Constance “Connie” H. (Hilton) Gerard, a longtime resident of Marshfield, passed away on Sunday April 21, at the age of 77.
Beloved wife of Arnon Gerard for 53 years. Loving mother to Susan McCabe and her husband Walter of Braintree, Lisa Gerard-Mulrey and her husband Bob of Marshfield and Mark Gerard and his wife Kim of Marshfield. Very special and devoted grandmother to Tessa McCabe of Braintree, Jillian Gerard of Marshfield and Stephen, Matthew and Nicholas Gerard of Marshfield.
Connie was born and raised in Framingham. She graduated from Framingham High School in 1953 and Forsyth Dental School in 1955. Prior to her marriage and family, she was employed as a dental hygienist for several years.
Together with her husband, Connie spent countless hours building the family turkey business in Marshfield from a summer-only establishment to a thriving, year-round enterprise, utilizing many of her own recipes.
As a child, Connie spent her summers on Martha’s Vineyard at her grandmother’s inn (the Attleboro House), enjoying the sand, sun and ocean and the riding the Flying Horses. As an adult, she continued to enjoy the sand, sun and ocean and spent as many hours as possible from April through October at Rexhame Beach with her beloved Beach Girls. The Circle of Friends swelled or diminished on any given day, but there was always one constant … Connie.
Connie was an avid and skilled knitter, especially making beautiful creations for her precious grandchildren, and quite often was doing it on the beach. Many of her wonderful masterpieces were sprinkled with beach sand. She also enjoyed reading, finally beginning to understand how her Kindle worked.
She served the community in many anonymous ways and was a member of the First Congregational Church, donating generously, especially to the annual church fair. But her greatest service was to her family. She created many fond memories (like sitting around the pool in Florida and eating cheesesteak subs) and traditions (like candy cane cookies for Christmas, jelly beans in the sofa at Easter and decorating for July 3rd), gave advice only when asked, shared her love of travel and the beach, had a generous spirit and was full of unlimited love and affection.
She will be sadly missed by all those who knew her.
Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday April 24, 2013 from 4-8 pm at MacDonald Funeral Home, 1775 Ocean Street, Rte. 139, Marshfield.
A Funeral Service will be held at the First Congregational Church 1981 Ocean Street Marshfield on Thursday April 25, at 11:00 AM
Interment will be in the Couch Cemetery, Union St, Marshfield
Contributions in Connie's memory may be made to the Nathaniel Taylor Fund 22 Craddock Rd. Marshfield, MA. 02050