On September 6, 2020, the world lost an amazing woman. Paula Gallup was a truly special person, who embodied kindness and grace in the way she lived her life. As a mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, she will be dearly missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. Paula loved her family and is survived by her husband of 69 years, John G. Gallup, her daughter, Susan G. Purdy and son-in-law, Robert Purdy, her daughter Paula Ingalls and late son-in-law, Darrell Ingalls, her son, Bruce Gallup and daughter-in-law, Lindy Gallup. In addition, she leaves behind six grandchildren, Cliff Purdy (Trisha Purdy), Kristin Blanchard (Steve Blanchard), Ross Purdy, Heather Collins (Dennis Collins), Jonathan Gallup and Holland Gallup and two great grandchildren, Deighton and Arlo Blanchard.
Paula was born on September 10, 1931 in Holyoke, Massachusetts to Marcelle and Henry Burgee and grew up in close-knit family with her late sister, Maria Burgee Dwight ’52. She attended Northampton School for Girls (now The Williston-Northampton School) and Mount Holyoke College, leaving after two years to marry John, a graduate of Dartmouth College. For 32 years she raised her family and pursued the volunteer and civic work she loved, including teaching Sunday school, running a church fair, serving as Assistant Girl Scout Leader and Assistant Cub Scout Den Mother. She was an active member of the Junior League for 20 years and a sustaining member for 15 years. During that time, she volunteered in the thrift shop, trooped with puppets to hospitals and children’s agencies, served as Concert Series Program Chair, Concert Series General Chair, Hospitality Chair and Advertising Co-chair for the Follies (musical). In addition, she served as a United Way representative for the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club. Over the course of 20 years, Paula was a hospital volunteer, member of the hospital auxiliary and served on auxiliary boards. She also worked as a volunteer at Wesson Women’s Hospital at the front desk, in the hospital coffee shop, as co-chair and buyer for the gift shop and as hostess in the ICU waiting room. She also held board positions: Membership Chair, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary and President of the Baystate Medical Center Auxiliaries. Paula served as a docent at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts and on the Springfield School Volunteers Advisory Council in a variety of capacities. She served as a volunteer for Chestnut Knoll, Stage West, the Springfield Mount Holyoke Club, Women’s Symphony League and the Longmeadow Women’s Republican Club.
In 1983, Paula returned to Mount Holyoke College through the Frances Perkins Program earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion. She continued her studies at Hartford Seminary and received her Master of Divinity from Andover-Newton Theological Seminary, after which she served for 9 years at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Longmeadow as a Lay Pastoral Assistant providing compassionate guidance and support to senior members of the congregation. She established a Eucharistic Visitor Program, a prayer and study group, a monthly Lunch Bunch Group, and organized an 80 year+ celebratory tribute party, a job she truly loved. Paula was also a Eucharistic Minister and Lector. She was deeply involved in the Hatikvah Education Center and was a devoted member of the Cosmopolitan Club.
Paula and John loved to travel and visited many wonderful places in the world including England, Africa, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. More recently, Paula loved spending time at home surrounded by the people and things she loved.
A memorial service to celebrate Paula’s incredible life will be scheduled at a later date. Her arrangements have been entrusted to Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main St. East Longmeadow.

Diane Linda (Warner) Wojtowicz passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 28, 2020. Born June 29, 1934 in New York, the daughter of the late James Warner and Mary (Zywar) Warner, as a child she grew up in the Bronx, NY and Easthampton, MA. She attended St. Michael’s High School and the Northampton School for Girls. She had a lifelong love of dancing and met her soulmate, Clarky Wojtowicz, at a Chicopee dance in 1954. They married in 1955 and together owned and operated multiple businesses in Chicopee over the next 30 years, including Clarky’s, Market Square and The Kendall. In 1984, they purchased Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke, which they and their family owned and operated for 36 years. Those close to her will miss her love of children and animals, her unexpectedly bursting into song, and especially her laugh. She famously “never let the truth get in the way of a good story” and would happily regale anyone with many tales about her and her husband’s lives in the service industry or her childhood. The last years of her life were spent in well earned retirement in Marco Island cared for by her daughter Tami. She is predeceased by her parents, stepfather (Francis “Frannie” Wodicka), and her husband Clarence “Clarky” Wojtowicz. She is survived by her four children: Lynn Stebbins and her husband Kenneth of Belchertown, Clark Wojtowicz of Chicopee, Tami Kelley and husband Tony of Marco Island, FL; and Jay Wojtowicz and his wife Caroline of Easthampton. She also leaves 9 grandchildren (Amy, Mark, Kris, Grant, Brooke, Paige, Kyle, Hunter, Lucas), 4 great-grandchildren (Graham, Thaddeus, Grayson, and Kimber), many former employees who became family (Linda), and cousins with whom she kept in close touch. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A celebration of life will take place at a future date.

