Mary Tennant 'Polly' Fletcher Obituary (1948

LAWRENCE- Mary (Polly) Tennant Fletcher, 61, of Lawrence passed away at Lawrence General Hospital on November 1, 2009 of complications from lung cancer. She was born in Lowell the daughter of the late Herbert E. Fletcher II and the late Elizabeth (Tennant) Fletcher and sister of the late Herbert (Hobie) E. Fletcher III. She spent her final days surrounded by family, friends, and the caring staff of Lawrence General Hospital. She is survived by her loving sisters, Edie Flynn of Jamestown, RI, and Libby Morissette and Libby's husband Alen Morissette of Pembroke, NH. She also leaves four nieces for whom she cared deeply: Meghan Michaud of Concord, NH; Virginia Lang (and fianc David Gregoire) of Chester, NY; and Elizabeth Riccitelli and Jessica Morissette of Allentown, NH. She is survived as well by Alen's children, Amanda and Joe Morissette of Penacook, NH, and by her stepmother, Jeannine Fletcher of Washington, DC. Polly attended Rogers Hall School in Lowell, MA; received a BA in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH; and was awarded an MA in Clinical Psychotherapy from Rivier College in Nashua, NH. She was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, National Political Science Honor Society; Phi Gamma Mu, National Social Science Honor Society; and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire. She received Highest Honors in Rivier College School of Graduate Studies and Commendation from the Rivier College President for service on the Women in Transition Committee. In the late 1960s Polly was a customer service representative, credit investigator and installment loan clerk for banks in Columbus, Ohio, Lowell and Boston, MA. In the late 1970s and early 1980s she was a research assistant and admissions officer for the University of New Hampshire. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Polly served as a counseling intern, adjunct instructor and counselor at Rivier College. More recently, she was a telemarketer for the Lawrence Eagle Tribune and then a counselor at Tewksbury Hospital's Behavioral Health Services Inpatient Center until her health started to decline. Polly ably combined considerable academic talent with her love of personal interaction. She had an eclectic group of friends who were very fond of her. Compassionate and concerned about everyone's welfare, Polly was a very loyal and generous friend. She especially enjoyed holidays and other social occasions and made an effort to talk with everyone present. She loved her role as aunt to her sister Libby's four daughters and made their visits to her apartment and to Florida and her visits to see them in New Hampshire into memorable occasions for them. Polly treated them each with respect and was truly interested in their lives and the challenges they faced growing up. She and her sisters had a strong bond, especially important this past year with the death of their father and brother. As a child Polly enjoyed tennis, skiing and swimming. She liked suntanning and spending time with her friends at the beach in Maine. An avid reader, she had several paperback novels with her at all times. She also liked to play cards and board games and was quite skilled at them. Polly loved to cook--as long as she could enlist others to clean up afterwards. She never missed her morning coffee, afternoon soap operas, or the evening news. Polly battled a number of serious and difficult health issues and she was very upbeat about them. She never complained and was known as a "real trooper". She was a truly good person and much loved, and she will be missed by all of us. A memorial luncheon for family and friends will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Polly's name may be made to Merrimack Valley Hospice (with whom she volunteered for several years), 360 Merrimack St., Building 9, Lawrence, MA 01843.