Hazel Etheldreda Lilian (Gasson) Reynolds, 98, of Brewster, died on Monday, October 30, 2023, while on extended stay with her daughters in Melton-Mowbray, England. Hazel was wife to the late Keith Hamilton Reynolds, who was laid to rest in Brewster Memorial Cemetery in May, 2004.
Hazel was born on March 15, 1925 in London, where she grew up and lived through the bombings of London during World War II. After she married, she went on to live in Toronto, Canada; Somerville, MA; and Chelmsford, MA, before retiring with Keith to Cape Cod in 1987. She is survived by her children Andrew, Jane, Peter, Paul, and Renie, their spouses, and her many beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was insistent that no one forget her first child Margaret, who died at birth. She also enjoyed following the adventures of her many nieces, nephews, and close friends in the U.S., UK, Canada, and Argentina.
Hazel was passionate about community service for her entire life, volunteering countless hours to the scouting programs in England, Canada, and the United States. A devoted Catholic with deep faith, she served as a lector and Eucharistic minister for decades. She was very active at Our Lady of the Cape Parish in Brewster, where she continued to teach religious formation classes to young people well into her eighties.
A lover of nature and time spent outdoors, Hazel loved gardening, swimming at Ellis Landing Beach in Brewster, and feeding the birds. Her bird feeders were legendary - and family and neighbors all knew where the birdseed and peanuts were kept to refill them each day. She was an avid book collector, and her home was filled with overflowing bookshelves. She was also an amateur photographer, and treasured her family photos. Her final creative project was a long-planned written narrative of her life - “her journal” - which she finished just days before she passed.
Hazel was known for her kind heart, cheerful spirit, her colorful storytelling, and her public service, as well as her unwavering love for her family and friends. Anyone who entered her house was instantly welcomed and provided a cup of tea and engaging conversation. Her constant encouragement to everyone was, above all else, to “be kind, be kind, be kind.”
Relentlessly curious, and with boundless energy, Hazel had a passion for life and wanted to celebrate it. She was a tireless storyteller. She also wanted all those around her to be happy. Her indomitable spirit will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know and love her.
Calling Hours will be held at Nickerson Funeral Home, 77 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans on Thursday, November 16, 2023 from 9:30 - 10:30 AM with a Funeral Mass following at Our Lady of the Cape in Brewster, MA at 11:30 AM and concluding at Brewster Memorial Cemetery for committal.
Donations in Hazel’s memory can be made to support the “Tree of Memories” fundraiser for the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod Hospice that works to enhance quality of life for patients facing terminal illness. Each donation will add a seashell ornament (bearing Hazel’s name) to the upcoming evergreen display at the McCarthy Center in East Sandwich, Cape Cod. Your memorial Hazel sea shell can also be sent to you after the holidays. https://www.capecodhealth.org/cape-cod-healthcare-foundation/types-of-gifts/tree-of-memories/
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