WILMINGTON, MA — Elizabeth Jane Winchell Tellier, of Wilmington and South Orleans, MA, died peace-fully on March 31, 2017 at the age of 100 years.
Jane as she liked to be called, was born January 3, 1917 in North Rose, NY. Growing up during the depression, she helped her mother care for her older sister who was a polio survivor, and she helped her father run a local butcher shop. Jane was well known in this small town in Upstate New York for doing cartwheels, a feat she continued to perform until she was well into her 60s.
When Jane graduated from the University of Rochester in 1938, it was clear that she was destined for greatness. In 1939, she married her high school sweetheart, Eugene Tellier who she met when they both starred in his Senior play. In the years to come, Jane worked as a social worker and gave birth to five children, the youngest of whom had down syndrome. In the early 1960s, the family moved to Chelmsford, MA where Jane continued her social work by working for the Lowell Association for the blind.
In 1964, the family moved to Orleans, MA when Gene became President of the First National Bank of Cape Cod. When she found there were no educational services provided for special needs children on the lower Cape, Jane took it upon herself to get the local school department to provide special education services for five local children. When these children aged out of the school system in 1968, she founded the Nauset Workshop in Orleans, Mass so they could find a place to work and enrich their lives.
The Nauset Workshop has since evolved into Cape Abilities, which continues today to provide services to hundreds of individuals with disabilities on Cape Cod.
Words and wit were Jane’s domain. Funny limericks were always forming in her head, and as her kids grew older, she began to recite the naughtier ones to them. The daily routine with her husband Gene was to do the Jumble and Cryptoquip in the local paper until he passed in 2010. Sharp as a tack, Jane continued this routine until just before she passed.
Jane is survived by her daughter Susan Tellier of Kingston, MA, her son John Tellier of Tewksbury, MA, son Toby and his wife Pat Tellier of Meredith, NH, and son David Tellier of Plaistow, NH. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren (one on the way) several nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews and even a few great-great-great nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Eugene Tellier of South Orleans, MA, son Stephen “Tex” Tellier of Wilmington, MA and grandson Zachary Tellier of Manchester, NH.
Putting all formalities aside for a moment, this was one very special woman who had an incredible life. She had a major impact on a lot of people. We all miss her, but we are also truly grateful for the good fortune to have had this wonderful woman in our lives.
A memorial service and celebration of Jane’s life is scheduled for Sunday April 9, 2017 at 2:00 PM at the Wilmington Methodist Church in Wilmington, MA. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jane’s life with her family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Cape Abilities, 895 Mary Dunn Rd., Hyannis, MA 02601, or online at http://www.capeabilities.org.
(NOTE: The above obituary is from Legacy.com.)
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