Those in Wellesley and beyond this week are mourning the death and celebrating the life of Herlda Senhouse, who passed away at the age of 113 on Saturday morning, peacefully in her sleep. She was the oldest resident in Wellesley as well as the state, and the second oldest in the country, having turned 113 on Feb. 28.

Herlda is survived by four generations of nieces and nephews, and countless friends who loved and cherished her.

Here’s the formal obituary for Herlda Senhouse.

We were fortunate to celebrate several of this extraordinary women’s recent birthdays, which were marked by good cheer as well as the presentation of the Boston Post Cane, allowed out of the Wellesley Historical Society’s collections but once a year for its annual photo-op with the town’s eldest resident.

At Herlda’s last birthday party, one attendee said: “She’s just a fun person, a great role model to look up to.”

The longtime Wellesley resident attributed her longevity to her many friends, her church family, and her zest for life. Just last year, she and friends took a train to New Jersey for an anniversary party.

“Aunt Herlda,” as she was known to many, lived at Glen Grove in town, though her most recent birthday was celebrated in the hospital. She lived in Wellesley for more than 45 years.

Herlda was born in Piedmont, W.V., in 1911 as one of 10 children, and moved to Woburn, Mass., in 1927. She married William Senhouse in 1933 and they were married for 62 years until his passing. She worked as a nanny for years.

According to her obituary: “While civil rights leaders marched in the 1960s for equality and against racism, Senhouse showed her activism through jazz dance shows. She founded Boston’s Clique Club, a social club of dancers and musicians to help educate Black students. Senhouse helped countless Black students pay for everything from books to college tuition through the Clique Club.”

A memorial service will be held at 11am on Dec. 21 at Myrtle Baptist Church in Newton (21 Curve St.). According to her friend, Margaret Robinson, Herlda in true fashion made arrangements to donate her brain to the lab at MassGeneral Hospital for research on longevity. And one of her last activities was to vote by mail in the 2024 election, according to the town.

The Select Board plans to recognize Herlda Senhouse’s passing during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

It is often that we receive a request to run an obituary on The Swellesley Report. Most recently, the family of Natalie Gubbay, who died in a car crash on Oct. 23, wanted to make sure that everyone in Wellesley knew about Natalie’s amazing but short life. Natalie’s family wrote a moving tribute to her. Please read their words here.

It’s rare that we receive a follow-up request to keep the community updated. How did the family manage during this indescribably tender time of laying to rest their 26-year old daughter, sister,  friend ? How did a community come together in the face of such tragedy?

Here’s how, as written by Teri Adler, a close family friend of the Gubbays. The following words were shared with Rachel Gubbay, Natalie’s mother. Rachel was deeply moved and has requested that it be shared with a wider audience.

It is honor and privilege to do so on The Swellesley Report.

The Meaning of Community—A Wellesley Tale

Fall in New England takes on a rich, sometimes glorious and sometimes melancholy feel that permeates our days. As the bright fall leaves change into their muted and brittle form, this ever-changing background creates an inner emotion filled with hope, comfort and sometimes dread, knowing the long cold winter is ahead.

Last week in Wellesley this expected landscape was the setting where we collectively mourned with dear friends, as a result of an unthinkable tragedy. One of our own—a wonderful, brilliant, kind and special 26 year-old girl was taken from us one night while driving home after a trivia night outing with friends. Natalie Gubbay was hit by a reckless drunk driver in Minneapolis.

This tremendous person, now lost to us, was a Wellesley native and the daughter of one of Jeff and my closest friends.

This reflection is about the extraordinary community who instantly rallied to create a fortified support system for the family, and helped them create a moving tribute to the daughter they lost. It was a sight that called out for documentation, in my humble opinion. I don’t claim to be a ring leader, but a quiet observer and servant to those who needed my help.

The women of Wellesley created an effective force in one week that grabbed hold of the town. The love and power it emitted was palpable. As soon as we learned of the accident, trips were cancelled, flights rebooked back to Boston, and day jobs were put on hold.

In a matter of hours, countless text chains were created, committees formed and skill sets defined as people stepped into positions where they needed to be to help create a memorial service, candle lighting, and reception worthy of Natalie and her family’s greatness. We worked with an intense, yet quiet focus. The goal bound us, as did our sadness and grief that took hold of every inch of our bodies. Town organizations also stepped up, offering anything to aid this heartbroken network.

