OBITUARY: Elizabeth “Betty” Cavanaugh, 99

Below is an obituary from Nichols Funeral Home:

WILMINGTON, MA — Elizabeth (Gilligan) Cavanaugh, lovingly known as “Betty,” age 99, of Londonderry, NH, a long-time resident of Wilmington, MA, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2026 in her home, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Somerville, MA on October 9, 1926, Betty was the cherished daughter of the late James Joseph and Mary Elizabeth (Koschwitz) Gilligan. She grew up at Silver Lake in Wilmington and graduated from Wilmington High School on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Following graduation, Betty attended Bridgewater State Teacher’s College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. She began her career as an elementary school teacher for the Town of Reading.

Betty married her beloved husband, Robert L. Cavanaugh, and together they designed and built their home in Wilmington on land purchased from the McMahon family. They raised their two daughters, Marilee and Sheila Rose in this new Wilmington neighborhood. After her children reached high school, Betty began a second career with the IRS in Andover as a corporate tax examiner. Her exceptional organizational skills and keen attention to detail made her highly successful in her work.

Once married, Betty and Bob began their travel adventures. Throughout their years together they motored through most of the lower 48, visiting relatives and friends along the way. Ever the planner, Betty took pride in organizing each journey, ensuring every detail was thoughtfully arranged and recorded.

A gifted communicator, Betty had a deep love for writing. She cherished journaling and documenting through photographs, heartfelt letters, and cards for nearly every occasion. To know Betty was to have likely received one of her thoughtful, beautifully written notes, a reflection of her enduring commitment to staying connected with those she loved.

In 1994, Betty and Bob moved to Londonderry to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. There, she quickly became an active member of her community, joining St. Jude’s Parish, the Senior Guild and Crafters, and the Londonderry Seniors to play mahjong with her friends at the Senior Center. She could be seen taking her golden retriever for walks in the neighborhood; her canine companion accompanying her on every errand.

In her later years, Betty continued her daily, thorough reading of the Boston Globe, watching the Red Sox, birdwatching, and spoiling her cat, Midnight. Every friend of the family waited expectantly for the Christmas delivery of her Krantz Cake.

She cherished every moment spent with her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She especially looked forward to her visits to the Sheehan’s cottage in Moultonborough with the family.

Betty was the beloved wife of the late Robert L. Cavanaugh; the devoted mother of Marilee Tuomanen and Sheila Rose Sheehan and her husband Gary, all of Londonderry; the loving grandmother of MK Tuomanen of Philadelphia, Mark Tuomanen of Londonderry, Timothy Sheehan and his wife Corinne of Falls Church, VA, Carly Rose Burke and her husband Lucas of Concord, NH, and Kevin Sheehan and his wife Erin of Dover, NH; the cherished great-grandmother of Kate, Conor, Elizabeth, and Josephine. She was the dear sister of the late James Joseph Gilligan, Jr., and shared a close bond with his six children.

Visiting hours will be held at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Ave., (Route 62), Wilmington, MA on Thursday, April 23rd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Family and friends will gather for a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, 126 Middlesex Avenue, Wilmington, MA on Friday, April 24th 10:30 a.m. (Please go directly to church). Interment will follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Wilmington.

There will be a Mass Intention for Betty at St. Jude Parish, her home Church in Londonderry, NH, on Mother’s Day, May 10th at 10:00 am.

Memorial donations in Betty’s name may be made to the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, an organization supported by Betty and Bob Cavanaugh since 1950, which protects and preserves the cultures, traditions, and the living heritage of the North American Indians. https://donate.crazyhorsememorial.org

True to her lifelong tradition of staying in touch through the written word, the family invites those who knew and loved her to write a final letter to Betty. These letters will be collected and sent with her, a fitting tribute to a woman whose words so often brought comfort, connection, and joy.