Obituary of Marie Ratto

Marie Ratto, 50-year Duxbury resident - Formerly of Dorchester, Marie Ratto came to Duxbury in 1960 and for a half a century immersed her self in the life of the town, raising her three children with love, humor, compassion and maternal guidance. Ms. Ratto, 77, July 10th after a visit to Duxbury Beach, a location that she loved and where she spent many days watching her sons, Edward and James, and her daughter, Joanna, playing and having fun. During the 1970s, she worked at the Duxbury Intermediate School as an administrative assistant in the Social Studies department. In her early days in the town, she enjoyed The Duxbury Days events and was a regular visitor to the town library. A woman of deep faith, Ms. Ratto was a parishioner at Holy Family Church. With great appreciation for the outdoors, she understood the importance of encouraging her family to take advantage of natural beauty and to savor their time together. It is a gift she also passed on to her grandchildren, all of whom loved being with their Mimi. Another gift that she shared with her family was a respect for the value of knowledge and learning. She read voraciously and was well informed about everything from current events to geography. She was an ace at answering Jeopardy questions and a devoted watcher of that television program. Leading by example, she always had a good book to read and liked to discuss the pros and cons of the characters, plots and authors with family and friends. A day did not pass without her reading her favorite newspapers from the Duxbury Clipper to the Boston Globe and commenting on the news of the week in her beloved Duxbury and in the wider world. In addition to reading, Ms. Ratto was an avid movie-goer and the staff at the Regal Cinema knew her and her smile well. As with her reading, her taste in movies crossed all genres and she never lost her sense of curiosity about the world and was always open to seeing something new. At the center of Ms. Ratto’s life were her children who credit her with wisdom and strength in guiding them on the right path in life. As a mother and as a grandmother, she showed patience, understanding, and, when needed, firmness. Above all, Ms. Ratto believed that there is only one way to love and that is unconditionally. Throughout her life, she did just that, showing love on all she knew and making her home, a center of joy for many generations of the Ratto, McShane and Dow families. Marie was the beloved mother of Theodore McShane (deceased), Edward J. McShane of Kingston, Joanna M. Dow of Duxbury, and James J. McShane of Needham. Loving grandmother of Michela & Haley McShane of Kingston; Nicholas, Wesley, Christian & Alexis Dow of Duxbury; and Michael, Tatum & Anna McShane of Needham. Sister of Louise Ratto of Kingston, Eugene Ratto of Wellesley, John Ratto of Norwood & Charles Ratto of Duxbury. In lieu of flowers, in her memory, donations will be used to place benches in her favorite places in Duxbury. Contributions may be made to the Marie Ratto McShane Memorial Fund, C/O Rockland Trust, P.O..Box 1627 Duxbury, MA 02331. Visiting hours will be held Wednesday July 14th from 4-8pm at the Shepherd Funeral Home 216 Main St. (Rte 106)Kingston MA. Family and friends are welcome to gather at the funeral home Thursday at 9am with a Funeral Mass to follow at 10am at Holy Family Church in Duxbury. Interment at Mayflower Cemetery in Duxbury.