…Tewksbury Senior Activist; 85
TEWKSBURY - Carolyn Jane (Tilden) French, age 85, who was proactive in the affairs and concerns of Tewksbury’s Senior community, died peacefully, Wednesday evening, November 14, at her Tewksbury home. She was the devoted wife for 63 years of Edward George French, who died last February 12.
She was born in Boston, August 16, 1927, the late Myron and Carrie (Mundo) Tilden, and was raised in Canton. She graduated from Canton High School with the Class of 1947, and entered the Canton School of Nursing, which became the Massachusetts Hospital for Children’s Nursing School. She qualified and earned her certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She later worked at the Chelsea Soldier’s Home as a Nurse. She changed careers and retired from Computervision in Bedford, as a Lead Board Technician and Inspector.
In her retirement, she became a spokesperson for the Senior community in Tewksbury, as a member of the Council on Ageing, and also advocated for the needs of her peers as a member of the Tewksbury Senior Center Building Committee. When her health permitted, she was a daily visitor to the Senior Center, and was a former officer of the Tewksbury Golden Age Club.
She is survived by a daughter, Susan Stewart and her husband David, with whom she resided in Tewksbury; two sons, Edward G. French Jr. of Tyngsboro, and Robert E. French and his wife Beverly (Ysebaert) of Clearwater, FL; six grandchildren, Joshua French and his wife Traci of CA, Christopher, Trevor, and Jared French all of FL, David Stewart and his wife Danielle of Tewksbury, and Timothy Stewart and his wife Amy of Lowell; three great grandchildren, Jessi, Anthony and Klayton; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her brother Myron Tilden Jr.
Her Funeral Service was held Saturday, November 17, in the funeral home. Burial followed at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park in Peabody. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Tewksbury Friends of the Elderly, c/o Tewksbury Senior Center, 175 Chandler St., Tewksbury, MA 01876 will be appreciated.