Sarah Watson Gilliatt

1940 - 2021

Sarah (Sally) Watson Gilliatt, born August 6, 1940, died peacefully on January 9, 2021 in Hancock, NH at the age of 80. She leaves her loving husband, James (Jim) E. Gilliatt, devoted daughters Katharine (Kate) H. Gilliatt of Little Compton, RI and Sarah Laeng -Gilliatt, and beloved grandson, Julian Laeng, of Hancock, NH, and two sisters: Barbara H. Watson of Laguna Woods, CA and Joan W. McCabe of Arlington, VA, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Sally was born in Boston to her English mother, Joan Harrison Watson, and her American father, Paul Barron Watson. They lived in Milton, MA. In 1958, she graduated from Beaver Country Day School. Sally studied Early Child Development at Briarcliff College, where she received an Associate's degree. She then taught for a couple years as an Assistant Nursery Teacher at Buckingham School in Cambridge, MA. Having met her husband-to-be, Jim, at age 15 at a dance, she married him in 1960 in Peterborough, NH. This past August they celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary while living in the house next door to the one where they had had their wedding reception.

Sally and Jim raised their family first in Hingham, MA and then in 1977 they moved to Concord, MA. There Sally took her children on many adventures, exposing them to all sorts of things, from getting water from the local spring to collecting tadpoles to observe as they grew into, who knew it-frogs! Then, in 1977, they moved to Concord, Massachusetts.

Sally got a Master's degree at Lesley College, one with considerable independent study that allowed her to combine her different areas of interest: premature babies, early intervention with families with children-at-risk, humanistic psychology, and support groups for parents. Upon graduating from Lesley College with an M.A., she worked at Head Start in Lowell, MA. and then at the Early Intervention Program in Nashua, NH, as well as doing week-long intensive program reviews several times a year for Head Start.

Sally and Jim retired to Little Compton, RI. Reveling in the beauty of Little Compton every day, she continued her life-long interests of being with family and friends, reading, gardening, knitting, and being with her beloved Maine Coon cats.

Sally was a deeply positive person, always seeing the best of situations and people, taking profound joy in the simplest aspects of life, and imbued with deep gratitude for all that life brought her. She knew how to enjoy herself and took so much pleasure in life, to the very end.

To share a memory, express condolences, see a longer life story, or for a service update or information on donations in lieu of flowers, please visit:

https://www.jellisonfuneralhome.com/obituary/Sarah-WatsonGilliatt