Gail E. Duryea Hennessey, 73, died peacefully July 29, 2020 at her home with daughter Jill and her two dogs by her bedside.
Gail was born April 23, 1947, to Arthur W. Duryea Jr. and Betty L. Turner Duryea. A native and lifelong resident of South Egremont, she spent a great portion of her childhood with her grandparents, Bill and Louise Turner, at their farm. She was active in the Campfire Girls, achieving Horizon Club status. Gail was a graduate of the Mount Everett Regional High School class of 1965.
Gail began her postal career in 1967. She was instrumental in the development of the nine-digit ZIP code and retired with the rank of postmaster in 2002. Gail was a very active mother, shuffling her kids and any number of other kids to and from school and sporting activities. She truly enjoyed and loved kids. She joined the Egremont Historical Commission to plan Egremont’s bicentennial and help write a local history book.
She loved traveling, with Maui, Hawaii, having a special place in her heart. She was an avid reader of anything in print and a loyal New York Times crossword puzzle enthusiast. Gail will be remembered for her warmth, knowledge and humor. Some will remember her beloved remolding projects, most notably turning an old cow barn into her home and an in-town Colonial into a successful bed & breakfast. Recently she was described as “formidable” — undoubtedly. A good character, she will be missed.
She is survived by her two daughters: Lisa Ecklund and husband Eric, and Jill Hennessey; her grandchild: Erin Hennessey; and two nieces: Tasha and Amy Duryea.
Donations in memory of Gail may be made to the Egremont Fire Department for Continuing Education c/o Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to the family, go to www.finnertyandstevens.com.
