WESTFIELD – 
Mary O (Masotti) Akins, 103, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 surrounded by the love of her children. She is predeceased by her husband, Robert A Akins, her mother, Guistina (Prade) Masotti and father, Lorenzo Masotti along with her siblings Ermano, Lorenzo, Edna, Rolando, Thomas and Aida Masotti. Mary, formerly of Linden Avenue, Westfield, MA, was a current resident of Mount St. Vincent Catholic Care Center.
Mary was born April 18, 1917 in Westfield to her proud immigrant parents. She attended and graduated from Westfield Public schools. After graduation, she took a job working for Travelers Insurance in Hartford, CT. She then met the love her life, Robert Akins, at Tonelli’s Restaurant in Westfield. They were married in 1942 and post war bought the family home on Linden Avenue in Westfield where they raised their five children, all who were eventual graduates of advanced education. After raising her children at home, Mary obtained her drivers license in her 50’s and went back to work, first at the Westfield City Hall and spent the rest of her career at her beloved Westfield State University where she was employed for more than a decade as Assistant Administrator of the Financial Aide Dept. Mary loved her work and the thousands of students who sought her advice and assistance. She met, socialized and traveled with so many fine people while at Westfield State. Her love of travel took her and her husband to Hawaii to visit their daughter as well as her beloved Italy where she visited her family homestead and to her husband’s ancestral home of Ireland with Westfield State Colleagues. Mary was a humbled lover of life, she was an avid reader and loved all animals, great and small. She was beloved by so many wonderful people in her long and prosperous life. Born during the 1917 world pandemic, she also survived the Great Depression, both World Wars and witnessed everything from the miracle of home plumbing, to the moon landing and Zoom family meetings. Mary was witness to an amazingly rich existence. She was a lifelong communicant of St Mary’s Parish in Westfield and a devout follower of Italy’s patron saint, Mary, Mother of Jesus.
She leaves her beloved children, Robert Akins and his wife Judith, of Bellingham, WA, Patricia Barkyoumb of Southwick, MA, Kathleen Hickey and Husband Michael of Mattapoiset, MA, Mary Jane Lamb and Husband Christopher of Westfield and Dennis Akins and Husband Michael Fournier of Westfield and Rehoboth Beach, DE. Mary also leaves 9 wonderful grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 6 great great grandchildren, all whom she loved, encouraged, and adored.
The Akins family would like to thank the staffs of Mercy Life PACE and Mount St Vincent Life Care Center for helping our mom during the past two years. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Bartlett Street, Westfield, MA on Friday, June 19th at 10:00 AM with burial to follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Westfield. All service will require a mask to be worn. Arrangements will be handled by Firtion-Adams Funeral Home of Westfield. In lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to Mary’s favorite place, the Westfield Athenaeum. www.firtionadams.com
