Grace A. W. Stetson, 86, died on December 29, 2018 surrounded by her loving family, at Havenwood Heritage Heights in Concord, NH, after a period of declining health. Born in Richford, VT on September 16, 1932, she was the youngest of 4 children born to Albert O. & Bernice (Child) Wright.
She graduated Valedictorian from Richford High School in 1950, attended UVM and graduated from UVM Medical School in 1958. She was very proud of the fact that she completed her higher education entirely on scholarships and by working part-time. After her internship at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA, in 1958 & 1959 she did her residency at Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover, NH from 1960 to 1963. Dr. Stetson was a pioneer in Mammography and did the first mammograms in N.H. during that residency.Grace enjoyed a 29 year career as a Radiologist at Wentworth-Douglas Hospital in Dover and at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NH. During that time she was a member of both hospital staffs, the N.H. Medical Society and the N.H. Roentgen Ray Society. In 1992, Grace and Dick moved into what had become their retirement home in Andover, NH where she was an active volunteer for the Andover Service Club, Kearsarge Council on Aging and the Andover Historical Society. Grace enjoyed volunteerism, many crafts, and traveling.
Grace was predeceased by her parents, her three siblings, Marion (Wright) Benjamin, Dana Wright, and Doris (Wright) Irvine, her husband Richard F. Stetson who died in 2004 after 46 years of marriage, and her great granddaughter Hannah Lynn Stetson in 2008. She is survived by her son Mark Stetson, his wife Susan, their son Gregory, his wife Michele and their daughter Kaitlyn. She is also survived by her sister in-law Martha Stetson, brother in-law Ralph Stetson and many nieces and nephews, including her dear nephew Wayne Benjamin.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to W. Kent Smith, MD, Concord VNA Hospice, Concord Hospital, all of the staff at Havenwood-Heritage Heights, especially those caring folks in the home health office, housekeeping and the nursing staff on the second floor at the Havenwood Health Services Center who cared for Grace during her final days.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Stetson Family Scholarship held by the N.H. Charitable Foundation, 37 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301, or the First Congregational Church of Wilmot, PO Box 204, Wilmot, NH 03287.
Burial will take place at 1 PM on Saturday May 18, 2019 at the Proctor Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow at the Highland Lake Grange Hall in East Andover.