Gail "Ricky" Richardson West, 90, of Bedford, NH and Wayland, MA, passed away peacefully on September 26th, 2024.

Gail was born in Newton, MA, on August 22nd, 1934, to the late Philip Richardson and Barbara (Nichols) Richardson Swain. Gail and her brother Don grew up in Wellesley, MA, and spent summers with their family in Scituate. She was a Wellesley High school graduate and a member of the Wellesley Unitarian Church. Following in her father's athletic footsteps, Gail studied physical education at Skidmore College, class of 1956.  After graduation, Gail was a physical education teacher and then married her husband Jack West in 1957.

They moved to Wayland in 1964 to raise their family. Gail was very involved in the town and participated at the Wayland Newcomers Club, the Wayland Friends of the Library, the Girl Scouts and the Republican Club. In her younger years, Gail used to hand count political election ballots, which shocked her children when she would arrive home at 2 in the morning! Gail, Jack, and their three children, participated in the early days of Wayland's Broomstones Curling Club. Curling, which Gail and Jack explained as "shuffleboard on ice," provided opportunities for travel around New England, the Midwest, and Canada, with Gail becoming chair of the national women's CURLING bonspiel in Newton, MA during the blizzard of 1978. Through curling, tennis, bridge, and their many other activities, Gail and Jack made many lifelong friends "on and off the ice." With her first child in college, Gail worked at J W Swenson Investment Counsel, a financial planning firm, until retiring in 2015.   When her husband, Jack, sang with the Saengerfest Men's Chorus, Gail was always there to support him. She enjoyed contributing to the singing group by helping behind the scenes, ushering and lending a hand however she could; that was Gail's way.

Gail loved gardening, her children, grandchildren, reading, her Unitarian Church and faith, curling and walking – right up to 2 weeks before she died, she'd walk and walk, all around The Arbors.  She always enjoyed her libraries, wherever she lived. In Wayland, she would go to the author series and get books signed by the authors to give to her family. Gail was known as a lovely, kind, generous person, a favorite person among those who knew her, and when with the right person, she would break out her mischievous smile and her laugh that just wouldn't stop! She was a "rascal" when she wanted to be, a childhood friend said recently.

Diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2021, Gail moved to The Arbors Memory Care in Bedford, NH where she embraced a second family of tremendously caring staff. In her last 4 months, she was supported by Bayada Hospice, who worked collaboratively and with great care along with the Arbors staff. The family will be forever grateful.

In addition to her parents, Gail is predeceased by her husband, Jack West, and a child at six weeks old. Gail is survived by her three children, Susan, Phil, Jim and her three daughters-in-law, Donna Burke, Joanne Hus and Naomi Dogan as well as her two grandchildren, Gitalia and Carinna Dogan-West.  Gail is also survived by her younger brother, Don and his wife Janet Metternich Richardson; and extended family of four nieces and two cousins.

A memorial service will be held at the Rivet Funeral Home located at 425 Daniel Webster Highway in Merrimack, NH on Friday October 4th, 2024, at 5:00 PM. A private, family burial will be held the following day.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution in Gail's memory can be made to BAYADA Home Health Care, 22 Bridge Street, Concord, NH; 03301 Friends of the Wayland Library, 5 Concord Road, Wayland, MA 01778; the Native Plant Trust, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701