METHUEN: Nellie T. (Dunlap) Richards, 91, died Wednesday, August 10, 2011, in the Nevins Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Methuen following a long illness. She was the wife of the late Joseph E. Richards.
Born in Mouncton, New Brunswick, Canada on October 28, 1919, she was the daughter of the late Harry L. and Jennie (Harkness) Dunlap. Nellie came to the United States as a young girl and lived in Lynn for many years. She attended Lynn Public Schools. She then moved to Groveland where she lived for forty years.
She worked as an assembler at the former Western Electric in North Andover until her retirement at the age of sixty-five. She previously worked as a data entry clerk for the Internal Revenue Service and became licensed as a real estate agent. After her retirement she worked for eighteen years as an ombudsman for Merrimack Elder Services. She was a former member of Rebecca and the Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS). She also served as chairman for the Groveland Council on Aging.
For enjoyment she enjoyed playing bingo, crocheting and knitting. She is remembered for making beautiful afghans for all of her family. Nellie also had a true passion for following politics over the years.
She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Irene M. and James Young of Epping, NH, seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her son, Ernest “Buddy” Richards who died in 1997 and a brother and a sister.
Her family would like to give a very special thank you to all of the staff at the Nevins Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Methuen for the tremendous care she received. Their care exceeded all the family’s expectations.
Her funeral service will be held on Saturday in the Puritan Lawn Memorial Park in Peabody at 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. There are no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Nevins Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center Activities Fund, 10 Ingalls Court, Methuen, MA 01844.