REMEMBERING: Mary Claire Ballou, Ed Good, Gordon Wood
MARY CLAIRE BALLOU
Our dear friend Mary Claire Ballou, 68, of Glen, N.H., passed away peacefully during the early morning hours on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, after a courageous nine-month battle against ovarian cancer.
She was born on Dec. 24, 1954, to John J. and Dorothy Cronin, grew up in St. Gregory’s Parish in Dorchester, Mass., and was a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston. For many years, she worked as a service representative with the New England Telephone Company and as an Instructional Aide for the Shrewsbury Public Schools. After retiring, she supported her community, volunteering for Angels & Elves and teaching CCD at Our Lady of the Mountains Parish.
Mary Claire will be remembered by so many as caring, friendly, funny, dedicated, strong and brave. She was well known for her gregarious way of connecting with whomever she met. She was always proud of her Irish roots and had the gift of gab even before kissing the Blarney Stone.
She found joy with her toes in the sand, most often with the gals down by lifeguard Chair 7 at West Dennis Beach. She loved finding bargains not only for herself, but for others, and would often surprise her family with outfits she had found on clearance.
Mary Claire was a lifelong Red Sox fan, and she practically grew up in Fenway Park. When her daughter married a Phillies fan, she got satisfaction from mailing her husband a broom when the Sox swept the Phillies. When her grandson Thomas became a Phillies fan, she showed how family came first by watching Phillies games so she could talk about the games with her grandson and strengthen her connection with him.
Mary Claire loved reading and was involved with several book groups, and she enjoyed connecting with her friends through books. She also enjoyed traveling, both internationally and in the United States. Some of her favorite places to explore were Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Family was at the center of Mary Claire’s life. She would always say “Life is good” when her family and friends were with her, when she was planted on the beach or enjoying a home cooked meal. She took the battle with ovarian cancer one day at a time, reminding us, “It is what it is.” Her final goal was to stave off the advancing cancer long enough to be able sit on her favorite beach one more time.
Mary Claire is survived by her beloved husband and best friend of 47 years, William C. Ballou; her daughter Caroline Ballou, her son-in-law, Craig Panzer, and her grandchildren, Thomas and Norah Panzer, who were the lights of her life.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Paulist Center at 5 Park St. in Boston on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to Dana Farber Cancer Institute or the Paulist Center Boston.
ED GOOD
A brief note to mark a long ans storied life. The family alerted our community that Ed Good, our wryly humorous friend, fly fisherman, golfer and wood-turner/bowl-maker extraordinaire, died recently. Until a few years ago, he made his home in our community in a house on Rte 16 facing Mt Washington. He was dearly loved and will be deeply missed. He had moved to Massachusetts to be closer to his immediate family in more navigable surroundings. As we learn any updated information, we will share it. Meanwhile, his beloved wife was honored by Ed with a granite bench up at the Great Glen trails, and we’re sure that Ed would appreciate sojourners pausing at her bench to remember them both and share some stories.
GORDON WOOD
The family has informed us that Gordon Wood died. At the request of Barbe and the family, Rev Gail visited him while he was actively dying. The staff at Mountain View was attentive, keeping him company, holding his hand, ‘wetting his whistle’ and murmuring affectionate words to him in his final hours.
While the family will prepare a bio, here is 2015 Conway Daily Sun article about Gordon Wood and our beloved Barbe Brown, his longtime friend and partner, who now lives in Florida near her extended family. If we offered any updated information, we will pass it along.
Glen couple share zest for travel, life together
“They don’t ski anymore, but they’re active as ever as valley volunteers and world travelers.
“We met in 1997 at the chairlift on the South Slope at Cranmore when we were both volunteering for the Eastern Slope Ski Club’s Junior Program,” notes Gordon Wood, who at 86 is two years older than his longtime companion, Barbara Browne.
Barbara (known as Barbie to her friends) says Gordon told her she should “get some updated shapes,” meaning that she should trade in her vintage “straight stick” skis for some newer parabolic shaped skis.
The straight sticks still hang in her garage in Glen. Barbara stopped downhill skiing a few years ago, but she keeps her snowshoes ready to go. Gordon stopped at age 80 or so.
