AMES, Esther Doolittle, of North Easton, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home on April 21, 2022, after a lengthy illness. The daughter of Lytton W. and Mary (Hunter) Doolittle, Esther was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on April 6, 1932, and attended the Gordon and Wheeler Schools in Providence and St. Timothy’s School in Stevenson, Maryland, graduating in 1950.
Esther studied French language and literature at Pembroke College in Providence and spent her senior year in Paris, France, with the Smith College study-abroad program. After receiving her degree in 1954, Esther moved to Boston, where she worked for Harvard University and also spent several years organizing and leading youth travel programs in Europe.
On July 22, 1960, Esther and her late husband, Oliver F. Ames, were married in Providence, and then made their first home in Boston’s Back Bay. In 1962, Oliver was elected to represent the Third Suffolk District in the Massachusetts State Senate, and his years in the Senate overlapped with the arrival of their five children between 1962 and 1971.
She was an enthusiastic traveler, a gracious hostess and outstanding cook, and enjoyed any opportunity to welcome guests to her homes. Esther was also an astute student of architectural history and a wide range of decorative arts, a lover of dogs (mostly small and feisty ones) and detective stories, and enjoyed swimming at least once a year. Her wit, charm and good nature enabled her to connect easily with people wherever she went, and her loyalty, integrity and kindness created a strong foundation for many life-long friendships.
Esther was a former director or trustee of Historic New England, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and Village Cemetery Corporation. She was a loyal volunteer for The Park School, the Fragment Society and many other organizations, and was a member of The Chilton Club in Boston and The Country Club in Brookline, MA.
Esther was predeceased by her daughter, Sarah, her husband, Oliver, and her siblings, William, Isabel, Abby and Duncan. She is survived by her children, Oliver, Jr. (Elizabeth Simmons Ames), of Dedham, Abby, of Boston, Samuel, of Boston, and Minnie (Brian Hirschfeld), of Brookline, and by her eight grandchildren and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and godchildren. Her family is eternally grateful for the extraordinary care Esther received from the staff of Advantage Nursing, Mass. General PrimeCare, and Old Colony Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Esther’s memory to St. Timothy’s School, 8400 Greenspring Avenue, Stevenson, Maryland 21153, and the Lippitt House Museum, c/o Preserve Rhode Island, 957 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904.
A memorial service will be held at 11am on Saturday, September 24 at Unity Church, 13 Main Street, North Easton, Massachusetts.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17