Cherry Copeland Gillespie, age 82, of Greenville, Delaware passed away peacefully on the morning of May 31, 2020. Born May 19, 1938, Cherry grew up in Holland, Michigan. Sailing was a favorite pastime in her youth and something she enjoyed as an adult whenever the opportunity arose. Cherry attended Bradford Junior College in Haverhill, MA, where she made several lifelong friends. From there she studied at Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School and worked in New York City until she and her roommates were enticed to attend a dance in Connecticut hosted by some boys from Yale that were short a few dates. That night she met the love of her life William (Bill) F. Gillespie III, whom she married in 1960.
Bill’s career with DuPont brought them to Wilmington, DE at first, then on to Evanston, IL, Kansas City, MO and Lake Forest, IL before settling permanently back in Delaware in 1969.
In each city, Cherry took great pride in making her homes places of comfortable, tasteful elegance. Her knack for interior design led many friends to ask her for guidance, and she eventually got her decorator’s license working part-time in affiliation with Plain & Fancy in Centerville, DE. Her love of design extended into her gardens as well. Cultivating plants and flowers was a year-round interest. She was a long-time member of the Wilmington Garden Club and held several leadership roles over the years. Besides these activities, raising two children, and enjoying many wonderful times with the dozens of people in her circle of friends, Cherry enjoyed playing golf. She and Bill were longtime members of Bidermann and the Vicmead Hunt Club. Much of their travel in later years revolved around opportunities to play golf. This passion led Cherry and Bill to South Carolina in the early 1980’s where they became founding members of Spring Island in Okatie, SC. Many other wonderful friendships were formed there. Their legacy lives on at Spring Island through the Gillespie Nature trail. After Bill’s untimely death in 2004, Cherry continued going to Spring Island seasonally before eventually selling their home to be in Greenville DE full-time. In recent years, her life centered around playing bridge, participating in Garden Club, visiting friends and her children and grandchildren.
Cherry was preceded in death by her sister Sally Copeland Horrax, and her husband William F. Gillespie III. She is survived by her son Brook J. Gillespie (Kathy) and granddaughter MacKenzie Gillespie of Chester Springs, PA, and her daughter Sally H. Gillespie, granddaughter Emily C. Boettger and grandson William “Gunner” Boettger of Sun Valley, Idaho.
The family is planning a memorial service to be held in Delaware in the fall. Those wishing to honor her memory are encouraged to donate to The Garden Club of Wilmington – PO Box 3855 Wilmington, DE 19807 or The Spring Island Trust – 40 Mobley Oaks Lane, Okatie, SC 29909.

Barbara Jane Fuller, née MacNeil, departed this world peacefully on June 17, 2020 at her home in Marion, Massachusetts after a brief illness, surrounded by her five daughters and numerous grandchildren. She was 89 years old.

“Bobby” was born on September 2, 1930 in Newton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Ruah and John MacNeil and sister to Jean, Margery, John, Janice, and Marcia ’49. She attended the Northampton School for Girls and Elmira College, where she sang in the choir and earned a BA in education. In 1955, she married William Fuller and together they raised five girls on Beach Drive in Darien, Connecticut. In 1999, they moved to Marion where they renovated the Elizabeth Taber House on Cottage St.

