Obituary for Mollie D. Gill
Mollie D. Gill, age 80, of Salem and Newton, Massachusetts, died at home on April 24, 2022 of respiratory failure after a long struggle with lung cancer, heart problems, and the impacts of a stroke. Her daughter Temple Gill was by her side.
A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, she was the only daughter of James Kepleon Drew and Lillian Bryant Drew and sister to her older brother Jim. She married John Temple Gill in 1962, and after living in 4 states, they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio where they lived for 38 years, before relocating to Salem, MA in 2005 to be closer to family.
Mollie’s varied career included stints at Xerox, founding a consignment clothing shop called The Closet, assisting her husband in starting their own business, and 18 years in human resources at Proctor & Gamble. In recent years, she took great delight in volunteering at the Clarke Elementary School in Swampscott, and in Mayor of Salem Kim Driscoll’s office.
A consummate hostess, Mollie greatly enjoyed throwing parties from bridal showers to birthday cakes in the office, and had a great appreciation of fine silver and a beautifully-set table. She loved to travel and took wonderful trips to China, the UK (including seeing the “Downton Abbey” estate), and to NYC to see Broadway shows. Yellow was her signature color, and she often wore a yellow jacket or shoes, painted her fingernails (and toes!) yellow, or drove her prized yellow Mustang convertible.
She is survived by her daughter Temple, her son-in-law Christopher Yens, and grandsons Sebastian and Duncan, as well as dear cousins in North Carolina.
Funeral services will be held in the Newton Cemetery Chapel (791 Walnut St, Newton, MA), Saturday, May 7 at 12pm. The family will then hold an open house at home for friends and funeral guests from 1:30pm – 4:30pm in Newton, MA.
A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, she was the only daughter of James Kepleon Drew and Lillian Bryant Drew and sister to her older brother Jim. She married John Temple Gill in 1962, and after living in 4 states, they settled in Cincinnati, Ohio where they lived for 38 years, before relocating to Salem, MA in 2005 to be closer to family.
Mollie’s varied career included stints at Xerox, founding a consignment clothing shop called The Closet, assisting her husband in starting their own business, and 18 years in human resources at Proctor & Gamble. In recent years, she took great delight in volunteering at the Clarke Elementary School in Swampscott, and in Mayor of Salem Kim Driscoll’s office.
A consummate hostess, Mollie greatly enjoyed throwing parties from bridal showers to birthday cakes in the office, and had a great appreciation of fine silver and a beautifully-set table. She loved to travel and took wonderful trips to China, the UK (including seeing the “Downton Abbey” estate), and to NYC to see Broadway shows. Yellow was her signature color, and she often wore a yellow jacket or shoes, painted her fingernails (and toes!) yellow, or drove her prized yellow Mustang convertible.
She is survived by her daughter Temple, her son-in-law Christopher Yens, and grandsons Sebastian and Duncan, as well as dear cousins in North Carolina.
Funeral services will be held in the Newton Cemetery Chapel (791 Walnut St, Newton, MA), Saturday, May 7 at 12pm. The family will then hold an open house at home for friends and funeral guests from 1:30pm – 4:30pm in Newton, MA.