GILFORD-----Hope S. Cruickshank, age 103, the daughter of A. Lincoln Stanley and Ruth Dodge Stanley, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2025. Hope is survived by her son James (Patricia) of Needham, MA, her daughter Laurie Thompson (Russell Green) of Gilford, NH, her grandchildren Jennifer (Joe), Ian (Adama), Steve (Pauline), Jim (Sarah), Alan, Phil, and thirteen great grandchildren. Hope was also close to her sisters’ children Debbie, Nancy, Jonathan and their families, and particularly devoted to her niece Debbie Pettit, whose mom, Dorothy, had passed at an early age. Hope’s husband Jim passed in 1972.
Hope was born and brought up in Pawtucket, RI, with her late sisters Dorothy and Bette. She was a graduate of Pawtucket High School and Westbrook Junior College in Maine. Following Jim’s naval service, Hope and Jim moved to Needham, MA, where they raised their family. Hope was a long time employee of Needham Public Schools, primarily at Hillside Elementary School, where she made many friendships that have endured to this day. After retiring, Hope built an addition to her daughter’s house in Gilford. She loved Lake Winnipesaukee, where she had spent so many happy summers, and the nearby mountains where she liked to ski.
As a high school student, Hope was a gifted musician (timpani), performing in Boston’s Symphony Hall with her school orchestra, and also was drum majorette. Later Hope became an avid sports fan and enjoyed nothing more than watching her children and grandchildren play their games. At 102 she even attended two games at the partially outdoor and very cold hockey rink at Holderness School, where her grandson Alan Thompson is the hockey coach. Hope also became quite a Patriots fan and looked forward to watching their games on Sunday afternoons with Laurie, Russell, and dear friends Kathy and Neal Fitzgerald. She was an accomplished seamstress, knitter, and bridge player, always appreciating the fellowship she had with fellow players.
Hope adored and had a truly special relationship with all her grandchildren. For their thirteenth birthday, she took them on a special destination trip. Jenny went to London and Paris, the four hockey players went to Toronto to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame and see a BlueJays baseball game, and Phil, the youngest, picked a trip to Italy where he nurtured a love for traveling the world.
Hope was admired and loved by her family and all who knew her and will be sorely missed.
Funeral services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O.Box 849168, Boston MA 02284 or via dana-farber.org/gift.
To share a memory of Hope, please visit www.eatonfuneralhomes.com
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.