Allyn Louise (Spencer) Chase

NEWBURYPORT- Mrs. Allyn Louise (Spencer) Chase passed peacefully in the presence of her daughter and grandson Simon October 27 at Country Center in Newburyport. Allyn was born into hard times the last day of 1929 in Somerville, daughter of the late Allan Lesley Spencer and Mary Ellen (Reardon) Spencer, sister to the late Arlene Spencer and Evelyn Margeson Glendenning. She was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, George Chase, and son-in-law Carl Panall. She is survived by her children, Susan Chase, Stephen and Gayla Chase, Robert and Clarissa Chase, her grandchildren, Stoddard and Simon and Jill Panall, Bethany (Chase) and Brian Osborne, Amanda Chase, and Sarah (Chase) and Joe Bartley and Elsa Chase, along with seven great- grandchildren and nieces and nephews of two generations. Allyn was a member of the First Congregational Church in Danvers and its Ladies' Benevolent Society. A graduate of Ayer High School, she attended Burdett Business School. Upon marrying George, she embraced his Yankee roots, creating a home filled with love, cats, dogs, and parakeets; baking beans, bread and pie every Saturday; cooking the after church Sunday roast dinner with extended family; and canning and pickling from the garden. Allyn inherited her beloved grandmother's claw-foot table and teapot which she brought along when emigrating from Ireland and enjoyed many a cup of tea around that table. Visitors were always offered a cup and homemade cookies. When her children started college, she became the library assistant at the Newbury Elementary School. Moving to Danvers from her home in Newburyport to care for her mother-in-law, she worked as a library assistant in the Danvers Public Schools, ending at the Highlands School, a short walk from her home. Allyn was passionate about her family, her faith, the Red Sox (games were always on the radio), and reading, a love of which she passed on to her children, grandchildren, and many students. She studied her Bible, filling it with observations and prayers on little slips of paper. She sewed and knit for her family and was famous for her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls which also made their way to children in the Dominican Republic. She had annual outings with her granddaughters to the Wenham Tea House and with her grandsons to old forts along the coast. She and her husband enjoyed bird watching, both in their backyard and at Plum Island, and family picnics at Cherry Hill and Salem Willows. They wandered New England exploring historical sites and small museums with their children and then later their grandchildren. The family is very grateful to Compassionate Care Hospice and the staff of Country Center's third floor that helped make her last 10 days bearable. ARRANGEMENTS: Her funeral service will be held in the Peterson-O'Donnell Funeral Home 167 Maple St. (Rte 62) Danvers, Sunday, November 8th at 2 P.M. Relatives and friends invited. Burial in Wadsworth Cemetery, Danvers is private. Visiting hours prior to the service from 12 to 2 P.M. Donations in her memory may be made to the charity she supported, HAWC, 27 Congress Street, Salem 01970 or to Compassionate Care Hospice, 248 E. Chestnut Hill Road Suite 4, Newark, DE 19713. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com