Myrna G. Follender

Myrna G. Follender of 1 Clocktower Place, Nashua, New Hampshire, died on May 23, 2022, at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack. She was 92.

Myrna was born in 1929 in Passaic, New Jersey, the youngest of three children of Louis and Bessie Grand. She was raised in Jersey City and graduated from Lincoln High School there in 1947. In 1950 she married Rodman Follender of Jersey City, with whom she raised two children and to whom she was married for 63 years.

Throughout her young adult life Myrna worked in a variety of data entry and administrative positions, mainly for insurance companies in New York City. Later she took over her mother’s fledgling dress shop in Jersey City, turning it into a thriving boutique, thanks to her sense of style and attentiveness to customers.

In the late 1980s Myrna and Rod moved to Laguna Niguel, California, where she worked for several years for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Immigration Services. In 2015, after her husband’s death, Myrna moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, to be near her son Rick and his family.

Many who knew her fondly recall Myrna’s feisty, tell-it-like-it-is persona – which could sometimes lead to amusing or awkward encounters. This no-nonsense realism, combined with sheer grit, helped her survive great personal loss and confront major life changes head-on.

She was supremely adaptable. She made the best of every situation and found ways to make her small world beautiful and meaningful. She navigated the frustrations and limitations of old age with grace. She never complained – except sometimes about food or the price of things. She appreciated fine cuisine and hated to waste a dime.

Myrna worked to stay abreast of current and political events. A New Yorker at heart, she was an avid reader of The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine. In her last years she often expressed anger and dismay at the state of the world, but channeled that negative energy into small acts of kindness for people in her immediate circle. She remained laser focused on doing the right thing, as she saw it.

Despite her clear-eyed realism, Myrna was a romantic. She loved old classic movies. Her favorite novel was “Pride and Prejudice,” which she had started re-reading shortly before she died. Her favorite songs were “Brindisi” from La Traviata and “The Merry Widow Waltz.”

She lived simply, and as she aged became less and less interested in accumulating possessions. She said she wanted to leave the world without excess baggage. She did.

Myrna is survived by her son Rick Follender (and his wife, Barbara Smith) of Nashua, and her two grandchildren, whom she adored: Rachel Follender of Breckenridge, Colorado, and Matthew Follender of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

She is also survived by her sister, Ruth Bergman, six nieces and nephews, and many dear friends. She is predeceased by her son Mitchell Follender and her brother, Seymour Grand.

A private family memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, New Hampshire.