Sally Olmstead

Enfield - Sally Gage Olmstead, 92, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2010, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass., with her family at her side.

A longtime resident of Longmeadow, Mass. and Groton Long Point, Mrs. Olmstead was a resident of Enfield at the time of her death.

She was born Sally Campbell Gage on March 23, 1918, in Detroit, Mich., to William H. and Jessie Campbell Gage; she was predeceased by an elder brother, William H. Gage, Jr. She was educated in Detroit and graduated from The Liggett School in 1935, and then attended the Sacker School of Design in Boston. She was a member of Tau Beta sorority in Detroit with which she had a lifetime affiliation. At the start of World War II, she worked for the Signal Corps in Detroit, delivering jeeps, tanks and trucks to various army camps within the U.S. Mrs. Olmstead later joined the American Red Cross and was sent overseas, arriving in Scotland on D-Day, June 6, 1944. She worked as part of a traveling Red Cross Clubmobile unit in England, Belgium and Czechoslovakia where she was stationed when the war ended. After returning to the U.S., Mrs. Olmstead continued with the Red Cross working in veterans' hospitals, including Lyons Veterans Hospital in New Jersey and Northampton Veterans Hospital in Northampton, Mass. She later became the Director of the Red Cross Blood Bank in Springfield. In 1954, she married George E. Olmstead of Longmeadow and they were happily married for 27 years until his death in 1981. Mrs. Olmstead was independent and active all her life and enjoyed tennis, bowling, and bridge. She loved the theatre, symphony, the arts, and travelling, which she did extensively throughout the world. She was an avid golfer and especially enjoyed playing at Longmeadow Country Club where she was a member for many years. At the age of 91, she was delighted to be the Nine Hole Club Championship Low Net Winner.

Having twice survived cancer, she had a strong and courageous spirit that defined her personality. She was a refined lady, whose gracious manner sometimes belied an adventurous woman, with a quick wit and lively sense of humor, who was always game for a good time. She was also generous, volunteering her time to various organizations and contributing to many charities. In 1993, she established the Gage Olmstead Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, a charitable organization designed to improve the quality of life for all in the Pioneer Valley.

Mrs. Olmstead is survived by her twin children, Jeffrey G. Olmstead and his wife, Gwendolyn Olmstead, of Bloomfield, Conn. and a daughter and son-in-law, Susan O. Fisher and Jonathan Fisher of Glastonbury. In addition, she is survived by four grandsons, Scott Olmstead and his wife, Erin, of Tucson, Ariz., Todd Olmstead of Iowa City, Iowa, Christopher Fisher of Washington D.C. and Timothy Fisher of Boston, as well as a loving extended family that includes her step-children, William T. Olmstead of Hampden, Mass., Sarah O. Barnes of Chappaqua, N.Y. and Adele O. Sullivan of Bear Creek, Pa.

She was blessed to have many friends who will miss her dearly.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Baystate Medical Center for their care and support during her recent illness.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, July 9, at First Church of Christ, 763 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, Mass., with a reception to follow in the church hall. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are being handled by Dickinson-Streeter Funeral Home in Springfield.

Charitable contributions may be made in Mrs. Olmstead's memory to the Gage Olmstead Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, P.O. Box 15769, Springfield, MA 01115, or online at www.communityfoundation.org using the "donate now" link. Contributions made online should specify the Gage Olmstead Fund.