Bobby will be remembered for her loving and generous spirit, her humor and wise counsel, and her dedication to family and community. She was an avid reader who loved history, and she was an ardent tennis player and fan. She was Past President of the Marion Garden Group, and during her life she held positions with the Darien PTA, the Girl Scouts, the Houston Amigos, Post 53 Emergency Medical Services in Darien, and she volunteered at numerous charities. In her younger years, she was a well loved school teacher.

She is survived by her children, Frances Fuller Baldwin of Mystic, CT; Faith Elizabeth Fuller of Oakland, CA; Abigail Fuller (Neil Wollman) of Portland, ME; Ruah Seidel (Erik) of Las Vegas, NV; Jean Fuller Gest of Marion, MA; and grandchildren Jack Madigan, Elian Seidel, Ali Madigan, Jamesin Seidel, William Baldwin, Leonore Fuller, Barbara Nell Gest, Jack Fuller, and Beau Fuller. She was preceded in death by her precious granddaughter Josephine “Scout” Fuller and her husband of 56 years, Bill Fuller.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marion Garden Group in memory of Bobby Fuller, PO Box 403, Marion, MA 02738

Becky Sparks passed away on May 19, 2020 in Falmouth, Maine. She was born in Kyoto, Japan, December 29, 1921 to parents Eva and Homer Grafton, who were teachers with the YMCA. Her formative years were spent at her parents’ boys’ camp in Ontario in the summers, and a series of schools in the Midwest in the winters. She graduated from Bennington College where she majored in music, then attended Julliard School of Music after the war ended, where she met her first husband, Ken Ward. They moved to Chardon, Ohio where daughter Carol and son Craig were born.

In 1954 they moved to Colorado, settling in Aspen in 1955, where she taught piano. In 1968 after a divorce Becky moved to New England, taught physical education and music at Northfield Mount Hermon schools, and then got an M.A. in early childhood education. She married John Sparks in 1972 and they spent 10 happy years together on a gentleman’s farm in Virginia and then moved to Stuart, Florida.

After Jack’s death in 1987, Becky moved to Snowmass Village to be near her son, Craig, and rekindled friendships with many Aspenites. She attended Aspen Music Festival concerts, Anderson Ranch art and photography classes, worked for Snow Cubs, volunteered for cross country ski races, was a member of PEO (an educational organization), played tennis at the Snowmass Club, downhill and cross country skied. Her artwork flourished during these years. She moved to Whitcomb Terrace in 2008 and made many friends with residents and staff. Often she would take seniors to the Maroon Bells to paint the landscapes. She snowshoed around Whitcomb Terrace into her mid-90’s.

Becky leaves behind her children, Craig Ward and Carol Ward, stepdaughters Tania Clark and Lana Leonard, their spouses, seven grandsons, and 9 great-grandchildren. Her life will be celebrated at a family gathering in Aspen/Snowmass later this summer.

Domenica Margaret Duprey, 100, formerly of Cedar St., Northampton, MA, died May 15, 2020 at the Elaine Center in Hadley. She was born in Northampton on May 8, 1920, the daughter of the late Nicola and Frances (Capadice) Spinelli. She grew up on Market St. and went to Bridge St. School. She attended the Northampton School for Girls, Northampton Community Commercial College, and Holyoke and Greenfield Community Colleges.

In 1937 she went to work at McCallum’s Hosiery Company for four years. She was a WAC in the United States Army during WWII. Domenica was a Medical Aidman who worked in the surgical ward as a Nurse’s Assistant until discharged in 1946. In 1949 she married her husband of 48 years, Louis F. Duprey. Domenica later worked at the Northampton State Hospital until 1968. She worked as a Book Keeper for the University of Massachusetts until retiring in 1983. She enjoyed sewing and crocheting. Domenica and Louis loved to travel to Cape Cod in the summer.

She was predeceased by her husband Louis, her daughter Donna Duprey and her sisters Mary Isaacson and Ann Goodhind. Domenica leaves her son Gary Duprey of Northampton and Nicholas Duprey of Easthampton, her brother Vito Spinelli, grandchildren Spencer, Peter and Alicia, and great grandchildren Gabriel, Lucas and Madilyn. The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Elaine Manor who, over these past 10 years, took such great care of “Minnie”.

