Lillian Gertrude Blakely

Terraces Orleans, the skilled nursing facility that was her home for the last 8.5 years. She was

predeceased in 2017 by Bryce Blakely Jr., her husband of 66 years and the love of her life.

Lillian was born in Wollaston (Quincy), MA on Sept. 23, 1926, the only child of Carrie Mae

(Howland) and Frank Chase Nicholson. She graduated Valedictorian of her high school class in

1943. Not encouraged to go to college, Lillian began working for Samson Cordage, later

moving to Liberty Mutual Insurance, doing work that would today be considered computer

coding. In 1951, she married Bryce Blakely, a WWII veteran and electrical engineer newly

graduated from Northeastern U. Bryce’s job with New England Telephone took them to

Manchester, NH from 1953 to 1956 and to AT&T Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ from 1956 to 1958.

Lillian and Bryce returned to Massachusetts in 1958, settling in Canton where they raised their

children and lived for the next 50 years. She was an active member and volunteer with the

United Church of Christ in Canton (Congregational), Camp Fire Girls, and the Canton Garden

Club. In retirement, LIllian and Bryce enjoyed their chalet in Freedom, NH, as a base for family

visits, swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, canoeing and boating on Lake Ossipee, and

exploring NH and ME. They moved to Linden Ponds Senior Living Community in Hingham in

2008.

Lillian was well-read and a lifelong learner. In 1962, she read the new book Silent Spring by

Rachel Carson, and it sparked her interest in the natural world and environmental conservation.

She became a self-taught birder and naturalist, who could identify scores of U.S. birds,

wildflowers, mushrooms, etc. A lifelong member of Mass Audubon, her “life list” included over

275 species of birds. She insisted that Bryce’s vegetable garden be pesticide-free (long before

“organic” was a word) and made her own marinades, salad dressings and moisturizer, which

were free of chemicals. She loved nothing more than to get up early on family camping trips, go

bird watching, and report back on what she’d seen in the woods. She planned family camping

trips from the Florida Keys to Northern Ontario and west to the Mississippi, which always

included state or National Parks and history museums. In retirement, she and Bryce traveled to

Alaska, Hawaii, California, the Rocky Mountains, Bermuda and the UK. They enjoyed many

annual reunions with couples they had met and worked with at Bell Labs.

A “frugal New Englandah,” Lillian’s experience of the Depression as a child influenced her

strongly. She taught the family to compost, reuse, and recycle, and hung the laundry outdoors

to save money. She made her daughter’s and her own clothes, knit beautiful afghans, sweaters,

hats and mittens, and quilted or embroidered gifts for her family and to donate.

A loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Lillian is survived by her

daughter Carol Blakely Counihan (son-in-law Tim), and son Robert Bryce Blakely

(daughter-in-law Cindy), four grandchildren - Chris Counihan, Geoff Counihan (wife Stephanie),

Lydia Blakely and Abigail Blakely, and two great granddaughters, Aurea Counihan and Genevra

Counihan.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 19 at 3 pm at the Federated Church of

Orleans. The service will be live-streamed. Please contact the family for the electronic link. In

lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mass Audubon, Lincoln, MA