Ellyn Gould, 62, of Chester

Ellyn Gould, 62, of  Blue Hill Road in Chester, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 8 in the comfort of her family home.

She was born to William and Agnes Smith of Bridgeport, Conn., On March 22, 1958. She had one older brother, Gary, and two younger ones, Thomas and Richard. The family built a ski home on Chapman Road in Proctorsville, where they made a permanent residence in 1973.

She attended high school at Green Mountain in Chester, where she met Dale Gould, the man she later married, continuing a 44-year-long companionship.

In their younger years, they were traveling companions to Bermuda, Aruba and Mexico. Mrs. Gould loved to travel and took self-guided tours to Europe with her cousins and mother. Her most recent was to Argentina to welcome the birth of her son’s daughter.

Side-by-side, they owned and ran a bustling grocery business, all the while building their home for their family and enjoying adulthood. Mom enjoyed cooking and taking care of all those around her — even  strangers we would bring home to meet “Mom.” She enjoyed the coasts of Maine and vacations to Barton and Connecticut,  where a lot of her family still lives. She was completely devoted to her family. She was a mother figure to more than just her children. She loved her food — her cooking shows — her porch and sunsets and her birdfeeders (even the pesky squirrels).

My mother would do anything for anyone. She bent over backwards for her family, and the effort shows by the strong, elite group that she designed as her “ family.”

Mrs. Gould is survived by her husband Dale and her three brothers Gary, Tom and Richard.  She is also survived by her four children,  in whom she was so proud and who she carved into well-oiled machines: daughters Jessica and partner Jen; Olivia and Jordan; and Lea Marie; and son Joseph and wife Brenda; and grandchildren William, Elizabeth and Little Sophia.  She is also survived by her long-time friends whom she adored: Mindy, Cathy Brown, Bev and Christine as well as cousins, nieces and nephews. And there are so many more since many people who came to her house were taken under her wing and loved, fed, clothed and supported.

She is predeceased by her parents, her brother-in-law David and a little girl Maggie, who was almost our  fifth sibling. There were also every cat she said no to, hamsters, fish, rabbits and, more importantly, the two family dogs that she told you she hated but loved deeply nonetheless.

Donations can be made in her memory of her to Chester Townscape, which landscapes and plants flowers throughout the town every spring. You may mail donations to CCA, PO Box 561, Chester, VT 05143, with Chester Townscape in the memo line. Donations may also be made to Chester-Andover Elementary School, 72 Main St., Chester, VT 05143, where her grandchildren go, and to GMUHS, 716 VT-103, Chester, VT 05143, where she spent most of her time helping other children. A Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date.

We loved to make her laugh, and we will never forget that.

Davis Memorial Chapel of Springfield is assisting with arrangements.