Grace Elizabeth Mattson, a lifelong resident of Salem, died Monday, July 16, at home. She was 93. She was the daughter of the late Dr. Philip Finnegan and Grace McEachern Finnegan; her brothers John Finnegan and Philip Finnegan preceded her in death.

Mrs. Mattson graduated from Ste. Chretienne Academy and Boston University. After graduating from high school, she spent a year studying in Belgium. Mrs. Mattson enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served in the quartermaster corps. She served on the board of the Salem YMCA and volunteered for decades at Salem Hospital and at the House of the Seven Gables. Mrs. Mattson was a member of the Threads sewing circle, garden club, and several bridge groups. She could solve the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle with the best of them; she spoke flawless French; and she was a diehard Red Sox and Bruins fan. She loved traveling and mystery novels and she lived independently until the day she died.

Her survivors include Janice Mattson and her husband Jonathan Sloan of Pasadena, MD, Lee Mattson and his wife Randy of Center Harbor, NH, and Andrea Hunt and her husband Gregory K. Hunt of Washington, DC. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, three nieces, and seven great grandchildren -- one of whom was born on the day of her death—and an eighth great grandchild who is expected within the week. She was the widow of attorney Gardner W. Mattson, who died in 1974.

Mrs. Mattson's Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St. (cor. of North St.) Salem at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. A visitation will be held prior to the Service from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 A.M. Internment will be held privately at the request of her family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, PO Box 173| 23 Science Center Road | Holderness, NH 03245. For additional information or on line guest book please call 978 744 0497 or visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com.