Elizabeth ("Liz") Donovan Harding, 87, of Weston, Massachusetts passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on November 28, 2025. She was the dearly beloved mother of nine children, grandmother of twenty-five, and wife of John C. Harding III, her childhood sweetheart who predeceased her after 46 years of marriage.
Raised in Cambridge and Fall River, MA, Elizabeth was the cherished eldest daughter of the late Dr. Richard J. Donovan and Marianne C. (Carney) Donovan. She spent joyful summers in Cohasset with her cousins. After graduating from the Sacred Heart Academy in Fall River, she earned a bachelor's degree from Connecticut College in 1960 and married soon after graduation.
Elizabeth devoted her life to caring for others. She took enormous pleasure in raising her large, active, and inquisitive brood and kept a strict open-door policy.
She and John spent their early married years in the tight-knit community of New Canaan, CT before moving to Weston, MA. Their new neighborhood consisted of other large families, which made for epic Halloweens and massive games of Capture-the-Flag.
Dinners were like summer camp, with a dozen or more people routinely lined up to eat the multi-course meals she cooked from scratch and served at her long kitchen counter. (Ahead of her time, she ordered in bulk decades before Costco existed.) She kept her pantry stocked with Oreo cookies, Twix bars, sugar cereals, and brownie mix, making her a legend among her kids' friends. Her grandkids talk in awe about the basement at "101" where they played multi-generational games of Ghost-in-the-Graveyard.
Into this busy mix, she added countless pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guppies, and gerbils. Although she raced at high speed throughout each day, late to everything, somehow everything worked out.
In her forties, she earned a certificate in early childhood education from Lesley University and became a teacher at the Whittemore House Nursery School in Weston. For the next thirty years, she shared her expertise and wisdom with children, including her own grandchildren. One of her superpowers was relating to little kids on their level while treating them with the respect often only given to adults. She was the world's best baby whisperer.
She was a trustee at The Dexter School in Brookline and a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion at St. Julia Parish in Weston. She was a fierce advocate for women and friend to all.
In her later years, she enjoyed traveling to see her children across the globe, settling them into new homes, weeding their gardens, rocking newborns to sleep, and exploring new cities together.
She spent her final years at Carriage House where she made new friends, continuing to sing and dance and connect deeply with others.
Liz will live on in the hearts, minds, and souls of the many who loved her. A true humanitarian and eternal optimist, she never said a bad word about anyone because she never had a bad thought about anyone, a singular legacy.
She will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her children: John Harding and his wife Lynne of Wellesley, MA; Dr. Elizabeth Binney and her husband Geoff of Weston, MA; Daniel Harding and his wife Jenn of Wellesley, MA; Katherine Harding and her husband Rob McCallum of Wayland, MA; Dr. Margaret Crawford and her husband Robert of Weston, MA; Richard Harding and his wife Lauren of Harrison, NY; Dr. Christina Harding of Reno, NV; Jennifer Fritz and her husband Ben of Washington, D.C.; and Laura Harding and her husband Kevin Lee of Ridgefield, WA. Sister of Marianne Donovan of Coupeville, WA and brother Rick Donovan, who predeceased her.
She is survived by her grandchildren: Andrew, Sarah and Julia Harding; Geoffrey, Katherine, William, and Christina Binney; Caroline, Christopher, and Ryan Harding; Robert, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Katherine Crawford; Kai McCallum; Charlotte, Huntting, and Sam Fritz; Jack, James, and Charlie Harding; and Oliver, Matthew, and William Lee.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff and caregivers at the Carriage House at Lee's Farm in Wayland and the private caregivers from Roxana's Senior Home Care for their love and care. They saw her light and appreciated her personhood.
Friends and family are respectfully invited to join us on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 9:30 AM for a visitation at St. Julia Parish, 374 Boston Post Road, Weston, MA, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30. Interment will follow at Linwood Cemetery in Weston.
In lieu of flowers, kindly consider making a gift in her honor to the Alzheimer's Association of America or Reach Out and Read.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of John C. Bryant Funeral Home in Wayland. For condolences please visit www.johncbryantfuneralhome.com.
