Obituary of Winifred Storrs

Winifred Gillespie Storrs died on Monday, January 4, 2016 in Raleigh, NC. Born in Schenectady, New York on Oc-tober 3, 1915, she was the youngest child of the late Nelson Abraham Gillespie and Blanche Beyer Gillespie. Winifred studied music at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY and the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. She studied organ with Dr. E. Tidmarsh at Union College in Schenectady, NY. Winifred was a very accomplished pianist and organist and continued playing throughout her life. She started her career playing at a funeral home while she was still in high school and played the organ at churches in every area she lived. Winifred married Benjamin Edward Storrs on August 24, 1940. Ben shared her love of music and they both were members of the Schenectady Light Opera Company and sang in the productions as long as they lived in the area. Winifred was a member of the American Guild of Organists for most of her life. She was also a member of the Baptist Guild Girls, in Schenectady, NY, starting when she was 14. The girls met and stayed in touch all their respective lives. Winifred’s husband, Ben, was employed by General Electric and they lived in several locations while raising their family: Schenectady and Scotia NY, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Richfield, Ohio, and finally Mentor, Ohio, where they were members of the Mentor United Methodist Church. Winifred played the organ in the churches they belonged to and Ben sang in the church choirs. Winifred volunteered at churches, in the transportation department of Lake East Hospital in Mentor, Ohio and read to children in their classrooms in Mentor. Her other loves were garden club, crafts, sewing, painting, traveling and spending summers at their camp at Galway Lake in upstate NY. Winifred is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Winifred Elaine Peck with husband, Roger of Raleigh, North Carolina; son, Benjamin Nelson Storrs with wife, Carol; and daughter-in-law, Deborah Storrs; eight grand-children, Julianne Peck and husband, Kevin Chu, Benjamin Peck and wife, Jill, An Van Vu and wife, My Hoa, Melissa Shorty, Michael Storrs and wife, Amy, Amber Andrick and husband, Sean, Brian Alexander Storrs and Duane Fryberger; 11 great-grandchildren; and one nephew, Nelson Gillespie and wife, Lucinda. Including her parents, Winifred was predeceased in death by her husband, Benjamin Edward Storrs; her sister, Mildred Glenn; brother, William E. Gillespie; and son, Brian Ed-ward Storrs. Winifred’s family thanks the caregivers and management of Sunrise at North Hills, Raleigh, NC for the loving care and support they gave to Winifred and her family every step of the way while she was in their care. Relatives and friends may call from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 10) at the Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Rd., Glenville. Funeral service, Monday, 11:30 a.m. at Glenville Funeral Home. Interment, Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at www.alzfdn. org. Online condolences, GLENVILLEFUNERALHOME.COM.