Maryanna Eckman Hatch Exeter, New Hampshire Obituary

Maryanna Eckman Hatch

<p>MARYANNA ECKMAN HATCH</p><p>Maryanna Eckman Hatch, 99 years old, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2022 at RiverWoods in Exeter, NH.</p><p>Maryanna was born in 1922 in Oakland, California to Joseph P. Eckman and Elsie Duerst Eckman. She spent her childhood in Portland, Oregon, graduating from St. Helen’s Hall Junior College in 1942. In 1945, she received her BS in Sociology from the University of Oregon. After graduation, she joined Oregon’s Multnomah County Public Welfare division and was assigned to the needs of the elderly population. Her dedication to the needs of the elderly never ceased.</p><p>In 1946, she married John Woodsum Hatch and, in 1949, moved to Durham, NH where her husband began his career at the Art Department of the University of NH. During this time, Maryanna raised two children and cared for John’s elderly parents in their home. Among many other volunteer activities, she was a member of the NH Social Welfare Council, Member and Chair of the Committee on Services to Older Persons sponsored by the NH Council on Aging, and co-founder of the Friendly Visitor Program at Strafford County Riverside Rest Home, participating until 1992. She was also board member and President of the Homemakers/Home Health Aids of Stafford County from 1974-77. In the 1970’s, as a member of the Community Church of Durham, she helped develop the Church Hill Apartments, a retirement community for the elderly population of Durham.</p><p>In addition to addressing the needs of the elderly, Maryanna had a life-long concern for the fate of the environment. During the 1960’s, Maryanna was a member of the Durham Planning Board as well as the Durham Conservation Commission. Notably, in 1974, she served as a member of Save Our Shores, a group successfully protesting the building of an oil refinery on Durham Point proposed by Aristotle Onassis. She also served as President of the Great Bay Estuarine System Conservation Trust in 1986.</p><p>Her involvement in Durham’s development also led to politics. In the late 1970’s, she was elected to the Durham Board of Selectmen and appointed chair of the 250th Anniversary of the Town of Durham. In 1986, she was elected to the Durham Charter Commission and in 1988 elected Chair of the first Durham Town Council. In later years, Maryanna served as Curator of the Durham Historical Association Museum and was a member of the Historic District Commission from 1984-86.</p><p>Maryanna’s greatest achievement was co-founding and overseeing the development of the very first non-profit continuing care retirement community in the seacoast region of NH, RiverWoods, which opened in 1994. She and Rosemary Coffin devised the plan over a kitchen table in 1984 and the two women brought the idea to fruition over the next ten years. Maryanna was chair of the building committee at RiverWoods and a member of the board of directors of Life Care Services of New Hampshire. She and her husband moved into the community in 1995 and Maryanna has resided there for the last 27 years. For the 20th anniversary of RiverWoods, the community dedicated a book to their co-founders, entitled “The RiverWoods Revolution – How Two Women Transformed the Lives of Hundreds.”</p><p>Maryanna enjoyed hiking the mountains of New Hampshire and sailing the coast of Maine with her husband John for many summers. She adored all her pets, loved music, weaving, gardening and colonial history.</p><p><br></p><p>She is predeceased by her husband, who passed away in 1998, and is survived by her brother, Joseph P. Eckman of Omaha, NE; her daughters Johanna Schwartz of Salisbury, MA, and Rebecca Gratwick (Joel) of South Portland, ME; her granddaughters Sarah Gratwick Moran (Rich) of New York City; Katharine Gratwick Faruqui (Niaz) of Houston, TX, and Laura B. Gratwick of Woodstock, VT; great grandson John (Jack) Moran; Nieces Gail Becker (Mark) of Arlington Hts, IL, and Carol Crabtree (Jeff) of Lantana, TX and nephew John Eckman (Julie) of Omaha, NE.</p><p>A private graveside service will be held this week and a celebration of Maryanna’s life will be held at RiverWoods in May of 2023.</p><p>The family wants to express their sincere and heartfelt thanks to the RiverWoods community for the wonderful care they have given Maryanna over the years. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to: RiverWoods Exeter, notating “The Benevolent Fund”, 5 White Oak Drive, Exeter, NH 03833</p><p><br></p>
November 16, 1922 - September 23, 202211/16/192209/23/2022
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Obituary

MARYANNA ECKMAN HATCH

Maryanna Eckman Hatch, 99 years old, passed away peacefully on September 23, 2022 at RiverWoods in Exeter, NH.

