Mary L. (Cappellucci) Gilchrest

Mary Louise (Cappellucci) Gilchrest, aged 60, of Concord, NH passed away on Februray 2, 2015 at Concord Hospital of congenital heart failure after a long illness. She was the beloved wife of Robert Gilchrest of Concord, NH and beloved mother of Jennifer Mazzola, also of Concord.

Mary was born April 27, 1954 in Waltham Hospital, the third child of Louise (Caira) (Died 1987) and Dominic Cappellucci Sr (Died 1992). She was brought up in a typical loving Italian-American household. Her father was a carpenter, her mother a housewife. At birth Mary had an older sister, Joanne (Cappellucci) Dodds, who lives in Tucson, AZ and an older brother, Dominic JR (Died 2010). After Mary came a younger brother, David who lives in Wayland, MA and a younger sister, Margaret (Cappellucci) Veronelli who lives in Reading, MA then another brother, Joseph who lives in Woburn, MA. At tthe time of her death Mary had 5 nephews and 3 nieces.

Mary was a 1972 graduate of Newton North High School and shortly after high school married her first husband, Lawrence Mazzola with whom she had a daughter, Jennifer on April 28, 1976. A couple of years later Mary had a hysterectomy, leaving her unable to have any more children. Mary and Larry divorced in the mid-80's. It was during this time that Mary was diagnosed with Myotonic Dustrophy, a form of Muscular Dystrophy. It was a hereditary disease as her father and older brother both died from complications of the disease, while all her other siblings, save Joseph exhibited traces of it.

It was about 1988 that Mary met Bob Gilchrest at work at Loral in Marlboro, MA. They began dating and got engaged over the 4th of July weekend in 1989. Mary and Bob planned a formal wedding for October 27,1990. In March of 1990 Mary was laid off from work. In order for her to be covered by Bob's health insurance they had to be married; engaged and living together was not enough. In order to do this they went to a Justice of the Peace in Marlboro on April 7, 1990.

The formal wedding (the one they celebrated their anniversary on) was held under beautiful autumn weather at the Martha Mary Chapel, at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. Due to her father's disability her older brother, Dominic walked her down the aisle to her waiting father, who gave her to Bob. The reception that followed was held at the Hillcrest Function Center in Waltham, MA. It was attended by over 100 people. Mary and Bob danced their first dance to Endless Love, by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross. The honeymoon that followed was spent driving around the Northeast and Canada after spending the first day watching the Patriots play in Foxboro.

The fact that Mary was unable to bear any more children and had the dystrophy did not prevent her and Bob from having a very loving relationship. Mary and Bob moved to Concord, NH in July of 1991 because Bob liked to spend time hiking and skiing in the White Mountains and Mary enjoyed drives to the mountains. Most of all she wanted Bob to be happy doing what he liked best even if it was without her. After moving Mary had a couple of babysitting jobs and was a home health care aide until her dystrophy disabled her. She went on Social Security in 1994 and remained on it for the rest of her life.

Mary loved and doted over Jennifer. Sometimes it meant clashes with Bob, but these were few and far between. Mary took great joy in seeing Jennifer graduate from Concord High School in 1997. She made sure that if Bob brought something home from a trip for her that he brought something for Jen as well. It was at Mary's insistence that Bob arrange a trip to Disney World because, even though she had never been there herself, she wanted Jennifer to experience it. The trip came less than two weeks after Bob's father passed away; they went anyhow, at Bob's mother's insistence. Mary had actually suggested they postpone it.

Besides doting over Jennifer Mary loved her siblings. While her father was alive she'd see him regularly, moreso once he moved to Marlboro. Once she moved to New Hampshire Mary would talk with Joanne or Dominic at least once a week and Margaret and Joseph 2 -3 times a month. It was not unusual for Bob to come home from work and find her on the phone with one of her siblings. Some of the conversations lasted hours. She rarely forgot birthdays.

Mary was a great cook and took pride in that. Bob would go on weekend outings with his Appalachian Mountain Club friends and the trip organizers would insist on his having Mary make the spaghetti sauce for the trip. She also enjoyed watching TV and needlework, especially cross-stitch. When she wasn't cooking or cleaning she was cross-stitching in front of the TV, most of the time while chatting on the phone. Talk about multi-tasking. She also loved reading Danielle Steele novels.

Perhaps Mary's greatest passion (besides family) was one she shared with Bob -- a love for the New England Patriots. Mary and Bob had season tickets for 3 years until they moved to NH. Mary rarely missed a game on TV. Her last activity on Earth was watching the Patriots win their 4th Super Bowl. Mary and Bob spent the first full day of marriage watching them play a game and the travelling outfits at the end of the wedding reception were Patriots shirts and hats along with jeans.

While Mary did not make a lot of friends of her own, everyone liked her. Many of Bob's hiking friends considered her their friend. If they called looking for him and he wasn't home they'd spend many minutes talking to her, sometimes until he did get home.

Mary's final months were spent in suffering. She had become so disabled that she wasn't able to leave the house, cook or even sleep in their new bed. She was confined to her chair with a little portable commode nearby. Mary and Bob missed spending the holidays with family because of it. Bob, to his credit, did not blame her. Mary knew how much Bob was suffering along with her - is duty to her made him he was unable to go hiking or even go to the gym.

The end came mercifully, on February 2nd, 2015. While watching the Super Bowl, unknown to anyone in the room, Mary had a heart attack about the time the game ended. She made no sound. Bob found her unresponsive about an hour after the game. Performing chest compressions until the EMT's arrived Bob watched her be taken away, alive, to the hospital. His plan was to wait until the morning, when he was sober, then drive up, allowing the doctors to work on her without having to worry about him. About 1/2 hour later the hospital called, insisting that he come immediately. He got a ride from the police and found the doctors working feverously to keep her alive. She had a pulse but her oxygen level and blood pressure was so low it could not be sustained.

Bob went into the room where they were working on Mary and held her hand, it was VERY cold so he knew she was probably going to die. He went back to the waiting area. Jennifer had arrived and was there when Mary's cardiologist came to talk to them. He that told Bob of her heart attack.and told them of the trouble keeping up her pulse up. The attending doctors told him that when Bob held her hand Mary knew it as her pulse increased. It was decided that enough time had elapsed with low pulse and low oxygen that recovery would come with a loss of memory and probably result in Mary's being in a vegetive state. Bob asked to see her again then Mary was allowed to die. It was about 3 AM.

After discussions with family it was decided that Mary's body would be cremated by the New Hampshire Creamation Society. Bob originally wanted to spread her ashes in the Veteran's Cemetary in Boscawen, NH. Bob has long had the thought of himself being cremated and half his ashes spread on his favorite mountain, Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire, and Fort Meadow Reservoir in Marlboro, Mass where he spent his youth. If he wasn't going to be in the cemetary why should Mary be there among strangers? So Bob decided her ashes would be spread as well . Bob plans to carry a vial of Mary's ashes with him on his outings and spread them on all the mountains he climbs and places he visits, saving some to be mixed with his own upon his death.

Mary in her good nature would not want to see people just grieving over her endlessly so with that in mind Bob has scheduled a "celebration" of her life, tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2015 in Londonderry, NH. Further details to come.

Bob has requested that no flowers bent sent to him. If you'd like to do something send donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association so reseach could be done to end this heinous disease.