With the words "I love you" and prayers from each of her children the last things she would hear in her physical life, Meredith "Chip" (Stevens) Eckstrom, 81, of West Bridgewater passed away peacefully on November 18, in the comfort and care of hospice, holding her son John's hand. "Aging is a gift denied to many", Twain once said, so the family is eternally grateful to have enjoyed many thriving years, where memories were made, love was abundant, and laughter more frequent than tears.

Meredith was born October 21, 1942, in Brockton, the daughter of Fred and Doris Stevens. She was a graduate of Brockton High and Robert Powers Finishing School before she was married to the love of her life, Robert, in 1963. They resided in Alexandria during the last year's of Robert's career in the CIA which coincided with the Kennedy Administration. After John was born in Virginia in 1965, Bob and Meredith moved back north to live close to family, and settled in West Bridgewater, where Susan and Mark were born, and all three kids were raised. The Eckstrom name was known to so many in town throughout the years. Chip opened her heart as well as the doors to the family home to all the kids' friends throughout the years, directly on brand with her truly unconditional love for her family, which was naturally expanded to anyone her family considered a friend. Meredith took pride in her decades long career at Bridgewater State where she served the honors students at the college and made many lifelong friends. But her real passion in life, the thing that brought her the most joy, was to be amongst her family and her closest friends. She was quick with a laugh, always eager to listen, and loved nothing more than to have her family all together in the same room. A close second favorite source of joy was a glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay at her favorite restaurant, Nikos.

Some of family's favorite memories include days on Plymouth and Sagamore Beaches, Sunday night pizza nights at 208, Sunday Funday at Jeannie's pool, and filling that little Cape house to capacity every year on Christmas Eve where Chippy was lovingly generous with gift giving, but mysteriously stingy with her singles when it came time to play Showdown.

As her health began to decline, Meredith's family and friends reciprocated all the love she gave throughout the years and made certain she was rarely alone. From Saturday morning visits from her grandkids with a donut and an iced coffee, homemade dinners from her daughters- in- law, and countless days of household assistance, loving companionship, and support from her three kids and their families, there was no room for doubt that when Meredith left this physical world, she knew she was loved.

Meredith would frequently refer to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and faithfully believed "there is a day to be born and a day to die". As sad as we are to have reached this day, we know that this was her day to rest, and to join her beloved husband Bob in Heaven, where he has waited patiently for her for 15 years, during which time we are grateful to have enjoyed many wonderful memories with her here on Earth.

Meredith is predeceased by her husband Bob, brothers David and Malcolm Stevens and sister Audrey Werthen and is survived by her little sister Jeanne Zona and her husband Michael. She leaves her son John and his wife Bobbie Jo of Bridgewater, daughter Susan of Woburn, and son Mark and his wife Megan of Easton. She will be sorely missed by her 6 loving grandkids Briana Zuppa and Courtney (Zuppa) Palermo and husband Vinny, Jenna and Ethan Eckstrom, John Jr. and Zackary Eckstrom, her Godson Michael Tilden and by many beloved nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws, and many lifelong friends, all of whom will miss her dearly.

Please join us so we can all be together in the same room one last time with Mom to remember her life. A wake service will be held at Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 441 South Main St., (RT28) West Bridgewater on Thursday November 30th from 3-7 PM. A brief funeral service will take place at Russell & Pica Funeral Home on Friday, December 1st at 10:00 AM, followed by interment at Pine Hill Cemetery. Following the services, all are welcome to join the family for a toast to Chippy as we raise a glass with her favorite words that always let us know that she had nothing else to say: "And that is that".