My friend and West Marlborough neighbor Elizabeth "Baz" Powell, who died on Jan. 10, lived a long life with humor, integrity, wisdom, and great spirit.
I loved hearing her vivid stories about "the old days," like when she walked from her family's farm all the way up to Hood's Corner to catch the school bus during World War II. Her memory was amazing. When my Dearest Partner appeared on the scene, she was inclined to like him because one of his sisters, some 40 years ago, had been in the Girl Scout troop she led.
She always had some tidbit of news to share, from a play she'd seen at the Fulton Theater to a favorite ice cream shop in Ephrata. She had a distinctive way of speaking: clear and forthright, with never an "umm" or "like." She read every word of my column (and, to my embarrassment, spotted my errors) and contributed many wonderful items, like the yearly family reunion she hosted.
Baz was a regular at West Marlborough Township meetings, and for years she served on the township's zoning hearing board, whose job it is to review development plans that don't meet the township's rules. I recall one time when an attorney badly underestimated her, answering her question about some technical facet of his client's plan slowly and in simple terms.
"Yes, I understand that," she said dryly, and then went on to zero in on the exact point that he was dancing around.
It was an honor and a delight to know Baz, and I will miss her.
Baz's memorial service will be held at London Grove Friends Meeting, where she was a member, on a date still to be set.
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