Marilyn Shaw Eldredge

Marilyn Shaw Eldredge passed peacefully on Sunday, September 8, at Liberty Commons in Chatham MA. 
Known as “Rusty” due to her striking red hair, Marilyn was born on January 2, 1931, in Worcester MA to Fredrick James and Ruth Shaw.  She attended Green Mountain College where she met the love of her life, Donald F. Eldredge, on a blind date while he was attending Dartmouth College.  Soon after, she came to Chatham to visit the family at the Eldredge “Hydrangea Walk” home on Shore Road, built by his father Leo V. Eldredge.  Marilyn and Donald were married on June 16, 1951, and spent their honeymoon over at the Backlash camp on North Beach.  They enjoyed the outdoors boating on Pleasant Bay and visiting with the Eldredge family on Sundays at the Backlash camp.  Marilyn, like her father, was a skilled flounder fisherman consistently hooking two fish almost every time.  There was little Marilyn couldn’t do once she put her mind to it.  She was immensely creative, and her talents included painting wonderful landscapes, sewing tailor-made clothes for herself and the women of Chatham, knitting fine quality sweaters, crocheting, Swedish weaving, sewing curtains, and even braiding rugs to furnish her home with style.  She also worked for a time at the Sail Loft clothing store on Bridge Street.  Marilyn and Don spent over 20 years enjoying the summer months at their cottage on Prince Edward Island, Canada that reminded them of what Chatham must have been like 100 years ago.  While at the PEI cottage, they enjoyed family visits, fishing, and boating.  Marilyn always loved to garden and produced amazing vegetables and flowers.  She also loved fiercely competitive croquet games, and playing the Tock board game from Canada.  Don and Marilyn also loved camping across the U.S and Canada having traveled to every state and nearly every province on their numerous summer trips.  They spent their later years in Titusville FL where they volunteered at the War Birds aviation museum. 
Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband and grandchild Joshua Kendrick Stello.  She is survived by her three children and their spouses:  Jennifer Eldredge Stello & Robert Kendrick Stello, Jeffrey Shaw Eldredge & Frances Drapeau Eldredge, and Leo V. Eldredge II & Susan DeFoe Eldredge.  Her grandchildren and their spouses include Brianna Stello, Nathan James Eldredge & Macy Klein Eldredge, and Hannah Lee Eldredge, and great grandchildren Leo Paul Eldredge and Ezra James Eldredge.
The family will host a private memorial.  Please send notes of comfort to the family at www.chapmanfuneral.com.