“It’s too easy skiing on the new shaped skis — we gave it up!” he quipped.
But they remain active in the community, far more than many people half their age. In addition to volunteering for the Junior Program, they used to serve as weekend Cranmore ambassadors.
They also have volunteered at the Settlers’ Crossing information office for the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. Barbara also has been active with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s seasonal Elderhostel programs, serving as a cross-country ski tour guide in the woods. The two also assist Starr Moore as volunteers at the New England Ski Museum’s annual Hannes Schneider Meister Cup at Cranmore every March.
“We’re not retired — we can’t seem to find the time to retire. We are retirees involved and having fun in this wonderful Mount Washington Valley,” laughed Barbara with her typical wit and good humor in a joint interview leading up to the Conway Daily Sun’s Love in the Sun series, running daily through Feb. 14 this week as part of the paper’s annual Valentine’s Day celebration.
Always sociable, Gordon and Barbara are regulars at every MWV Chamber After Hours monthly get-together.
“We like to know what’s going on. We love meeting new people, especially all the young entrepreneurs. It keeps us up to date,” said Barbara, adding, “We’re older, so it’s good being with active people.”
Said Gordon, a retired mechanical engineer from Massachusetts: “It rubs off on you. Plus it’s great to win the prizes. I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I won a six-pack of Tuckerman’s that I keep in the refrigerator. And Barbara won a stay at a hotel.”
“I’m going to give that gift to my nieces when they come here to visit,” Barbara said.
As a girl, Barbara attended Fryeburg Academy as a dorm student, and that served as her first introduction to the area. Later, she worked in Massachusetts as an executive administrator for a well-known economist. She and her former husband bought land, and after they parted company, she built a house in which she has lived in for 30 years.
A former member of the Melrose Hickory Hawks Ski Club, Gordon began skiing at Cranmore in 1949-50 and remembers meeting skimeister Hannes Schneider once at the Oxen Yoke that was then run by the Ostermaiers. One of his other claims to fame? He was the one-billionth car through the Hampton tollbooth on March 15, 1989. “I got a bunch of tokens, along with coffee and doughnuts,” he related with a laugh.
He and his wife were married for 30 years. They moved to the valley from Wakefield, Mass., in 1975. His wife was eight years younger than he and was 58 when she died in 1995. He met Barbara two years later at Cranmore.
Together now for 17 years, Barbara and Gordon share a a love of travel because they love to experience new cultures.
“We learn a lot history of various countries, and we really enjoy that,” said Gordon, noting they have especially enjoyed their trips to Europe, including Italy and Malta. “We’re a relatively new country here; not like Europe and places like Germany.” Added Barbara, “It’s also about the people we meet.”
They are “people” people, loving a good story and meeting good people wherever they go. They had a great time, for instance, at the Gibson Center for Senior Services’ well-attended annual Valentine’s Auction at White Mountain Hotel on Feb. 5.
Barbara said Gibson Center Director George Cleveland “auctioned off a month’s and then a week’s worth of Meals on Wheels. That was just a great idea. He’s such a natural.”
Gordon frequents the Gibson Center lunches not only because the food is great but also for the camaraderie.
On a serious note, they also share a concern about inadequate facilities for seniors in the valley.”
They hope that leaders will bring to fruition such things as the abandoned proposal to build senior housing at the former Yankee Settlements site that is now planned for a shopping complex at the former North Conway drive-in theater behind Northway Plaza.
“The senior people of the valley need comfortable housing with garages. We do not want to leave the valley as we get older,” Barbara said. Added Gordon: “We seniors don’t want to have to cut grass or shovel snow as we get older. But we would hate to have to leave, too.”
“We love this valley. It has 12 seasons of things to do,” enthused Barbara, adding in an aside to Gordon, “C’mon, let’s go tubing at Cranmore!”
From ziplining at Wildcat and Cranmore’s Adventure Park to touring the world, Gordon and Barbara are never at a loss for fun ways to make the most of their active life together.
