She was born in Boston, MA on April 22, 1932, the daughter of the late Richmond and Katharine (Shorey) Ordway. She was raised in Winchester, MA and graduated from Winchester High School in 1950.
She was employed by John Hancock Insurance Company in Boston, MA until her marriage to the late Emerson (Pete) Priest in 1951, with whom she had four children. In 1965 she married Daniel Patrick Higgins and lived in Keene, NH until his death in 2010.
In 2014 she made her home in Langdon, NH near her daughter Susan Westra and her husband Tom. She enjoyed classical music, dogs, boats, hand crafts, knitting, and stuffed animals.
She is survived by her four children: Ellen Wolfe of Brattleboro, VT, Jane Dotchin of Campton, NH, Peter Priest of Bellows Falls, VT and Susan Westra of Langdon, NH; four grandchildren, two great grandchildren, one sister Susan Pfaltz of Ruckersville, VA, one brother Tom Ordway of Nashville, TN, as well as two nieces and nephews.
Following cremation, her urn is to be placed in the Ordway mausoleum in Pine Grove Cemetery in Warner, NH. Per her wishes, there will be no calling hours or services.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446 (www.MonadnockHumaneSociety.org).