Raised in Cambridge and Fall River, MA, Elizabeth was the cherished eldest daughter of the late Dr. Richard J. Donovan and Marianne C. (Carney) Donovan. She spent joyful summers in Cohasset with her cousins. After graduating from the Sacred Heart Academy in Fall River, she earned a bachelor's degree from Connecticut College in 1960 and married soon after graduation.
Elizabeth devoted her life to caring for others. She took enormous pleasure in raising her large, active, and inquisitive brood and kept a strict open-door policy.
She and John spent their early married years in the tight-knit community of New Canaan, CT before moving to Weston, MA. Their new neighborhood consisted of other large families, which made for epic Halloweens and massive games of Capture-the-Flag.
Dinners were like summer camp, with a dozen or more people routinely lined up to eat the multi-course meals she cooked from scratch and served at her long kitchen counter. (Ahead of her time, she ordered in bulk decades before Costco existed.) She kept her pantry stocked with Oreo cookies, Twix bars, sugar cereals, and brownie mix, making her a legend among her kids' friends. Her grandkids talk in awe about the basement at "101" where they played multi-generational games of Ghost-in-the-Graveyard.
Into this busy mix, she added countless pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guppies, and gerbils. Although she raced at high speed throughout each day, late to everything, somehow everything worked out.
In her forties, she earned a certificate in early childhood education from Lesley University and became a teacher at the Whittemore House Nursery School in Weston. For the next thirty years, she shared her expertise and wisdom with children, including her own grandchildren. One of her superpowers was relating to little kids on their level while treating them with the respect often only given to adults. She was the world's best baby whisperer.
She was a trustee at The Dexter School in Brookline and a Eucharistic Minister of Holy Communion at St. Julia Parish in Weston. She was a fierce advocate for women and friend to all.
In her later years, she enjoyed traveling to see her children across the globe, settling them into new homes, weeding their gardens, rocking newborns to sleep, and exploring new cities together.
She spent her final years at Carriage House where she made new friends, continuing to sing and dance and connect deeply with others.
Liz will live on in the hearts, minds, and souls of the many who loved her. A true humanitarian and eternal optimist, she never said a bad word about anyone because she never had a bad thought about anyone, a singular legacy.
She will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her children: John Harding and his wife Lynne of Wellesley, MA; Dr. Elizabeth Binney and her husband Geoff of Weston, MA; Daniel Harding and his wife Jenn of Wellesley, MA; Katherine Harding and her husband Rob McCallum of Wayland, MA; Dr. Margaret Crawford and her husband Robert of Weston, MA; Richard Harding and his wife Lauren of Harrison, NY; Dr. Christina Harding of Reno, NV; Jennifer Fritz and her husband Ben of Washington, D.C.; and Laura Harding and her husband Kevin Lee of Ridgefield, WA. Sister of Marianne Donovan of Coupeville, WA and brother Rick Donovan, who predeceased her.
She is survived by her grandchildren: Andrew, Sarah and Julia Harding; Geoffrey, Katherine, William, and Christina Binney; Caroline, Christopher, and Ryan Harding; Robert, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Katherine Crawford; Kai McCallum; Charlotte, Huntting, and Sam Fritz; Jack, James, and Charlie Harding; and Oliver, Matthew, and William Lee.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff and caregivers at the Carriage House at Lee's Farm in Wayland and the private caregivers from Roxana's Senior Home Care for their love and care. They saw her light and appreciated her personhood.
Friends and family are respectfully invited to join us on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 9:30 AM for a visitation at St. Julia Parish, 374 Boston Post Road, Weston, MA, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30. Interment will follow at Linwood Cemetery in Weston.
In lieu of flowers, kindly consider making a gift in her honor to the Alzheimer's Association of America or Reach Out and Read.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of John C. Bryant Funeral Home in Wayland. For condolences please visit www.johncbryantfuneralhome.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Elizabeth D Harding, please visit our flower store.
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