Louise-Marie Bodden, 93, of Needham, MA passed away on April 29, 2023. Louise was born on January 16, 1930, to Jean-Hector Fernand Longpré and Louise Wilbur Longpré in Attleboro, MA. Louise graduated from Smith College in 1951, and she soon married W. Michael Bodden, whom she had met at Northampton High School.
Louise was predeceased by her parents, her husband Mike, and her sister, Martha Dooley. She is survived by her four children, Susan Butts (Natick), Mike Bodden (wife Lynda, Princeton, NJ), Sarah Kopec (husband Walter, Boston), and Jacob (Lafayette, CA); 8 grandchildren, Eric (wife Katie), Eliza (husband Jim) and Stuart Butts; Tess and Haley Bodden; and Jonah, Lena, and Toby Bodden; and 2 great grandsons, Liam and Cameron Butts.
Louise worked for several years as a social worker in Philadelphia while Mike attended graduate school. She also lived and worked in Manhattan Beach, CA, while Mike served in the Navy. When they started their family, they moved to Wellesley, MA, where she served as Town Meeting Member and PTA member. Louise opted to be a stay-at-home mom and focused on managing each of her children’s free time, ferrying them from soccer and baseball practices to tennis lessons and tournaments. She was an active member of USTA and NELTA, received the NELTA “Tennis Family of the Year Award” in the early 1980s, and enjoyed watching professional tennis matches into her 90s. She was every teacher’s greatest fear or greatest treasure: a parent who cared immensely about her kid’s schoolwork and progress, and expected each teacher to be caring, challenging, and engaged. She was active in the Smith College Club for many years, and promoted the “Smith College Pecans” fundraising efforts, which continue to this day. Next to her family, Louise cared most about her incredible gardens, which were appreciated by all her neighbors. Many of the plants from those gardens live on, having been transplanted into her children’s gardens.
Louise’s two absolute favorite places to visit in her later years were Naples, FL and Bermuda. She spent 3 months each year in Naples, where her children and grandchildren enjoyed numerous vacations with Gram. And for over 20 years she spent a week in Bermuda each October with various members of her family – where they enjoyed crossword puzzle races, “bobbing with Louise” in the ocean, and weathering Hurricane Nicole on her final visit in 2016.
In 2015, after a powerful winter, Louise decided to sell her Wellesley home of 50 years and move to North Hill. Her children want to thank the nurses and all the care providers at North Hill for their kindness and empathy as our mother moved from Independent Living to Assisted Living, and ultimately to Skilled Nursing. Their grace and support have been so appreciated by all of us, and by Louise. They also want to thank Good Shepherd Hospice for their compassionate end of life support.
The family is planning a celebration of Louise’s life to take place in the summer. Funeral will be private.