Enter the effective, loving and strong women of Wellesley. Dozens, if not hundreds, stepped up to take on roles where they would be most effective. Whether you knew the family or not, it did not matter. There was no time for agendas or pride, only a place for determination fueled by love. Sarah and Carol led us in the planning of the church service. Veronica and Lisbeth spent countless hours on the brochure and photo, out-of-town guests were guided by Tracy so they felt at home in our town, and housed by Michelle and Patti. No detail was left for chance. If there was a potential hole in the planning at least ten others were always eager to step up and problem solve. If you listened closely, I know you could hear a chorus of, “how can I help?” Halloween passed us by, since many of us were instead meeting together to go over the agenda for Saturday, making sure each step was perfectly choreographed and in line with the family’s wishes.

The tennis team, led by Betsy and Sally, meticulously curated a beautiful venue at the reception site at Wellesley Village Church. My husband Jeff edited a moving tribute for the family. Heather led dozens of people in order to create an incredibly moving candlelight service by the duck pond that Natalie loved. Her brilliant idea came to life when 75 high school athletes from Wellesley, and my own daughter’s gymnastics team (Natalie was a gymnast and had recently started practicing the sport again) lined the walkway to the ceremony while holding candles. Young athletes who didn’t know Natalie felt the heaviness of this day and the preciousness of life in general. Tears fell from their eyes, while those attending walked by and mustered “thank you’s” for taking their Saturday night to honor such a special person taken away too soon. It was one of the most moving things I have ever seen. Countless volunteers handed out candles to the attendees and increased the glow the kids had started. Thank you Kelly, Missy, Christine and Shani, to name a few.

Wellesley Country Club  became a symbol of all that is good. Their flag at half-staff was a steady reminder of the deep loss in our community. And they also opened up their buildings for any and all who were helping, and hosted the reception where just a few short weeks ago we gathered to celebrate a family friend’s birthday. The same women who lifted each other up only a few short weeks ago shifted gears to now use their strength to help a friend in need. Country Club employees came in early, wiping tears from their tired eyes to work with members and non-members alike setting up the rooms. A waiter told me since Natalie’s death the restaurants had been quieter. Those we couldn’t see or didn’t know were also mourning with us.

Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club rushed to their warehouse to gather the last of their luminary kits, which would light up the pathway to the reception after we learned this holiday tradition in town was one of Natalie’s favorites. The police department, parks department, and Wellesley Village Church all offered, without any hesitation, whatever was needed to ensure the day of remembrance would be smooth, calm and inviting. And it was. Sue, John, Lisbeth, Emily, and others ushered people delicately to their seats. The service was beautiful, and in the end the younger kids who looked up to Natalie all these years (Emily, Eliza, Morgan and Anna) handed out seeds with a poem written for Nat by a dear friend from Atlanta. If anything comforting could come out of a horrific situation it was the raw and powerful words spoken by those who loved Natalie, while their loving friends and family listened and learned.

Right now, we hear the word “divided” so often, but this last week we experienced the opposite. This incredible town came together and formed an unbreakable bond. It was born from tragedy, but it showed us our common good can still bind us. Thank you Natalie for that one last gift.

Mary Jane (Cyphers) Kelley of Wellesley, October 27, 2024. Beloved wife of Gerald “Jerry” W. Kelley for 58 years. Loving mother of Susan K. Nipoti and her husband Michael of South Easton, Sharon M. Kelley of Waltham, Thomas J. Kelley of Medfield. Nana to Owen, Jacob and William Nipoti. Sister of the late Raymond Cyphers and Kenneth Cyphers and his surviving wife Carolyn and their daughter Laurie Wesman.

Mary Jane devoted her career to serving as a special needs bus driver. In free time she enjoyed traveling with family and friends and spoiling her grandchildren.

Visitation at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington Street, Wellesley on Friday, November 1, from 4-7PM. Funeral service on Saturday, November 2, in the funeral home at 11AM. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley. In lieu of flowers expressions of sympathy may be made to Amyloid Research Fund, Amyloidosis Center, 72 East Concord St. K-503, Boston, MA 02118.