The funeral and burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery will be private. Czelusniak Funeral Home is in charge.

Audrey E. (Morgan) Leaf died peacefully on April 9, 2020 with her loving husband, Carlton at her side. She was 89.

She was born on Nov. 13, 1930 in Worcester, to Janet and Charles Hill Morgan.

She and her brother, George were raised in Athens, Greece. Prior to the outbreak of World War II the family returned to Amherst. Audrey attended Northampton School for Girls and upon graduation enrolled at Colby College. After two years at Colby she followed her dream and enrolled at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital nursing program and became capped a registered nurse.

Audrey and Carl were married in Amherst in September 1953 and honeymooned in Chilmark at the family cottage.

Married life began in New York city followed by relocations to Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Pearl River, N.Y. In 1979, Audrey and Carl moved to Chilmark year round.

Audrey was a homemaker raising their four children and was very active in church and community affairs. She was a communicant and past senior warden at Grace Church in Vineyard Haven. She helped set up and run the early years of lobster roll dinners at Grace Church, served many ice hockey families at the Puck Stop and at the Street Fair. She volunteered at the hospital and Thrift Shop, where she always brought home more than she donated.

Her home was full of laughing children with at least one dog looking for treats, cats running away from the commotion and the birds waiting for their feeder to be filled.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years; her sister Prudence Fitts of Wolfboro, N.H., her brother George of Chilmark; Her daughters Karen, of Putnam, Conn., and Kirstin Labby of North Grosvenordale Conn; sons Eric of Dix Hills, N.Y. and Nils (Gus) of Edgartown; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Private interment was held at Abel’s Hill Cemetery on April 14 under the direction of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs.

Judith Hawley Warner Edwards, 80, died peacefully on March 3, 2020, with her husband of 54 years, Adolph Monroe Edwards, at her side in their residence at Brookdale Senior Living, Olney, Maryland. She had suffered with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born July 24, 1939 to James Hobart Warner and Marian Miner Warner, both of whom predeceased her. Sister of Joanna Peck Warner Kennedy, married to Reverend Thomas Blaine Kennedy of Brookline, Massachusetts. Mother of Robert Andrew Edwards, M.D., married to Jennifer Gruenenfelder, M.D. of Irvine, California, and Mary Hawley Edwards Gross, married to Robert Joshua Gross (deceased) of Olney, MD. Grandmother of Andrew Gross, Julianna Gross, and Emma Gross, Haley Edwards, Declan Edwards, and Maibre Edwards. She leaves two nephews and one niece: Samuel Hobart Kennedy (wife – Amanda) of Wellesley, Massachusetts; James Rutledge Kennedy (wife – Tamara) of-Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Sarah Blaine Kennedy Flott (husband – Jonathon) of Ann Arbor, Michigan. She leaves six grand nephews and two grand nieces.

Judy’s early elementary education took place at the Miry Brook School, the last one room school house in Connecticut. With that noteworthy and solid foundation, she went on to the Danbury High School and then to the Northampton School For Girls in Northampton, Massachusetts, from which she graduated in 1957. Graduate of Connecticut College for Women (B.A. 1961) and the University of Chicago (M.S. 1967) Judy taught sixth grade at the Trinity Episcopal School, New Orleans, LA for three years (1962 – 1965) It was here that she met Adolph Edwards, stationed in New Orleans in the U.S. Coast Guard. They were married on July 10, 1965 in the Wooster School Chapel, Danbury, Connecticut. Judy had grown up at the Wooster School, where her father, James Hobart Warner was a teacher and coach for 44 years.

Judy and Dolph lived for 45 years in Penfield, New York where Judy worked for 15 years (1983 – 1998) as the school secretary at the Scribner Road School. She was a master quilter and belonged to the Genesee Valley Quilt Club. She was also a member of the Village Green Garden Club. Judy and Dolph moved to Olney, Maryland in 2014 to be near their daughter Mary. Judy will be remembered by all who knew her as the warm, wise and witty women she was.

A memorial service will take place in the coming months when restrictions on gatherings are lifted. In lieu of flowers , donations in her memory may be sent to the charity of your choice.