Sally Lemaire Obituary

Sally J. Lemaire, 70

GREENFIELD - Sally J. Lemaire, 70, formerly of South Hadley, MA and Amherst, MA, passed away Saturday, September 3, 2016 at Charlene Manor of advanced cancer. Sally was born March 19, 1946 in Worcester, MA, to Willard W. Lemaire and Dorothy (Allison) Lemaire. Her parents and a brother Allison predeceased her. She leaves behind her brother Willard (Bill) Lemaire and his wife Millie of Westborough, Massachusetts, niece Lisa Berman and her husband Jay of Hampton, New Hampshire, and nephew David Lemaire and his wife Monica of Manchester, New Hampshire. In addition, she leaves great nieces and nephews Allison Berman of New York City, Lauren and Ben of Hampton, NH. Taylor Dunton of Jaffrey, NH. and Abbey Stone of Amherst, NH.

Sally is a graduate of Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA, Class of 1964; and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, Class of 1968. She received a Master's Degree from Clark University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. She had a long career in major corporations including Cummins and GE and the nonprofit sector including the White Plains YMCA and was last employed for twelve years as Executive Director of the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College until Parkinson's Disease caused her to retire early.

Sally lived a remarkable and inspiring life as an artist, writer, music lover, church goer, devoted aunt and great aunt, and steadfast friend to so many her extended "family" of lifelong friends from grade school, high school, college, places of work, church and community.

A Celebration of Life Service for Sally will be held on November 5th at 10:00 am at Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA with the Reverend Dr. Andrea Avayzian and the Reverend Vicki Kemper officiating. Interment will be private, at the request of her family.

In lieu of flowers, it was Sally's wish that memorial contributions be made to the Haydenville Congregational Church, P.O. Box 257, Haydenville, MA 01039; First Congregational Church,165 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002; and "Tina's Children Educational Fund" at Florence Bank, 85 N. Main St., Florence, MA 01062. The fund was established for the children of her friend who died shortly before Sally became terminally ill.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Worcester Telegram & Gazette from Sep. 16 to Sep. 17, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Sally Lemaire

10 Entries

Sheila Anderson

September 4, 2024

You were my best writing partner ever. I will always cherish those memories with you. Your friend Sheila.

Sheila Anderson

September 4, 2023

I will never forget you. You were the best writing partner I'd ever had. Blessing you always.

Sheila Anderson

September 4, 2022

I think of you often. You were a wonderful writing partner, and a wonderful human being.

Sheila Anderson

September 4, 2020

She was a humanitarian.

Barbara Schmidt

October 7, 2016

On behalf of the current Mount Holyoke European Alumnae Council and of all its past members, we would like to express our appreciation for all that Sally Lemaire did for us during her term as Executive Secretary of the Alumnae Association from January 1991 to July 2003.

Sally was our contact with Mount Holyoke and the Alumnae Association in the period that we were not as well known as we now are - most of the Alumnae outside of Europe had actually never even heard of us.

Sally put us in contact with those in the organisation necessary to allow us to continue our work in Europe and to organize our biennial Reunion / Symposia. She backed us to the hilt and assured that we had the support from the college and the Alumnae Association that we needed. At the Symposia in Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich and Seville, she was there, quietly in the background, stepping in to solve problems that were bound to arise. Without her help during this period we might never had achieved the status that we now enjoy.

Those of us who worked with you love you Sally and wish we could have expressed to you personally our very sincere gratitude. Thank you for everything you did. We in Europe, Mount Holyoke alumnae all over the world, and all of those whose lives you touched in your community will miss you.

Claire Burgoyne Brower '57 Past Chair,
On behalf of the Mount Holyoke European Alumnae Council

Susan Longsjo

September 23, 2016

Sally shared so much with all of us and inspired us to be true to ourselves. She will be missed. A 70-year friendship is hard to lose.

Kristina Johnson-Johnson

September 17, 2016

We grew up together in Holden and many good memories go back to Brattle Street. She could hit a softball out of the park and I could never get it past the pitcher's mound! Didn't matter. Friendship let us be equals. She is comfortable now. Blessings to the family.

P Comfort

September 16, 2016

My mother and I knew Sally for just a short time while she and mother were at CECA together. She was a savior for mother - intellectual conversation, games of scrabble, interest in art and music. Sally was the inspiration to get mother out for her first concert after her stroke. I took my daughter to her art show at Jones and we picked out many many of her greeting cards thereafter. You will be missed Sally.

Jennefer Baxter

September 12, 2016

Sally, i am so sorry you are gone. We has some great times playing golf and just hanging out. I will miss you.

Sheila Anderson

September 10, 2016

Sally, you were my writing partner and friend. We had so much in common, and a whole lot of laughs. Rest in peace my dear. Love you.

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