FAREWELL to JOHN PEPPER
With permission from the family, we pass along this message:
JOHN PEPPER DIED WED, NOV 10th AT HOME
With deepest regret, and the family’s permission, we share the news that beloved community member John Pepper died at home, surrounded by family, on Wed, Nov 10. At this time, the Pepper family is making plans for a Celebration of Life service to be held in early December at Jackson Community Church. More information will be shared at a later time.
If anyone wishes to visit the family at home, please call first, but visitors are welcome. Mail and messages may be sent to the Pepper home via PO Box 823, Jackson, NH 03846.
Meanwhile, for anyone who wishes to make donations in memory of John Pepper, John requested that such gifts be directed to the Friends of the Jackson Public Library, PO Box 276, Jackson NH 03846 or online: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/199274.
Visitation Hours & Memorial Service for Robert Corrigan. Also recognition of the death of Martha Webb Chandler.
ROBERT CORRIGAN
Services
- Visitation Hours for family and friends
Wed, August 11 • 1-3pm and 6-8pm
@ Bryant Funeral Home, 1 Promenade St., Gorham, NH. - Memorial Service open to family and friends
Thurs, August 12 • 10am
@ Jackson Community Church, 127 Main St., Jackson, NH
Note: The family would appreciate all attendees of the calling hours and services to wear a mask.Memorial Donations
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to GRSEF, FBO Corrigan Family Scholarship, Gorham High School, 120 Main St., Gorham, NH, 03581. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net.
BIOGRAPHY
Robert E. Corrigan, 76, of North Conway, NH, passed away on Friday July 30, 2021 at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. The son of Harry E. and Nathalie (Conant) Corrigan, he was born in Westbrook, ME on February 15, 1945 and later moved to Shelburne, NH when he was six. He attended school in Gorham and graduated Valedictorian of the Class of 1963. He then attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1967 with a degree in English. From there, he immediately began teaching at Gorham High School from where he retired in 1999. After that, he went to work at the White Mountain Community College in Berlin.
Being a teacher of great expectations, he created the Senior Project, a capstone graduation requirement that persists to this day at GHS. Bob (AKA “Crash” from his college days) loved coaching basketball and baseball, as well as playing competitively into his fifties against his high school students. He was named by George H. W. Bush as the 88th Point of Light. In 1989, he was one of ten in the country to be named by Reader’s Digest as a Hero in Education. He was also a Shelburne Citizen of the Year.
An avid golfer for 40 years, on many weekends you’d find him puttering around on the golf course, his drive pushing him to play on par to that of his basketball skills, often stopping afterwards at the 19th hole to enjoy a ham sandwedge.
A lifelong puzzler, he enjoyed solving and creating logic problems and magic squares. He had a hobbit of making terrible puns, by golem — a veritable war of the words. He was oft sought out for friendly chats as well as advice. Never one to miss an opportunity to connect with others, his kids learned at an early age that a quick trip to the store would be a brave new world of multiple conversations with his current and former students encountered along the way.
In retirement he found a second home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, enjoying an idyllic pace of life among the flamingos that had previously haunted his home in the hamlet of Shelburne.
Family includes his wife of 54 years, Jacquelyn (Bowler) Corrigan of North Conway, NH; children Gregory Corrigan of Shelburne, NH, daughter-in-law Jen Corrigan of Shelburne, NH, Kristen Corrigan of Brownfield, ME and Shelley Corrigan of Intervale, NH; 4 grandchildren: Molly Reynolds and husband Tucker of Lancaster, NH, Airman First Class Riley Corrigan of Dover AFB, Delaware, Aiden Corrigan of Shelburne, NH and Gavin Corrigan of Shelburne, NH; brother Michael Corrigan of Norway, ME; sisters Kathy Longnecker and husband Malcolm of Gorham, NH and Martha MacIntosh and husband Alan of Las Vegas, NV, and 2 nieces and a nephew.
A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 10 AM at the Jackson Community Church, 127 Main St., Jackson, NH. Relatives and friends may call at the Bryant Funeral Home, 1 Promenade St., Gorham, NH, on Wednesday August 11 from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 PM. Private interment will be held at the Conant Burial Ground, Westbrook, ME.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to GRSEF, FBO Corrigan Family Scholarship, Gorham High School, 120 Main St., Gorham, NH, 03581. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net.
