-long honeymoon to Europe. He not only married Irene but also married into the wonderful Soponis family whom he became very close with.

In 1963, they decided to build a home in a new golf course community called Tantallon, located in Fort Washington, MD. Maury was drawn to the community based on its proximity to Washington and for the golf, which would become a passion of his! They found a large lot on the 4th hole and built their dream home where they lived until 1993. In September 1965, they adopted a son Michael and then had Chris in 1968. Tantallon proved to be a wonderful find and was a great place for the family. Sadly, Michael passed away in 2013.

In 1993, they retired to Lewes, DE, built a home a mile from downtown and enjoyed retirement living. He enjoyed his golf, playing various leagues and honing his game. Maury would continue playing until the age of 96, shooting his age or better many times. A golf highlight was the trip to Pinehurst for his 90th birthday with son Chris (who shared his passion for golf), 3 straight days of golf including a final round on the famous Pinehurst #2 course. He became active at St. Jude’s Catholic church, volunteered with the St. Vincent de Paul society, was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, and was active in Teams of our Lady with Irene. In 2008, they would build a home in Painter’s Mill outside of Milton, about 5 minutes from Lewes. The new home was easier to manage for them.

In 2018, both Maury and Irene began struggling with their health. This led to the sale of their home and eventual move to Fredericksburg VA in 2019. Fredericksburg provided better access to healthcare and allowed them to be closer to Chris, his wife Della, and daughters Phoebe and Simone. Maury was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2020 but continued to do well until the age of 96. He struggled with Alzheimer's since then and eventually passed on July 27th, 2023, less than 4 months shy of his 98th birthday.

A private burial service will be held on August 19th in Lewes, DE to honor this great man. A wonderful husband (survived by his wife Irene of 61 years), father (survived by son Chris and his wife Della), grandfather (survived by Candice, Lauren, Phoebe, and Simone), great-grandfather (to six), and friend to many.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, tribute page for Maurice Robb.

https://act.alz.org/site/TR/Events/Tributes-AlzheimersChampions?pxfid=826656&fr_id=1060&pg=fund />








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