Dawn Emily Rich

Dawn Emily Rich (nee Foster) 92, formerly of Bradford, NH and Irvington, NJ, died on December 2, 2021. She moved to Woodcrest Village in New London, NH in May 2019.

Dawn was born in Newark, NJ in 1929, the daughter of Hazen and Cecelia (Powers) Foster. She spent nearly 50 years in Irvington, NJ, graduating from Irvington High School. For many years, she worked as a secretary in the Irvington Public School District. Dawn married Marvin Rich in 1950 and had five children. While in Irvington, she was very active in the Trinity Episcopal Church and volunteered for many years as the adviser for the Irvington PAL twirlers.

In 1977, she moved to Bradford, NH when Marvin was hired as Chief of Police. Eventually, she was hired as the secretary at Kearsarge Regional Elementary School in Bradford where she worked for many years until her retirement in 1998. Dawn always said that this was her favorite job. The Dawn Rich Award was established after her retirement and is awarded annually to a fifth grade student.

She had been very active in Bradford as a volunteer for many civic committees and organizations and was recently honored as an outstanding citizen. Dawn always enjoyed being around children and loved working in the schools. She also loved dancing, swimming laps at Colby Sawyer and especially spending time with her family and friends.

Dawn and Marvin were married 69 years before his death in 2019. She was also predeceased by her parents and her sister Joan Scala. She is survived by her children, Robert and his wife, Rosemary, Dawn, John and his wife, Lizbeth, Donna and Michael; grandchildren, Sean, Conor, Kaitlin, Jaclyn, Meghan, Donovan, Emily, and Molly; her great grandchildren, Jackson, Stella, and Rosie; her sister, Lynn Kasper and her husband Lewis.

She was a grand and loving lady and a friend and confidant to many. If she knew your birthday, she certainly would have sent you a card every year. She will be missed by many including her family, friends, and the many teachers and staff at schools where she worked.

Friends may call on Monday, December 6, 2021 from 12:00-2:00 P.M. at Chadwick Funeral Home, 235 Main Street, New London, NH followed by a church service at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New London at 2:30 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock online at chadkids.org or mailed to 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon NH 03756.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, June 3, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. in Sunny Plain Cemetery, Bradford, NH.