“It is tragic that nothing gold can stay.
You will be missed … All those terrible puns above –
those were for you, Dad.”
MARTHA WEBB CHANDLER
Celebration of Life
The family will hold a celebration of life service on Sept. 1 at 3 p.m. in Wonalancet (under a tent).
BIOGRAPHY
Martha Webb Chandler passed away on July 25, 2021, following a brief period of illness.
Born in 1930 to parents Harry J. and Francis (Newell) Webb, Martha grew up in Franklin, Mass., which, at that time, was a relatively rural town. She attended elementary and high school there and following graduation from Boston University in 1952 she became a teacher.
She taught school at the Summit School in Saint Paul, Minn., for several years before returning to Massachusetts where she earned a M.Ed. from Harvard in 1957.
In 1958, she met John Chandler, the brother of college friends; they were married in 1959 and lived in Laconia, N.H., where he practiced law. They were members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, belonging to both the Laconia and Tamworth congregations.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Martha pursued an active outdoor life while raising two children in Laconia (school year) and Wonalancet (summer). She returned to teaching in the mid-1970s at Laconia High School and retired in the early 1990s.
Long after her children were “out of the house,” Martha still made it a point to attend Laconia High School sporting events and cheer for all the kids. Martha was an ardent feminist having experienced the prevalent discriminatory practices women faced in the mid-century; and she advocated for education and other life-expanding opportunities for all.
A passionate conservationist, Martha became active with the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests, which named her Conservationist of the Year in 2016 for her work on Mount Major, and with the Maine-based Mahoosuc Land Trust. Martha loved outdoor life.
She was the head of the waterfront at Camp Weetamoe on Lake Ossipee in her 20s and continued to teach swimming into her 80s at White Lake State Park for the Town of Tamworth.She made a point to be active including taking part in White Mountain Miler events. She also enjoyed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, even this past winter at age 90, and walked up to a mile almost every day through May 2021.
She volunteered with the Wonalancet Out Door Club — doing trail work in earlier years and, through this spring, shipping the T-shirts the club sells online.
Martha was predeceased by her husband John in 2016, and by her sisters Marian Webb Murray (1982) and Mary Webb Ambler (2015).
She is survived by her children Ellen Chandler, and David Chandler and his wife Nina; extended family includes Caleb Ayers and his wife Ashley. The family will hold a celebration of life service on Sept. 1 at 3 p.m. in Wonalancet (under a tent).
Memorial donations and/or acts of volunteering may be made to Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests (forestsociety.org; 54 Portsmouth St., Concord NH 03301), the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust (usvlt.org; 111 Main St., Conway, NH 03818), the Mahoosuc Land Trust (Mahoosuc.org; P.O. Box 981, Bethel, Maine 04217) or the outdoor organization of your choosing.
CELEBRATION of LIFE for JUDY HERRICK
JUDY HERRICK
Judy Herrick, 74, of North Conway, N.H., beloved pianist and piano teacher, passed away Aug. 17, 2020.
She was born Judy Cheryl Jones Aug. 8, 1946, in Fort Worth, Texas. She studied piano from the age of 6 to 16, and later resumed her studies with acclaimed concert pianist Lili Kraus. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater from Texas Christian University, Fort Worth and a master of fine arts degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
On Sept. 19, 1972 she married John W. Herrick in Tarrant, Texas. While in Texas, she served on the board of the Fort Worth Opera and also volunteered as a docent for the Kimball Art Museum.
After moving to the Mount Washington Valley in the early 1990s, Judy contributed her exceptional musical talents to the local entertainment community. She played for many hotels and churches, including as house musician for the Wentworth Resort in Jackson and almost 20 years serving as minister of music for the Jackson Community Church.
As a sought-after accompanist, she accompanied the Mount Washington Choral Society, was co-founder/accompanist for the choral group Da Capo.
For many years she maintained a full studio of piano students, guiding many young people in their mastery of piano skills. She drew on her theater background when she played Jessica in M&D Theater’s production of “Calendar Girls.”
