Mary Patricia Van Dorn

Mary Patricia (Howard) Van Dorn, 90, of Florida and Houston, Texas, and formerly of Gardner, passed away peacefully after a long illness, with her loving family at her bedside on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in Houston, Texas.
Born in Gardner, MA on April 21, 1923, she was the daughter of the late Earl R. and Lillian (Daly) Howard.
She was a member of St. Martin's Church of Otter River and St. Thomas More of
Houston, Texas.
Patricia was raised in Gardner, went to Sacred Heart School and graduated from Gardner High School with the Class of 1941. She married Eugene LeBlanc, with whom she had three wonderful sons. She later married Paul Harper and raised the boys in Indiana, Montana and Florida. She retired from Miles Laboratories, now Bayer Corporation in 1988.
Patricia enjoyed sewing, knitting, cooking, painting, reading, golfing, traveling and especially dancing. She loved her family and enjoyed entertaining family and friends at her home. It was in one of her dance classes that she met Frank whom she later married. They spent many years enjoying retirement in Florida .
Patricia was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Van Dorn, who died February 16, 2000.
She leaves one son, Alan Harper and his wife Luz of Houston, TX; one brother, George Howard of Yarmouth Port, MA; three sisters, Ann Beaudet and her husband Nelson of San Francisco, CA; Earlene Dickson of Templeton, MA; and Sheila Couture and her husband Norman of Templeton, MA; many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was predeceased by two sons Richard LeBlanc and John Harper; two brothers Albert Howard and John "Red" Howard; and by her first and second husbands, Eugene LeBlanc and Paul Harper.
A Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, September 27th at 10:00 a.m. in St. Martin's Church, 248 State Road, Otter River. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery, Gardner.
There are no calling hours.
Boucher Funeral Home, Inc., 110 Nichols Street, Gardner is handling the arrangements.

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