Ethel Cross of Andover died on March 21, 2020 in Andover.
Born in Providence in 1920, Ethel was the daughter of Ethel (Sewell) and Arthur Brindle. She spent her childhood and early adolescence in Maine and New Hampshire, and moved with her family as a teenager to Andover, a town she would always call home for the rest of her life, even during the intervals when she did not live there.
After graduating from Punchard High School, Ethel went to work for the Cross Coal Company where she met Jerome Cross who was to become the love of her life. They married in 1957 and eventually moved to 59 Central St. which has been referred to by many as the loveliest house in Andover. Ethel was to live there until 2016 when she reluctantly moved after more than 50 years.
Ethel is best known for owning and operating the Andover Book Store. Even years after leaving the book business, Ethel was recognized in town for her love of reading and was a familiar diminutive figure walking up Central St. to the library and strolling in and out of Main St. shops.
A longtime presence in Andover, Ethel represented the end of an era in the town when it was a smaller and simpler place. She leaves her stepchildren, nieces, and nephews, a host of loving friends, and a legion of grateful readers.
Donations in Ethel’s memory can be made to Friends of Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St., Andover MA 01810.
There will be no services for Ethel at this time. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home of Andover. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.