Marion Jean (Robbins) Bates

October 3, 1933 – June 22, 2025

Marion Jean Bates, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away on June 22, 2025, at the age of 91 after a brief illness. Born on October 3, 1933, to Guy and Luella Robbins; she was a bright spirit, a gentle soul, and a peacemaker who always saw the best in everyone.

Marion graduated from Derby Academy and was married for 50 years to the love of her life, Philip Bates.  Together they raised three daughters and a son. For years, she worked alongside her husband on the family dairy farm. Despite the challenges of farming, she took joy in making every day the best and appreciating the small things in life. She was happiest surrounded by family and loved when her nieces and nephews would spend time at the farm in the summer.  With Marion, no meal was complete until everyone had dessert, and she was famous for making donuts and iced tea with fresh lemons.

After their youngest left for college, Marion and Phil relocated to Twin Oaks Park in Bradenton, FL, to be close to Phil's sister, Priscilla Belway.  This was quite a change from her life on the farm but soon the neighbors became extended family, and she found community singing and line dancing.  She also worked to become a valued receptionist at The Shores retirement community, where she was employed full-time until her 80th birthday. Marion took immense pride in her work forming deep bonds with the residents she served. Her smile, kindness, and positive spirit earned her the award of Employee of the Year.

After the death of her husband in 2003, she made the decision to stay in Florida due to the full life she had built there; and she enjoyed adventures with her best friend, Pat Collins for many years. Her family made frequent visits throughout the year and her daughter, Nancy, would stay for weeks over the summer when Nancy was off from work. They loved their times at the beach searching for sand dollars.

After her son Chris retired from farming, he and his wife Jeanne moved in with Marion for a fresh start. Marion treasured the time reconnecting with Chris and their nights out playing Bingo. As she aged,  Jeanne helped care for her managing doctor's visits and medications. This was no small feat as Marion truly hated medical appointments! Up until the day of her death, she generally denied having ANY health issues and would argue that the doctors were clearly mistaken.

With the loss of both her son in 2023 and her daughter-in-law in 2024, she relocated to be closer to her family in Vermont and Connecticut.  The last few months in New England were filled with laughter, small adventures, and the simple joys of being together.  If the car was going, she wanted to go - her curiosity and zest for life never faded. She looked forward to regular phone calls from her grandson, Tyler Smith, and took pride in her ability to remember and share all the family news.

Those left behind to cherish her memory include her daughters, Laurie (Tom) Wood and Kimberly (John) Corey; daughter-in-law, Jill Gosselin; son-in-law, Rodney Pray;  grandchildren, Jennifer (Joshua) Moffat, Jeremy Bates, Tyler (Jaime) Smith, Shannon (Max) Beal, Brittney Pray, Dustin (Jennifer) Pray, and Bryan and Adam Fontaine; sisters-in-law, Bertha ("Tootie") and Beverly Robbins; 16 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; and many beloved nieces & nephews.

Marion was preceded in death by her husband, Philip Bates; daughter, Nancy & son-in-law, McDonnell ("Mac") Smith; son, Christopher & daughter-in-law, Jeanne Bates; parents, Guy & Luella Robbins; two brothers, Milton & Stanley Robbins; sister, Frances & husband, Gardner Taylor; sister, Ruth & husband, Joe Marsh; sister-in-law, Priscilla & husband, Ted Belway; and close family friend, Patricia Collins.

There will be a Celebration of Life scheduled for Sunday, August 3rd at the East Side Restaurant in Newport, Vermont.  In lieu of flowers, please consider offering the gift of kindness to someone in Marion's honor.  On- line condolences are welcome at curtis-britch.com.  Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home & Cremation Service, locally family owned and operated.