Obituary for Rosemary Kathryn Gaisford (Tierney)
Rosemary Kathryn Gaisford (Tierney), 95, formerly of Harwich, MA and Avon, CT, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2021.
She was the loving wife of the late Dr. John E. Gaisford, and the loving mother of seven children: Mark Gaisford of Stuart FL, Thomas Gaisford (Lynn) of Sedona, AZ, Martha Gaisford of Newburyport, MA, Rebecca Milka (Terrence) of Yarmouth Port, MA, Margaret Welborn (Ralph) of Newton, MA, Matthew Gaisford (Lisa) of Bethesda, MD, and Ian Gaisford (Louise McCarthy) of Newton, MA. She is also survived by ten
grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Rosemary was born on July 25, 1926 in Meriden, CT, the daughter of Charles Aloysious Tierney and Elizabeth Jane Tierney (Condon). She was the sister of the late Jayne Fisher of Garden City, NY, the late Charles Tierney of Wallingford, CT, and the late Barbara Tierney of Wallingford, CT. She graduated from Holy Trinity School and Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, CT. A graduate of the physical therapy program at the University of Connecticut, Rosemary was proud to have worked as a physical therapist at Springfield Hospital. In 1948 she married John E. Gaisford of North Haven, CT and the couple renewed their wedding vows in 2008 when they celebrated their 60 th wedding anniversary.
Rosemary was a longtime resident of Avon, CT. She and her family spent summers on Cape Cod and ultimately she and John permanently relocated to the Cape in 1987.
She was a woman of strong faith and was a member of the Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham, MA before moving to Maplewood at Weston in 2020.
Rosemary lived a full and engaged life with many diverse interests. She was a woman of style and grace, known for her timeless sense of fashion, who found joy in tending to her lush garden full of lavender and hydrangeas and in creating elaborate floral arrangements. Most of all, however, she loved to entertain her large family and countless friends, many of whom she had known for several decades. She was particularly fond of the holidays, when she would deliver her famous cranberry bread and homemade fudge to her friends and neighbors. Rosemary was also a talented artist whose watercolors of Cape Cod grace
the walls of the homes of her children and are among their most treasured possessions.
She traveled extensively with her husband John, including visits to Ireland, England, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. In their later years, she and John spent winters in Stuart, Florida, where they enjoyed walks, picnics, and touring the local area with their first and favorite son Mark.
A fierce competitor, Rosemary often dominated backyard croquet matches and she ruled with precision on the bocce court. Even in her later years, she was just as likely to hit a hole in one to capture the title in her mini-golf outings with her children and grandchildren as she was to defeat her daughters in a healthy game of Spite and Malice. She loved to play cards, particularly bridge, and relished the opportunity to host her bridge club. She was an avid sports fan who never lost faith in her home teams, mainly the Red Sox, and she somehow always managed to stay up later than most to see the end of a close game.
Rosemary engaged in many civic and charitable activities. As a member of the Garden Club of Harwich, she became a leader in the town’s beautification efforts, responsible for decorating the town square with garland and wreaths at the holidays and designing a memorial garden and sundial at Millennium Park. She and John were members of the Newcomers Club, where they would welcome those who were new to the area, and they also spent many hours volunteering at the Family Pantry of Harwich. She also loved to learn through her book club, always careful to research the author and prepare detailed notes and talking points before each discussion. She was an ardent supporter of the Cape Cod Museum of Art.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane,
Dennis, MA 02638 or Good Shepherd Community Care, 160 Wells Avenue, Newton,
MA 02459.
She was the loving wife of the late Dr. John E. Gaisford, and the loving mother of seven children: Mark Gaisford of Stuart FL, Thomas Gaisford (Lynn) of Sedona, AZ, Martha Gaisford of Newburyport, MA, Rebecca Milka (Terrence) of Yarmouth Port, MA, Margaret Welborn (Ralph) of Newton, MA, Matthew Gaisford (Lisa) of Bethesda, MD, and Ian Gaisford (Louise McCarthy) of Newton, MA. She is also survived by ten
grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
Rosemary was born on July 25, 1926 in Meriden, CT, the daughter of Charles Aloysious Tierney and Elizabeth Jane Tierney (Condon). She was the sister of the late Jayne Fisher of Garden City, NY, the late Charles Tierney of Wallingford, CT, and the late Barbara Tierney of Wallingford, CT. She graduated from Holy Trinity School and Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, CT. A graduate of the physical therapy program at the University of Connecticut, Rosemary was proud to have worked as a physical therapist at Springfield Hospital. In 1948 she married John E. Gaisford of North Haven, CT and the couple renewed their wedding vows in 2008 when they celebrated their 60 th wedding anniversary.
Rosemary was a longtime resident of Avon, CT. She and her family spent summers on Cape Cod and ultimately she and John permanently relocated to the Cape in 1987.
She was a woman of strong faith and was a member of the Holy Redeemer Parish in Chatham, MA before moving to Maplewood at Weston in 2020.
Rosemary lived a full and engaged life with many diverse interests. She was a woman of style and grace, known for her timeless sense of fashion, who found joy in tending to her lush garden full of lavender and hydrangeas and in creating elaborate floral arrangements. Most of all, however, she loved to entertain her large family and countless friends, many of whom she had known for several decades. She was particularly fond of the holidays, when she would deliver her famous cranberry bread and homemade fudge to her friends and neighbors. Rosemary was also a talented artist whose watercolors of Cape Cod grace
the walls of the homes of her children and are among their most treasured possessions.
She traveled extensively with her husband John, including visits to Ireland, England, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. In their later years, she and John spent winters in Stuart, Florida, where they enjoyed walks, picnics, and touring the local area with their first and favorite son Mark.
A fierce competitor, Rosemary often dominated backyard croquet matches and she ruled with precision on the bocce court. Even in her later years, she was just as likely to hit a hole in one to capture the title in her mini-golf outings with her children and grandchildren as she was to defeat her daughters in a healthy game of Spite and Malice. She loved to play cards, particularly bridge, and relished the opportunity to host her bridge club. She was an avid sports fan who never lost faith in her home teams, mainly the Red Sox, and she somehow always managed to stay up later than most to see the end of a close game.
Rosemary engaged in many civic and charitable activities. As a member of the Garden Club of Harwich, she became a leader in the town’s beautification efforts, responsible for decorating the town square with garland and wreaths at the holidays and designing a memorial garden and sundial at Millennium Park. She and John were members of the Newcomers Club, where they would welcome those who were new to the area, and they also spent many hours volunteering at the Family Pantry of Harwich. She also loved to learn through her book club, always careful to research the author and prepare detailed notes and talking points before each discussion. She was an ardent supporter of the Cape Cod Museum of Art.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane,
Dennis, MA 02638 or Good Shepherd Community Care, 160 Wells Avenue, Newton,
MA 02459.