Worcester – Adrienne Beaton died peacefully on November 4th, 2022, just days before her 89th birthday. She is survived by her daughter Lisa Pineda, son Richard Schlight, and their spouses Cristian and Judy. Adrienne will be deeply missed by her former husband Gerard Schlight, along with dozens of nieces, nephews, and friends.
Born in Roslindale, Massachusetts, Adrienne was the youngest of six and the last surviving member of the Roslindale Beaton clan. As a child, she enjoyed playing with her siblings at the Arnold Arboretum and helping her father with repairs around their big house. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Boston Teacher’s College, she taught first grade at the Bates School in Wellesley. In 1968, Adrienne and Gerard moved their young family to the United Kingdom where they would remain for ten years. She was a conscientious yet fun mother who found time to bake bread, grow tomatoes, and take her children to piano and riding lessons. In 1977, the family moved to Paris where Adrienne learned French, worked as a volunteer librarian and event organizer, and continued to grow her circle of friends.
Upon her return to the United States in 1980, Adrienne and her husband launched an offset printing business which she would manage until retiring in 1999. During the 80s, she took an interest in creative writing and wrote a collection of short stories later published in the monograph, The Bluebird & Other Stories.
Adrienne’s love of travel and adventure may have been ignited in her early 20’s when she and her friend embarked on a cross country road trip from Boston to San Diego; an excursion that might have seemed daring for two young women in the early 1950s. The Soviet Union was not a common vacation destination for Americans during the 1970’s, but she managed this also. At the age of 75, Adrienne took her last major voyage, a solo round-the-world trip (written about in the Boston Sunday Globe) with stops to visit family and friends in New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Australia.
Adrienne’s kindness and warm disposition earned her many lifelong friends who have enjoyed corresponding with her by letter and email almost as much as spending time in her company. We will remember her as a loving and supportive mother, spouse, and friend.
A memorial lunch is planned for the weekend of February 11, 2023.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Alzheimers Association in Adrienne’s memory at www.alz.org.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Hamel-Lydon Chapel.
