Carolyn F. (Bassow) Landry

BERLIN — Carolyn Frances (Bassow) Landry, 84, of Berlin, died peacefully Tuesday, December 31, 2019, at UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She was the widow of Lawrence Joseph Landry and leaves their daughter, Michelle Stein, and son-in-law, Neil Stein, of Safety Harbor, Florida, and granddaughters, Jessica Stein of Clearwater, Florida, and Jillian Stein of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; their son, Mark Landry, daughter-in-law, Laurie (Evans) Landry, grandson, Michael Landry, granddaughter-in-law, Jill, and great granddaughter, Mazie of Marshfield; grandson, Timothy Landry, granddaughter-in-law, Michaela, and great grandson, Julian, of Plymouth; and granddaughter Meghan Landry, of Marshfield; their daughter, Linda Fountain, and son-in-law, Joseph Fountain of Middletown, Connecticut; grandson, Joseph Fountain of Vernon, Connecticut; and grandson, Christian Fountain, of Philadelphia; and their son, Douglas Landry, daughter-in-law, Debora Forte, grandson, Benjamin Landry, and granddaughter, Charlotte Landry, of Natick. Born in Athol on March, 27, 1935, she was the daughter of Dr. Carlton Bassow of Athol, and Hannah (Leslie / Bassow) Atkinson of Hardwick, Vermont, and sister to Leslie “Bruddy” Bassow of Winchendon, all predeceased. She is survived by her sisters, Sheila Gillis, of Athol, and Geneva (Atkinson) Lawson, of Cary, North Carolina and her beloved brother-in-law, Alban Landry of Winchester, and cousin, David Hughey of Meredith, New Hampshire. She attended Orange High School and was a standout basketball player. After graduating with the class of 1953, she briefly resided with her father in Binghamton, New York. She returned to Orange where she worked for various businesses in town. She married Lawrence Landry in November 1955 at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Orange, and, together, they raised their four children in Athol. She loved public service and was especially proud of her employment as secretary to the Town of Athol Board of Selectmen, administrative assistant for the Town of Sherborn, and administrative assistant for the Town of Concord. She had many hobbies, including ceramic decorating, photography, and antique collecting. She was an avid reader of historical non-fiction, especially books related to the Civil War or World War II. She enjoyed bird watching and would often hike the steep trails near Doane’s Falls, the abandoned gravel roads and paths surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir, or the boardwalks through the marshes of Plum Island in search of elusive species. She spent many years researching her family’s genealogy and enjoyed producing the Town of Berlin’s Council on Aging newsletter, “Powderhouse Senior News.” She was a fan of the New England Patriots and always looked forward to summer vacations at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, and York, Maine. She was an inventive cook and was famous for her meatball stew and hot dog casserole. Most of all, she loved regaling her husband, children, grandchildren, and many friends with hundreds of well-worn stories about any person, place, or event that fit the occasion. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 28, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. in the Fiske-Murphy & Mack Funeral Home, 110 New Athol Rd., Orange. Interment in Gethsemane Cemetery, Athol, will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, 20 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 261, Burlington, MA 01803. Fiske-Murphy & Mack Funeral Home, 110 New Athol Road, Orange, is directing the arrangements.