Those of us who were who were lucky enough to have performed with her or who were showered with her pianistic talents know just how much she enriched our lives and the musical life of the valley.
Judy was predeceased by her husband John in 2007, who had been awarded a Purple Heart and is buried in Arlington cemetery, and her beloved Pomeranian Steffi.
A celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2020, at the Jackson Community Church. Strict adherence to social distancing and masks are required.
RSVP:
- Limited space due to COVID restrictions on indoor gatherings: please RSVP to thecin1@yahoo.com if you would like to attend in person.
For those unable to attend in-person, the church will be available via ZOOM and live-streaming to JCC’s Facebook page. Links below:
ZOOM:
- Join Zoom Celebration of Life on Sun, Oct 11 @ 4pm: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84491907278?pwd=VFF0aGh3d0c2SlRlYTFKVTNwdGhUQT09
- Or call by touch-tone phone: 929.436.2866, Meeting ID: 844 9190 7278, Passcode: 209301
FACEBOOK LIVE (will post on Facebook page the day & time of the event):
CELEBRATING the LIFE of MARY HOWE
Here is the biography shared by her family: Mary Francoise Paul Howe of Jackson, NH died suddenly on December 4, 2019 at a youthful 84 years old.
Mary was born on September 5, 1935 in Philadelphia, PA. Her parents had immigrated to the US from Normandy, France the year before her birth. During WWII they moved to Montreal, Canada. When Mary was a teenager the family moved to Denver, CO. She attended Kent Denver Country Day School for Girls, where she was a member of International Relations Club with her friend and classmate, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. After graduating, she attended Pembroke College in Providence, RI. In her 20s, Mary was living in Cambridge, MA and joined friends on trips to Overlook, the Howe family summer home, in Jackson, NH, where she met John Howe. They discovered a shared passion for fly-fishing, went out fly-fishing together, and fell in love. They married in Ann Arbor, MI in 1961. In marrying John, Mary gained two stepsons, Andrew and Nathaniel. Daughter Catherine (Cuppy) was born the following September. They moved to Fairbanks, AK, where John worked on early weather satellite research. Mary took classes at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, including silver working. In 1965, they moved to Annapolis, MD, where daughter Lucy was born. Next they moved to Acton, MA where John worked for GE on early nuclear submarine development. In 1969 John and Mary decided to return to Jackson and live year-round at Overlook, while John worked as an engineer at the Mount Washington Observatory until his retirement. Mary began raising sheep, chickens, pigs and other animals and had expansive and chaotic vegetable gardens. She encouraged her daughters to participate in all of these endeavors. Cuppy and Lucy also remember many messy finger painting projects on the kitchen floor in their underpants. The family frequently hiked in the Presidential Range and sailed off the coast of Maine. Mary loved to travel and was lucky enough to have friends and family who were willing to take care of her daughters while she went off on adventures. Once her daughters left home, Mary got involved in local politics. She was on the school board and the conservation board. She was part of a local bird watching group. John retired in 1988 and they bought and refurbished Vixen,an old wooden sailboat. They lived aboard for several years, sailing between Maine and the Bahamas, their grand adventure. It was at this time Mary began painting. In recent years, Mary was active in the Jackson arts community and her painting career flourished. She was an early supporter of the Tin Mountain Conservation Center and an avid birder. She was also a member of a French Club and the Jackson Community Church and its poetry group. Her most recent passion was learning to play classical guitar. Aside from her husband, John, she leaves behind her sister Annick Paul Lopez, daughters, Catherine (Cuppy) and her husband, Dick Gordon, of Wellesley, MA; and Lucy and her husband, Reese Hersey, of East Calais, VT; as well as her stepsons, Andrew Howe and his wife, Gay, of Jackson, NH; and Nathaniel Howe and his wife, Pamela Hitchcock, of Belfast, ME. Additionally, she leaves her seven adored grandchildren, Whitney and Spencer Howe; Molly Howe and her husband, Jake Newton; John (Gus), Charlie, and Sam Gordon; and Ogden (Noggo) Hersey. A service will be held at the Jackson Community Church Saturday, December 21 at 2:00. All are welcome. Donations can be made in her memory to Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Albany, NH at tinmountain.org