Sally Gundy

1937 - 2026

Sally Gundy

Corinth, VT - Sally Howell Gundy of Corinth, Vermont died on January 20, 2026, at the age of 88. She was born Sally Jo Ann Howell to Chauncey D. Howell, Sr., and Kathryn Shirer Howell in Easton, Pennsylvania on July 8, 1937. Sally studied dance from a young age and performed in theater productions at Lafayette College in her teens. She was president of the YWCA program, Y-teens, and active in the College Hill Presbyterian Church youth group.

Sally graduated from Smith College in 1959, where she trained as a modern dancer and performed and toured with the college dance troupe. She spent her junior year abroad at the University of Munich, where she became fluent in German.

After college, Sally taught at the Lenox School, Brick Church School, and Washington Irving High School in New York City, where she met her future husband John H. Gundy, a medical student. Sally and Jack's courtship featured skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park and long walks around Manhattan.

Sally and Jack were married in 1961 and moved to Cooperstown, New York, where Jack was a medical intern and their first child, Charlie, was born. During Jack's residency at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, daughter Jenny was born, which was followed by service with the U.S. Army at Fort McClellan in Alabama, where son Benjamin arrived. Sally was a Red Cross volunteer and performed in Army post theatrical productions, such as Guys and Dolls. The family then returned to Philadelphia, where daughter Joanna was born.

In 1972, the family moved to Norwich, Vermont, where Sally became a Cub and Girl Scout volunteer and performed with the Parish Players in Thetford. Memorable roles include Abigail Adams in American Primitive, and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The troupe brought children's theater to schools in Vermont and New Hampshire.

In 1978, the family relocated to Danbury, Connecticut, where Sally and Jack remained for forty years. Sally was active with the First Congregational Church as deacon and chair of the mission committee. She co-founded Center City Repertory Company, a professional theater in Danbury. Sally taught German and English as a Second Language at Danbury High School, and she volunteered with Even Start, a family literacy program. Sally also served as president of the board of Interlude, an agency providing support for people with mental illness. She became a Master Gardener and was expert at identifying wildflowers.

Throughout the years, Sally passionately advocated for her son, Ben, who had special needs. She found the right school in Westport, CT, and an adult community, VISTA, in Westbrook, CT.

In 2008, Sally and Jack returned to the Corinth, Vermont woods they loved, built a home, and enjoyed life in the north country, delighting in visits from their grandchildren. They gathered poetry lovers for monthly poetry discussions at the library in East Corinth, and Sally participated in a Corinth oral history project. She volunteered at the Waits River Elementary School teaching reading and tap dance, and she sang with the North Country Chorus and Tabor Valley Singers. Sally and daughter Joanna performed tap dancing together, with Jack accompanying on piano, at Corinth Town Hall. In later years, Joanna cared for Sally in her home, where they shared a love of singing, reading, and crossword puzzles. Sally was a loving and imaginative person and will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and neighbors.

Sally is survived by children Charles (Haidje), Jennifer (Paul), and Joanna, grandchildren Charles and Johannes, brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. Sally was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, John H. Gundy, her son John Benjamin Gundy, and brothers Chauncey D. Howell, Jr., and C. David Howell.

A celebration of Sally's life is planned for the summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sally's name can be made to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 22q and You Center: https://give2.chop.edu/give/242961/#!/donation/checkout