LYNN — There was never a moment of Mary Jane Solimine’s life where she wasn’t caring for others. Whether she was knitting a sweater for one of her grandchildren or making homemade baked goods for St. Mary of the Sacred Heart Parish’s annual church bazaar, she was always keeping busy.
Mary Jane died April 24 in her Lynn home. She was married to her husband David Solimine, with whom she had four children, for 65 years.
Kristen Solimine, her daughter, remembers her mom always saying “being a mother is the most important job there is.” Mary Jane taught her how to be the mother she is today, she said.
“Ma gave me confidence and made me feel capable, important, accepted, and loved,” Mary Jane’s daughter Diane Edgett wrote in a statement to The Daily Item.
Her daughter Susan Solimine said the earliest memories she has of her mother are of her always being there for her family.
“We were lucky to have a stay-at-home Mom,” Susan wrote in a statement to The Item. “I couldn’t have asked for better parents or childhood.”
Mary Jane, she said, taught them how to be good people.
“She was so proud of the fact that we are all good adults and our kids are good people too!” Susan wrote. “We used to laugh that there wasn’t ‘a bad one in the bunch.’”
Susan and David Solimine Jr., Mary Jane’s son, said they didn’t realize how much their parents struggled financially.
“Mom managed the family finances very well and to make ends meet, every summer, she grew and canned tomatoes and other vegetables that lasted us until next year. There was always plenty of food on the table and our friends were always welcome to stay for dinner,” David wrote in a statement to The Item. “As my parents attained a level of financial security, their philanthropy grew and through our mother’s influence, they have supported countless causes.”
Mary Jane was very involved in the community and in the family business, Solimine Funeral Homes.
“When Dad changed careers in 1965 and entered funeral service, Mom was in charge of housekeeping and decorating. During the early years she was the housekeeper, but over the past 50 plus years, she was the in-house decorator,” David wrote. “To the final days of her life, she would let us know when something needed updating.”
What he said he will miss most about his mother is going to her house for visits. David would stop by at different times throughout the day and find her “working in the kitchen or on her sewing machine.”
“If I timed it right, the visit would include lunch. We could chat for a few minutes or an hour or more,” David wrote. “We would share what we were happy about and what was bothering us. Give each other advice.”
All of Mary Jane’s children made sure to mention their mother’s love of knitting and sewing.
“From her knitting sweaters and hats, to her jams and baked goods. She was generous and never said no to helping someone in need,” Susan wrote. “My parents have always believed that we were meant to give back. And they did that with humility and grace.”
Mary Jane is survived by her husband, four children, 14 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
