Renata L. Gilmore, 88, of Cable Gardens, Ipswich, died Thursday August 24, 2017 in Beverly Hospital following her sudden illness.

Born in Ipswich February 16, 1929 daughter of the late George L. and Doris M. (Estey) Gilmore she was raised in Ipswich and was a 1947 honor  graduate of the  former Whipple Memorial High School.  In 1948 she was employed by New England Telephone Company in Ipswich  as an operator until her transfer to the engineering dept. in Salem where she became an outside plant engineer. She finished her forty-one year career with the telephone company in March of 1989.

Renata was an Ipswich “Townie.” She loved the town, enjoyed Crane Beach, swimming and gardening. She loved to get her “mess” of clams as one of the few woman recreational clammers   at the time. In her retirement Renata took up the art of water color painting and enjoyed painting scenes of Ipswich and Cape Ann many of which now reside with family and  area buyers. Renata also participated in “The People & Places Book” of Ipswich. Here she shared her cherished years of growing up in her   Ipswich River neighborhood.

She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, the Ipswich YMCA and  the Guild of Beverly Artists.

Renata enjoyed and dearly loved her surviving  sister Mary V. Ross of Merrimac and her family of five children, Barry Ross of Long Meadow, Paul and  David Ross both of Ipswich, Daniel Ross  and Lucinda Ross both of Merrimac and all their children. In addition to her parents Renata was predeceased by a sister, Doris A. Gilmore and brother, Alfred Estey . 

Family and friends are respectfully welcomed to visiting hours 4 to 7 pm Wednesday, August 30 in the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High St., Ipswich. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in her name may be made to Ipswich Humane, P.O. Box 873, Ipswich, MA 01938.