Maryanna was born in 1922 in Oakland, California to Joseph P. Eckman and Elsie Duerst Eckman. She spent her childhood in Portland, Oregon, graduating from St. Helen’s Hall Junior College in 1942. In 1945, she received her BS in Sociology from the University of Oregon. After graduation, she joined Oregon’s Multnomah County Public Welfare division and was assigned to the needs of the elderly population. Her dedication to the needs of the elderly never ceased.

In 1946, she married John Woodsum Hatch and, in 1949, moved to Durham, NH where her husband began his career at the Art Department of the University of NH. During this time, Maryanna raised two children and cared for John’s elderly parents in their home. Among many other volunteer activities, she was a member of the NH Social Welfare Council, Member and Chair of the Committee on Services to Older Persons sponsored by the NH Council on Aging, and co-founder of the Friendly Visitor Program at Strafford County Riverside Rest Home, participating until 1992. She was also board member and President of the Homemakers/Home Health Aids of Stafford County from 1974-77. In the 1970’s, as a member of the Community Church of Durham, she helped develop the Church Hill Apartments, a retirement community for the elderly population of Durham.

In addition to addressing the needs of the elderly, Maryanna had a life-long concern for the fate of the environment. During the 1960’s, Maryanna was a member of the Durham Planning Board as well as the Durham Conservation Commission. Notably, in 1974, she served as a member of Save Our Shores, a group successfully protesting the building of an oil refinery on Durham Point proposed by Aristotle Onassis. She also served as President of the Great Bay Estuarine System Conservation Trust in 1986.

Her involvement in Durham’s development also led to politics. In the late 1970’s, she was elected to the Durham Board of Selectmen and appointed chair of the 250th Anniversary of the Town of Durham. In 1986, she was elected to the Durham Charter Commission and in 1988 elected Chair of the first Durham Town Council. In later years, Maryanna served as Curator of the Durham Historical Association Museum and was a member of the Historic District Commission from 1984-86.

Maryanna’s greatest achievement was co-founding and overseeing the development of the very first non-profit continuing care retirement community in the seacoast region of NH, RiverWoods, which opened in 1994. She and Rosemary Coffin devised the plan over a kitchen table in 1984 and the two women brought the idea to fruition over the next ten years. Maryanna was chair of the building committee at RiverWoods and a member of the board of directors of Life Care Services of New Hampshire. She and her husband moved into the community in 1995 and Maryanna has resided there for the last 27 years. For the 20th anniversary of RiverWoods, the community dedicated a book to their co-founders, entitled “The RiverWoods Revolution – How Two Women Transformed the Lives of Hundreds.”

Maryanna enjoyed hiking the mountains of New Hampshire and sailing the coast of Maine with her husband John for many summers. She adored all her pets, loved music, weaving, gardening and colonial history.


She is predeceased by her husband, who passed away in 1998, and is survived by her brother, Joseph P. Eckman of Omaha, NE; her daughters Johanna Schwartz of Salisbury, MA, and Rebecca Gratwick (Joel) of South Portland, ME; her granddaughters Sarah Gratwick Moran (Rich) of New York City; Katharine Gratwick Faruqui (Niaz) of Houston, TX, and Laura B. Gratwick of Woodstock, VT; great grandson John (Jack) Moran; Nieces Gail Becker (Mark) of Arlington Hts, IL, and Carol Crabtree (Jeff) of Lantana, TX and nephew John Eckman (Julie) of Omaha, NE.

A private graveside service will be held this week and a celebration of Maryanna’s life will be held at RiverWoods in May of 2023.

The family wants to express their sincere and heartfelt thanks to the RiverWoods community for the wonderful care they have given Maryanna over the years. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to: RiverWoods Exeter, notating “The Benevolent Fund”, 5 White Oak Drive, Exeter, NH 03833


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