Maryann Needham

HOLDEN - On her 72nd year of life, Maryann Needham took her final breath. A longtime resident of her hometown of Holden, Massachusetts, Maryann was a fun, lighthearted and introverted soul. The daughter of Arthur and Phyllis Westling at birth, she was adopted in her early years by Robert Needham after the untimely death of her father.

In her early years, she enjoyed living on a small farm where her mother, Phyllis ran an equine boarding stable. It was there that she learned to ride and participate in many local horseshows as well as being an avid 4-H club member. Along with her good friend Susan, they enjoyed long hours of trail rides, 4-H and attending their favorite horse shows, such as the New England Regional Morgan Horse Show, then referred to as "the National." They spent lots of time playing card games in the Needham household. Susan and Maryann shared their first apartment together.

Maryann attended Wachusett Regional High School through twelfth grade and then headed to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst to acquire an Associates Degree at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture in the study of Laboratory Animal Technology. The year was 1973 and although Maryann loved working with animals, she shifted gears to working in a bank and more specifically the Worcester County Institution for Savings (WCIS), the county's first chartered savings bank in 1828 in Worcester, MA where she was employed in HR for several years.

During these years, Maryann's love for the Morgan Horse stayed strong and she was able to purchase the horse of her dreams, a beautiful black Morgan stallion named Shad-o-val Trumpeter. Affectionately known as "Trump," this amazing horse garnered various local, regional and national awards with Maryann as rider in the amateur division of English Pleasure in the discipline of Saddle seat. This horse also sired multiple offspring and Maryann enjoyed following their stories.

Besides horses, Maryann had a love for car racing and was an avid fan of NASCAR. One of her biggest desires was to drive a race car and she did just that in 1994 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway where she received a certificate for completing the Basic Oval Course. She also liked to attend concerts and more specifically those of Elton John. She had a love for music and comedy as well as any good Jack Nicholson film.

Later in life, Maryann again shifted gears and when WCIS closed its doors, she stayed home to manage her family farm while caring for her mother through her passing. She continued to live at the 274 Bailey Rd address well through the early 2000's while being employed by Central Mass Oil in Rutland where she served as an office worker.

Maryann will be remembered for her fun approach to life and zest for adrenaline. She was "the fun aunt" and always wanted to make people laugh and not be too serious. She leaves her sister, Jane Morrell, brother-in-law Timothy Morrell, niece, Melissa Morrell, along with her cousin David Sjosten and his family. There will be no services at this time but the family will arrange a private event in the near future.

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