Abigail Arnold

1944 - 2022

Abigail Arnold

Francestown, NH — Francestown has lost one of its most esteemed citizens. Abigail Arnold died on Thursday, May 26th, 2022 after years of declining health.

Born July 12th, 1944, Abigail lived a life of accomplishment. She was born in Boston and grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1966, she served with the Peace Corp. in Tunisia. She earned a Master's in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and taught for several years in the inner-city schools of Philadelphia. In 1976, she earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a member of only the 11th class of that august institution to include women. Her long career included work in management for Woodcraft Supply and Director of the Pepperidge Farm division of Campbells Soup in CT.

Having spent the early summers of her life in Francestown, Abigail moved here full time in the late 1980s to care for her aging parents.

She served Francestown in myriad capacities for nearly five decades: nine years as Selectman, twelve years as Chair of the Planning Board and six years as a ZBA alternate. She was a contributing editor and founding member of the board of The Francestown News. She helped write our town laws and regulations, establish town budgets and reserve funding, and shape public opinion. As Planning Board Chair, she directed the work and authored most of the town's first comprehensive Master Plan.

Abigail was a driving force behind many significant and successful land conservation efforts in Francestown. She was an active member of the Francestown Land Trust and served as Treasurer and President. She helped secure grants and bonds to purchase land and worked with landowners to place conservation easements on privately held parcels. She was instrumental in the "2010 by 2010" conservation initiative to protect 25% (2010 acres) of high priority conservation land in Francestown by the year 2010 and she served on the steering committee of the Piscataquog River Headwaters Project. These efforts protected miles of frontage along the Piscataquog River, Rand, Brennan, and Dinsmore Brooks; and significant portions of neighborhoods on Red House, Bible Hill, Campbell Hill, Old County North, Dennison Pond, and Shattuck Pond Roads.

Abigail was always generous with her time and talent. In addition to her own hard work, she was adept at fostering volunteers: finding individuals or forming teams to accomplish tasks at hand to meet the needs of our community.

In recent years, even though she was less visible, her presence remained strong, and her loss is accordingly deeper because it is not only personal, but seismic.

Terms like "prominent citizen," "leader of the community," and even "influencer" seem inadequate for Abigail Arnold, although she was all of that. Abigail loved her family and she loved Francestown, and she guarded fiercely that which she loved.

She was a woman of strong character and principals. Her family and friends will remember her as incredibly thoughtful, loyal, and generous - to each and every one.

She is survived by her brother John (JP), nephew John and his wife Cyrena, niece Hannah and her husband A.J., three grandnieces, one grandnephew, numerous cousins in the Place, Dalley, Bixby, and Tiffany families, her great friends - and a grateful community.

A gathering for remembrance, "Honoring Abigail," will be held at 3 PM on Saturday, July 9th at the Old Meeting House in Francestown, with reception to follow at the Town Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Francestown Land Trust, PO Box 132, Francestown, NH 03043, the Equal Justice Initiative, 122 Commerce Street, Montgomery, AL, Loon Preservation Committee, 183 Lees Mill Rd, Moultonborough, NH 03254.