TERRY LYNNE GIFFORD

posted Wednesday, 28 June 2006

Terry Gifford is my friend Sara's mom. In 2000, she was told that she had breast cancer... and her prognosis was not good. Terry didn't believe what the drs told her. In fact, she refused to believe it. She fought with all she had and prooved them all wrong, entering remission. Unfortunately, the cancer was too aggressive and it continued to attack. I met Terry in June 2005, the same week that I had received my diagnosis. Some friends thought I was crazy (that it would be too hard to see someone so entrenched in the battle), but I wanted to meet this amazing woman. While I spent only a few hours with Terry, she made a lasting impression on me. Her positive attitude, open nature and obvious love for her family and for life are things I will always carry with me. The Giffords are a beautiful family and Terry was a beautiful mother and friend. She was one of the bravest women I've ever met. Terry died on June 24. We celebrated Terry Gifford's life on July 8/9, at her home and church in Hartford, CT.

I'm sorry Sara - I'm sorry that your family had to go through so much hurt. I'm sorry that we couldn't make her better. I'm sorry that I didn't know her better. Most of all, I'm sorry you had to say goodbye.

GIFFORD, Terry Lynne Terry Lynne (Stansfield) Gifford died peacefully on Saturday, (June 24, 2006) at her home in Marlborough. She was born on September 13, 1951 in Dayton, OH to Donald H. and Louise (Sinclair) Stansfield and moved to Hamilton Square, NJ when she was 5. She was an avid skater and progressed to the Pre-Gold Test level in ice dancing. She graduated second in her class from Steinert High School in Hamilton Square in 1969. She attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. There she was instrumental in forming The Larryettes, an ice skating club that performed during the intermissions of the hockey games. She graduated in 1972 as valedictorian, summa cum laude in mathematics and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa national academic honorary. After earning a Masters degree in mathematics at the University of Denver in 1974 she went to work in the Information Systems department at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford where she continued in positions of increasing responsibility until April 2005. In 1977 she married Michael T. Gifford and settled in Marlborough. Terry was an active member and past president of the Skating Club of Hartford and worked on the Hartford World Figure Skating Championships in 1981. The couple have three beloved daughters of whom they are very proud, Sara, age 26, Elizabeth (Libby), age 24, and Jennifer, age 22. Sara is currently working as a programmer in Morristown, NJ, Libby is a speech therapist in Framingham, MA and Jennifer a graduate student in geology at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Terry was one of the founding mothers of the Marlborough Educational Child Care Association (MECCA) latchkey center at Elmer Thienes Elementary School. A long time member of the Marlborough Congregational Church, she was financial secretary for several years and a member of the bell choir. After her diagnosis with breast cancer in 2000, she fulfilled a dream by becoming a professional needlepoint designer. Terry's Kick Back & Stitch geometric designs are very successful and widely known. A memorial service will be held at the Marlborough Congregational Church on Sunday, July 9 at 2 p.m. Spencer Funeral Home, 112 Main St., East Hampton has care of arrangements.