Mary Grace Gregg White, 69, died March 29, 2015 at the Rockingham County Nursing Home in Brentwood, NH.

Growing up in Elmira, NY and a decades-long resident of Hampstead, NH, Mary loved skiing and being outdoors. She studied art at Alfred University in Alfred, NY, where she met her husband, and was married in 1967, shortly after graduating with a BFA degree. She has two daughters—both college professors—Bretton White of Waterville, ME and Brooke White of Oxford, MS. Mary was an outstanding citizen and organizer, a motivated civic leader, an accomplished artist and photographer and loving parent who was tenacious, organized, rational, loyal and loving. 

In college, she started the Alfred University Ski Club that later became the University Ski Team. After college, Mary taught art and photography at Wellesley Senior High School in MA. After 5 years of teaching, she embraced motherhood and took a sabbatical from teaching. In the winter she taught skiing at Otis Ridge, Cannon Mountain & later, at Pat's Peak. Mary also assisted the noted photographer George Butler—famous for his book Pumping Iron (featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger)—which Mary helped him produce.

Mary started her own marketing and advertising company and later joined the Manchester, NH Chamber of Commerce as their Membership Director, rising to the office of Vice President. While at the Chamber, Mary did many fundraising events that were both city and statewide. She spearheaded fundraising for the Christa McAuliffe Foundation in Concord and the NH Seacoast Science Center.

After the Manchester Chamber, Mary accepted the position as the Executive Director of The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. This allowed her to pursue her first love of art and photography, while overseeing League retail stores and the nation's largest and oldest annual Craft's Fair at Mt. Sunapee. Working tirelessly at The League for a decade, Mary subsequently returned to graduate school for her Masters degree and to her first love of teaching art.

Education has always been a high priority for Mary, and while working, she also found time to run for elected office and become a member of Hampstead's School Board and its Chairperson. She was also a co-organizer of Hampstead's 250 Anniversary Celebration; she secured funding for, and started, the Hampstead Education Foundation, awarding annual college scholarships to deserving high school graduates; and she co-founded The Women's Resource Center of Southern NH. 

In her spare time, and during 14 winters at Pat's Peak Ski Area, Mary taught junior ski racers. Summers during the past 30 years were filled with gardening and time aboard Snowbird, the family's C&C 30 sailboat, cruising the waters of Maine with family and friends.

At the time of her death, Mary was a resident of Rockingham County Nursing Home in Brentwood, NH. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Paul, recently relocated to Fremont, NH; daughter, Bretton White of Waterville, ME; daughter, Brooke White, son-in-law, Ben Windham and granddaughter, Piper Windham of Oxford, MS; sister, Martha Gregg Locke of Kirkland, WA; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. A memorial service will be held in her honor on Friday at 2PM on April 3rd at the Hampstead Congregational Church; Hampstead, NH. Donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 480 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472.