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In memory of
Rebecca Jane Gilford (née Kennedy)
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Rebecca's obituary
Rebecca, who went by “Becky,” attended and graduated from The Harley School in Rochester in 1943. During World War II, while her father was deployed as a surgeon in North Africa campaign and her mother worked as a nurse, Becky interrupted her university studies to care for her three younger siblings. In 1947 she married Paul Schmidt and moved to New Haven, Connecticutt, where Paul was completing his PhD in Philosophy at Yale. The family then moved to Oberlin, Ohio in 1951. A woman of wide ranging talents, Becky skillfully and creatively met the needs of her family, which grew to include four young children: Lawrence, Eric, Karl, and Ileene. In the summer of 1958, Becky, Paul and the four children—all under eight—piled into a classic Ford station wagon with a tent, cots, and all the other camping gear for a trip to Riverside, CA. Along the way, the family camped at many national parks, including Yellowstone, where they saw Old Faithful for the first time! After the academic year in Riverside, they returned to Oberlin, camping throughout the Southwest. Becky was a master of camp logistics and her ability to cook for the group of six on a two-burner Colman stove!
A lover of the arts, Becky always had a particular passion for dance. In Oberlin, she found time to take classes in modern dance and aid in the dance department. A dream came true in 1962 when she was invited to attend a workshop with the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. Dance would continue to play an important role in Becky’s life.
Becky and Paul divorced in 1964. For a year Becky raised the four children in Oberlin and worked in the Oberlin College Bookstore. In 1965 Becky married Saul R. Gilford, a successful entrepreneur and widower with four children, and they had a daughter, Hilary. The combined households included nine children! A devastating tragedy struck in 1969 when Becky’s third son, Karl, died of brain cancer. In 1976, having decided to finish her undergraduate degree, she successfully earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Oberlin College. She was fifty-one. Becky and Saul divorced in 1976 and two years later Becky and her daughter moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington in order to be closer to her son, Eric.
Becky’s passion for the arts continued in the Pacific Northwest, where she took full advantage Seattle’s many cultural offerings, frequently meeting friends for performances. She also travelled extensively throughout the globe, including trips to Egypt, China, Russia, the Middle East and Western Germany, where her son Lawrence spent many years. She especially loved visiting the castles on the Rhine River.
In 1985, Becky welcomed her first grandson, Nathan, who was followed by, Kassandra (1988), Lina (1993), and Giuseppa (2005). Never faint of heart, in 2010 at the age of 85, Becky embarked on an adventure, returning to the east coast to be near her daughter and her granddaughter, Giuseppa, in New York City. As a resident New York City, she had many adventures and to her surprise and delight, fell in love. Becky returned to Washington in 2014, to be closer to her son, Eric, and his family. In 2017, Becky welcomed her first great-grandchild, Inyo, son of her granddaughter Kassandra and husband, Zak, who live in Edinburgh, Scotland. She moved to San Juan Island in 2019 where she enjoyed trips to Friday Harbor and Cape San Juan.
Becky was two weeks shy of her 96th birthday when she passed. Always cheerful, she was greatly loved by the residents and staff of the Village at The Harbour, where she lived for her last two years. The family appreciates the wonderful care she received.
Becky is survived by her siblings, Bruce Kennedy, Margaret Kennedy, and Mary Cochran; by her children, Lawrence (Monika), Eric (Denise), Ileene, and Hilary (Cono), as well as her grandchildren, Nathan, Kassandra, Lina and Giuseppa, and her great-grandson, Inyo. Her extended family includes 11 nieces and nephews, and their children. Becky will be greatly missed!
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Created with love by
lawrence schmidt (Rebecca's son).
