BELGRADE - Mary Ruth Tilton Rowe, 69, died at her home on Sunday, Oct. 7. She was born in Augusta on Nov. 23, 1937, the daughter of Lloyd Freeman and Helen (Baily) Tilton. Mary was valedictorian of her class at Belgrade High School, class of 1955. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maine at Orono in 1959 and her master's in social work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1973. In early years, Mary devoted her life to juggling education, work and raising her sons. She worked with child welfare in Maine and Wisconsin and child development in St. Louis - West End. She was also involved with training and consulting in South Eastern Head Start programs, training at Maryland Conference of Social Agencies workshops on welfare issues and lobbying legislation, work and aging programs in the Baltimore Department of Aging and working with aging and disabled housing programs in Maine, mainly Augusta and Rockland. Upon her return to Belgrade in 1987, she married her childhood friend, F. Robert Rowe. After her retirement, she was devoted to caregiving to the seniors in the family and being a caring grandmother. Bob and she also traveled a lot with their RV to Florida, Canada, Newfoundland and Alaska. She loved the Florida Keys or anywhere she could get close to water or wildlife. In her last few years, as she battled cancer and chemotherapy, her greatest loss was her inability to kayak and snorkel, volunteer at the Belgrade Library and Historical Society and, most of all, spend more time with her grandchildren and friends. Mary enjoyed gardening, book sales, birds, and collecting blue glass. She was predeceased by her grandmother, Viola Baily, her parents and a brother, Richard Tilton. Mary is survived by her husband, F. Robert Rowe, of Belgrade; her three grown sons and seven grandchildren, Craig Camenga and his companion, Beth Johnston, of Saco and his three children, Ian Camenga of Saco, Mora Camenga of Waterville and Alana Camenga of Biddeford, David Camenga and his wife, Patricia, and their four children, Ashleigh, Lauren, Morgan, and David Jr., all of Baltimore County, Md., and James Camenga of Hallowell and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla; two brothers, Robert Tilton and his wife, Donna, of Venice, Fla. and Donald Tilton and his wife, Colette, of Merrimack, N.H.; her stepmother, Esmer Ellis Tilton, of Belgrade and Kissimmee, Fla.; along with several nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 11, at Knowlton & Hewins Funeral Home, One Church St., Augusta, where a celebration of Mary's life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday. Interment will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery in Belgrade. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mary's memory may be made to the Belgrade Fire & Rescue Association, 6 Manchester Road, Belgrade Lakes, ME 04917, Belgrade Public Library, 1 Center Drive, Belgrade, ME 04917, or the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, 10 Pet Haven Lane, Augusta 04330.