Grace (Holman) Van Tassel, age 95, a former longtime resident of Natick, died peacefully on Thursday, January 5, 2012, at the Water’s Edge Center in Middletown, CT, after a brief illness. She was the beloved wife of the late William P. Van Tassel.
Born in Malden, MA, she was a daughter of the late Joseph H. and Alberta (Blakeney) Holman. Grace was raised in Newton and Needham and was a 1935 graduate of Needham High School. She was employed with the Natick Public Schools as the cafeteria manager for both Kennedy Junior High School and Natick High School. She enjoyed working with students and was especially proud of creating and implementing the schools’ breakfast programs. For the past several years Grace had made her home in Rocky Hill, CT, with her daughter.
“Family matters” were words that she lived by - family came first. No matter what was going on around her, Grace’s door was open to family and friends. She was a devoted member of the First Congregational Church of Natick and its Women’s Union. Grace particularly enjoyed cooking many church dinners in the kitchen that now bears her name.
She is survived by her daughter, Janet Van Tassel and husband Steve Park of Rocky Hill, CT; three sons, Paul F. Van Tassel and wife Barbara of Mt. Laurel, NJ, William “Ted” Van Tassel and wife Alva of Smithfield, VA, and Gordon Van Tassel and wife Nancy of Natick; seven grandchildren, Paul, Edward, Todd, Ryan, Alayna, Kate, and Julie; six great-grandchildren, Timothy, Abigail, Amber, Thomas, Allison, and Sean; a sister, Inez Smith of MO; and many nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Maurice, Ruth Molloy, J. Harrison, George W., Doris Barbour, and Douglas.
Her memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Natick, 2 East Central Street, Natick, MA, on Friday, Jan. 13th at 11:00a.m. Donations in Grace’s memory may be made to the First Congregational Church of Natick at the above address or the Natick VNA, 209 W. Central St. #313, Natick, MA 01760.