Lucie Marion Cripps

Lucie M. Cripps of Rockport, formerly of Reading, died February 15, 2016. She was the cherished wife of 61 years to the late Leonard B. Cripps.
Born in Edgartown, MA, she was the daughter of the late William E. and Lucie M. (Osborn) Cottle.
Lucie attended Rockport Schools, graduating with the class of 1944, and from Simmons College in 1948. She lived and worked in Boston for several years.
After the Cripps married, they settled in Reading, where Lucie was active in local charities. She was president of Jr. Unity, a group that ran The Community Thrift Shoppe to raise money for local charities. For many years she volunteered for East Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens and was President of East Middlesex Residential Programs for the Mentally Retarded. In 1993, EMARC established the Lucie Cripps Award which is presented each year to someone who has gone above and beyond to help mentally challenged people.
Lucie was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church and the Reading Antiquarian Society, the Wenham Museum and twice President of the Doll Collectors of America. For a number of years she tutored children with learning disabilities in the Reading Public Schools and was Treasurer of Sawyer Nursery School.
In 1995, Lucie and Leonard retired to Rockport, thoroughly enjoying life there. They belonged to the Sandy Bay Historical Society and Friends of the Rockport Library. Lucie enjoyed sewing, knitting and cooking with the accumulation of over a thousand cookbooks!
Lucie is survived by her son Wayne Cripps and his wife Cynthia Crawford of Norwich, VT and her granddaughter Eleanor Crawford-Cripps of Burlington, VT. She was the mother of the late Gail Cripps. At Lucie’s request, there will be no funeral service. Remembrances may be made to East Middlesex Association for Retarded Citizens, 20 Gould St., Reading, MA 01867.