Marie Rose (Grota) Paquin, age 93, formerly of Tiverton, R.I. passed away Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 70 years, Leo Joseph Paquin, Jr. 

She was born to the late Joaquim and Guilhermina (Viveiros) Grota in Fall River, Mass., the youngest of two children. Her mother passed away shortly after giving birth and her father married Irene (Bento) Grota. The couple raised Marie and their six children on a farm in Tiverton, R.I. As a child, she would feed the chickens and goats, and help with the vegetables and housekeeping. 

Shortly after she graduated from Thibodeau Business School, she met the love of her life, Leo, on a blind date arranged by his brother and sister-in-law, George and Delores (late) Paquin. Leo and Marie were married on Aug. 26, 1950, at Holy Ghost Church in Tiverton, R.I. and remained active parishioners there for over 70 years. Her father gave the couple a piece of the family farm, upon which they built their home and raised their three children alongside other family members who similarly built there. Family was the most important thing in Marie’s life.

Once all of her children were in school, Marie went to work at Duffy’s Drug Store to ensure that she and Leo could afford to put their children through college. She was a devoted wife and loving mother of three, grandmother of six, and great-grandmother of ten. She loved having the family gather at her house for Sunday dinner and took great pleasure in rocking the babies to sleep. She had a huge heart and will be sorely missed.

Marie is survived by two daughters and a son, Susan Simpson of Coventry, R.I., Linda Simpson and her husband Paul of Warwick, R.I., and Gary Paquin and his wife Liz of Warwick, R.I.; six grandchildren, Bethany Simpson of Doha, Qatar, Joe Simpson and his wife Jennifer of Irvine, Calif., Katy Simpson of West Warwick, Amanda Zelazo and her husband Dylan of Cranston, Emily Almeida-Beers and her husband Zachary of Attleboro, Mass., and Jillian Simpson of Auburn, N.H.; 10 great-grandchildren, Ben, Ryan, Cataleya, Jack, Ari, Layla, Ellis, Meela, Brynn and Jasper; and her brother, Lawrence Grota of Tiverton.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers Jackie, Joseph, Edward, John, and William; and her sister Irene.

Marie’s Funeral Mass, which family and friends are invited to attend, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at 11 a.m. in St. Theresa’s Church, Tiverton, R.I. Interment will be in Pocasset Hill Cemetery, Tiverton, RI. Please offer your condolences or a memory of Marie in our guestbook available at www.boulefuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St Jude's Children's Research Hospital, a charity that was close to Marie’s heart.