Marianne Smith Hubbard

Published 9:17 am Friday, June 13, 2025

Marianne Smith Hubbard died peacefully at Willow Brooke Court in Tryon Estates on June 12, 2025. She is preceded in death by her husband, Henry Hudson Hubbard III (Hank), her daughter, Katharine Peirce Hubbard, her sisters, Deanne Smith McMurren and Suzanne Smith Mueller and her parents, Mary Benton Smith and Thor Merritt Smith. 

Marianne grew up in Burlingame, California, and Old Greenwich, Connecticut, where she graduated from The Spence School in New York. She became one of the first ‘co-eds’ at Cornell University, where she joined Kappa Alpha Theta. After marrying Hank, they lived in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, where Marianne volunteered with Tuxis, the Artists’ Market, the Garden Club and the Junior League of Detroit. They also lived in Toledo, Ohio; Lake Forest, Illinois; and Rochester, New York. She continued her volunteer work and established Marianne Hubbard Designs, which provided beautiful flowers for all types of celebrations. When they moved to Maine, Marianne designed their own unique home, built on Cousins Island in Yarmouth. She helped design Tall Ships for a local firm as well as several cottage renovations at their beloved Harbor Beach Resort. Later they lived in Chicago and Burr Ridge, Illinois, where Marianne and Hank became an indomitable team of relocation specialists. When Hank was asked to run Trimingham’s in Bermuda, they thought someone was joking – it was a lovely life-giving surprise for both of them. Marianne thrived as an artist between rounds of golf and tennis, which continued after retirement in Tryon, North Carolina, where she was active in the Tryon Garden Club and the Tryon Painters and Sculptors.

Marianne is survived by her son, Henry Hudson Hubbard IV (Monica), daughter Karen Hubbard Jones (Stephen), granddaughters Clare O’Donnell Hubbard (Vivek Shivaram) and Katharine Peirce Hubbard and grandson Samuel David Hubbard Jones. 

We are all immensely grateful to everyone at Tryon Estates – particularly to the whole team in Willow Brooke Court, where Marianne was treated with tremendous love and affection for her record-breaking decade-long residence. A memorial service will be held in the chapel of Tryon Estates on Thursday, June 19 at 2 pm. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to rebuilding the Pearson Falls Visitor Center and walking paths by giving to the Tryon Garden Club and specifying Pearson Falls Project. However, if you prefer to give to the Spiritual Life Fund at Tryon Estates or plant a tree in celebration of Hank and Marianne, we would be thankful. 

An online guest register is available at mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com

McFarland Funeral Chapel

Tryon