Gretchen Heywood (Hoch) White, 87, passed away at her home in Wilmot on September 1, 2020 surrounded by her family, both near and far. We were all “in her pocket” for the last leg of her beautiful life.
She was born in Oak Park, Illinois on June 5, 1933. The daughter of Arthur Reiner Hoch and Marian Synyer Hill Hoch. She graduated from Colby Junior College in 1951.
In New London, she met her future husband, Bradford Church White, when they were both working at the Edgewood Inn during the summer.
Here, they chose to raise their family and immersed themselves in the community. She was involved in many volunteer projects including Hospital Day, the Hospital Auxiliary, and was a reunion chair for Colby-Sawyer College.
She was predeceased by her parents, and her sister, Carolyn Norton in 2016, her husband, Bradford, in 2008, her son, David, in 2015.
She is survived by her children and in-laws, Edith and Douglas Peay of Denver, Colorado, Lindsay White and Bill Hayes of Wilmot, Benjamin and Wendy White of Green Cove Springs, Florida, Jennifer White and Jimmy Sferes of Andover; seven grandchildren, Johannah, Sarah, Kelly, Dustin, Candace, Jesse, and Nico; 4 great-grandsons, Jacob, Logan, Adam and Andrew; her sister Madeleine Deter of Bay Village, Ohio, and many nieces and nephews.
She is also survived by a host of cherished friends. There was no shortage of people that didn’t say, “I just love your mother!” While she had asked us, often, to say in her obituary that she was refined, those who knew her found a joyous and mischievous spirit, ready for a challenge or an adventure. In the last few days of her life, as we were gathered at her bedside she asked, “Where do you think I am going next?” There was a sense of wonder in the question.
Because of COVID-19 a funeral will be held at a later date.
She asked that no memorial gifts be made in her memory. Instead, she asked, “In remembrance of me, be kind to someone or visit someone you haven’t seen in a long time.”
If you would like to send a card to the family please mail them to Gretchen White, PO Box 425, New London, NH 03257. They will be forwarded to the family members from there.
To sign an online guestbook please visit chadwickfuneralservice.com.