Obituary of Edith Fletcher

PITTSBORO, N.C. Edith Goodrich Fletcher, formerly of West Sand Lake, N.Y. and Lexington, Mass., died on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at her home in Pittsboro, N.C. She was born in Troy on October 3, 1908, educated in the Troy school system and graduated from Cornell University in 1929. She was predeceased by William Stuart Fletcher with whom she had six children. Prior to and during the early years of her marriage, she taught English at the Albany Business College until the birth of her second child. In later years she worked as the office manager in Dr. Cooke's dental practice in Lexington. She is the mother of the late Janet Fletcher Molloy of Lexington, Mass. and the late William Stuart Fletcher Jr. She is also the grandmother of the late Stephen T. Molloy of Lexington. She is survived by Carolyn N. Fletcher of Pittsboro, N.C., James S. Fletcher and his wife Carolyn of Reno, Nev., Anne L. Fletcher of Pittsboro and Mary Fletcher Aylward of Niskayuna, N.Y.; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Mrs. Fletcher was a long-time member of the First Parish Church in Lexington, Mass., where she was a past president of the Women's Alliance and a member of the UU Service Committee. She served as the Director of Religious Education at the church for several years. She also worked at the clothing exchange at the church which raised money for the Service Committee. She was active in local politics working to pass the ERA in Massachusetts. She volunteered to teach reading to adults to promote literacy among people with little or no reading skills. She was an active member of the Grey Panthers helping to promote legislation to foster help for the elderly. Edith contributed to the original edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves and to Ourselves, Growing Older focusing on the chapters devoted to aging and economic independence for widows. A memorial service will be held on February 25 at 2:00 p.m. at First Parish Church in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a local chapter of Planned Parenthood, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in her memory.