Obituaries of current or past Wellesley residents and community members can be sent to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

To the Wellesley community, from the family of Natalie Gubbay:

It is with profound sadness that we announce the tragic passing of Natalie Gubbay, age 26. She was taken from the world far too soon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the evening of October 23rd, in a senseless car accident caused by a reckless drunk driver. She was waiting at a stop light, coming home from a trivia night with friends.

Born on March 18, 1998, Natalie brought a boundless energy to life, always carrying a sense of purpose, compassion, and adventure. She was a radiant light to her family, friends, and community, and leaves a legacy beyond her years.

Natalie was born in Denver, Colorado, and spent her early years in Atlanta, Georgia, where her sister Olivia was born. The family moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts in 2004 where Natalie attended public schools, starting at Upham Elementary and graduating from Wellesley High in 2016 including a semester at the Maine Coast Semester School at Chewonki. Following high school, Natalie attended Colorado College, where she earned a degree in Mathematical Economics and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study labor economics in Argentina.

From a young age, Natalie knew who she was and always cut her own path. Her academic abilities, compassion, and sense of purpose and justice have left a deep impression on her friends, family, and teachers alike.

During her high school years, Natalie’s favorite activity was caring for her community garden plot on Weston Rd. She drew meaning and importance from caring for her plot, tenderly watering her plants, and cultivating and sharing her vegetable harvest. In all the places she later lived, she never failed to find a way to grow her own vegetables, no matter how small the space. She also found a passion for sports, hiking, and biking. She co-founded Colorado College’s spikeball club and loved to camp with her friends. By the time she left college, she had climbed several “fourteeners”, hiked and explored all over the northeast and Colorado, biked from Wyoming to California, and road tripped across Canada. She was adventurous and she inspired that spirit within her friends and family. While serious about her goals, Natalie was also funny, and at times even goofy, while pursuing her passions.

During the COVID years, Natalie worked in Washington, D.C. in the field of Education Policy, and in 2022 she moved to Minneapolis to take a research position in the Opportunity and Inclusive Growth Institute within the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. It was a perfect fit with her sense of justice and her strong desire to have an impact and change things for the better. She recently had the opportunity to co-author groundbreaking work on the economy. She joined colleagues from around the bank to advance the understanding of incomes in Native areas.

In Minneapolis, Natalie found a strong community and many friends through her activities. She rediscovered her childhood love for gymnastics and found great joy in re-conquering skills. She values community and diversity and has an amazing ability to connect deeply with people from all walks of life and at all ages. Her friends know her as “the glue” that brought everyone together, whether in Wellesley, Colorado, D.C. or Minneapolis. In addition to her job at the Fed, she volunteers at a local homeless center and teaches English classes. In all that she did, she found meaning in the ways she could engage with and contribute to local community.

Natalie had just completed her application for the prestigious National Science Foundation Doctoral Studies Scholarship to investigate the impacts of policies empowering renters’ collective action in Washington, D.C.’s deep urban transformations. She was on the verge of submitting her applications to pursue a PhD. She was about to truly soar when her life was taken from her and from the world.

Natalie was part of a large extended family who loved her beyond measure. Her parents, Rachel and Keith, and her cherished sister Olivia who adored her and looked up to her in countless ways. On her mother’s side, she had a beloved Australian extended family, where she spent many Christmases with her grandparents, Phil and Eleanor Hancock; her Uncle Mark, Aunt Liz, and cousins Alice (and husband Tom and children Edie, Lucy and Heidi), George (and wife Minna), Arthur (and fiancée Lara), and Louise (and husband Karthi). Her Uncle Peter and Aunt Betty and their family were also a large presence. On her father’s side, she will be forever loved by Uncle Dave, Aunt Penny, Grandma Kate, and cousins Daniella, Sophia, and Ben, who she always looked forward to visiting.

A celebration of Natalie’s life will be held on Saturday, November 2, at 4pm, at Wellesley Village Church, 2 Central St. Wellesley, Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to Mothers Against Drunk Driving at MADD.com.

Natalie was incredibly loved. She will be terribly, terribly missed, but her beautiful and brilliant smile and spirit will be with us forever.