Mary Jeanne (Nadreau) Reis, 76, a longtime resident of Concord and Littleton, died peacefully at home on Sunday, January 29, 2023. She was the beloved wife of William M. Reis, to whom she was married for 51 years.

She was born in Amesbury in 1946, grew up in Haverhill, and believed that the best place to buy fried clams was on the North Shore.

She was the daughter of the late Arthur and Irene (Robicheau) Nadreau, who taught her many things, including the pleasure of a family card game on Sunday afternoons. Her parents also arranged for her to have piano lessons with Mary Griffin Gullo, who became a lifelong influence. Mary Reis later taught piano to a small number of students herself, including her daughter for a short, frustrating, and ultimately inspiring time. Her son took up the saxophone, guitar and other instruments.

With help from her aunt, Sr. Aurore Nadreau, S.A.S.V., Mary attended and graduated from Maria Assumpta Academy in Petersham, Mass. She earned a bachelor's degree from Massachusetts State College at Lowell (now UMass Lowell).

Mary taught music in Acton elementary schools for many years and later at St. Bridget's School in Maynard. During her time in Acton, she met a somewhat tone-deaf man who loved music. They married, and her Barbara Streisand records moved in with his John Denver albums.

As a parent, Mary was the piano accompanist for choruses, musicals, and singalongs in the Concord Public Schools. She sewed clothes, including Halloween costumes that have lasted for two generations. She taught her children how to make popcorn on the stove and enjoyed visits to local ice cream stands (all of them). She was the type of mother who, years later, would take a homemade birthday cake as carry-on luggage from Boston to Seattle.

Mary appreciated music and theater whether she was on the stage or watching it. She sang in the choir at Our Lady Help of Christians in West Concord and the Concord Chorus, and she loved going to community theater in the suburbs and Broadway shows in Boston.

At Our Lady's, Mary was active in the Social Action and Justice Committee and helped lead the parish's involvement with Rosie's Place in Boston. In the days before word processors and spreadsheets, she drew and illustrated sign-up sheets for each meal the parish provided to Rosie's, following up with phone calls and helping drive the food into Boston.

Mary was not a particularly outdoorsy person, but she saw the beauty in nature and helped her children see it, too. When her family spent a summer traveling across the country in an RV, she loved Yosemite in particular.

As her children grew older, Mary attended Middlesex Community College and became an administrative assistant at several businesses outside Boston, including Lawson Software and Data Dimensions.

She eventually shared her love of music with a second generation, teaching her grandchildren to find middle C on the piano and encouraging them on their chosen instruments.

Mary was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 20 years ago and met the disease on her own stoic terms. She became an expert scooter driver and learned to use hand controls to drive a van. She found ways to maneuver a computer mouse even when she could barely use her hand. As she relied increasingly on other people, she and her family were lucky to have many loving aides and nurses. With their invaluable help and her husband's constant care, Mary was able to remain in her own home.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Reis and her husband David Currie of Littleton; her son, Jason Reis and his wife Simaya Ausikaitis of Evanston, Ill.; three grandchildren: Samuel and Theo Currie and Rocco Reis; a sister, Lucille Rafferty of Haverhill; a brother, Robert Nadreau and his wife Judith of Plaistow, N.H.; two sisters-in-law, Mary Ventura of Woburn and Bernadette Cameron and her husband Malcolm of Deerfield, N.H.; a brother-in-law, Joseph Reis of Westford; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Jeanne Nadreau.

Family and friends will gather for visiting hours from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 2nd at Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center. Mary's funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 3rd in Holy Family Parish, 12 Monument Square, Concord Center. Burial will follow at St. Bernard's Cemetery in Concord.

Donations may be made in Mary's memory to Rosie's Place or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society .

Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.