Isabel Lydia Baillie (Payne) Chute, 96

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FRAMINGHAM – Isabel Lydia Baillie (Payne) Chute, 96, long-time resident of Framingham, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2021. 

She was the beloved wife of 70 wonderful years to Donald Read Chute, who passed away earlier this year.

Isabel was born in 1925 in Newton, to George Walter and Katie Isabel (Baillie) Payne, and grew up in Waltham, along with her older brother, George.

When she was 23, she met Don, the love of her life, on the beach in Ocean Park, Maine, and in 1950, they were married. They eventually moved to Framingham where they raised four children.

Isabel held a variety of jobs throughout her life, from secretary to the president of F.W. Derbyshire in Waltham, to various administrative positions in churches, schools, and Framingham Union Hospital. 

She and Don also loved to travel, especially to Nova Scotia and Disney World, and together they saw much of the US, Canada, Iceland and the UK.

Education was always important to Isabel.  Early in her children’s school years, she joined the PTA and led the creation of a new library at Brookwater Elementary School in Framingham.

Later, she enrolled in the External Degree program at Framingham State College where she took a variety of classes through the years until, in 2002 at age 77, she graduated cum laude with a BA in Liberal Studies and walked at commencement as the oldest graduate in the school’s history.

Isabel devoted a significant portion of her life to serving God and others. She was active in church life for decades at Park Street Baptist Church, holding many administrative and leadership roles, singing in the choir, serving dinners at local shelters, and leading various social groups.

Always smiling, kind, gracious, giving, and loving, she leaves a gold-standard legacy as a devoted spouse, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother. Don was always first and foremost in everything she did, but right there too were her children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She had a unique and special relationship with each of them and loved celebrating and sharing in all their milestones and successes.

The grandchildren all knew that they were in for a special and fun time when they were with Grammy: dressing up, sewing, baking, crafting, drawing, singing, playing on the beach in Ocean Park, exploring nature, visiting museums and libraries, playing games, tea parties, and so many other things that have created cherished and lasting memories.

She is survived by her three sons, Jeffrey Chute and his wife Pamela of Ocean Park, ME, George Chute and his wife Kathy of Teaticket, MA, and Bruce Chute and his wife Lynn of Northborough, MA, her grandchildren, Benjamin and his wife Cynthia, Andrew, Gracie, Harry, Maggie, Kaitlin, Erin and Megan Chute, and her great-grandchildren, Isabella and Kurtis Chute, and numerous cousins and their families.  She was the loving sister of the late Alexander George Payne and his late wife Virginia (Ruso) Payne.  In addition to her husband Don, she was predeceased by her beloved daughter Kathleen Chute.

Because gathering was not possible due to COVID restrictions at the time of Don’s passing, a celebration of life for both Isabel and Don will be held on August 4, 2021, at the Norton Funeral Home, 53 Beech Street in Framingham, with a time to gather beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m.

Since we will be celebrating two wonderful lives, the family requests that attendees please wear celebratory attire.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of the following:  To honor the outstanding care Isabel received in hospice, gifts may be made to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home in memory of Isabel Chute at VNA Care, Fund Development, 120 Thomas St., Worcester, MA, 01608, or www.vnacare.org.

To honor the love and life-long connection she had with Oceanwood Camp in Ocean Park, ME, gifts may be made to Oceanwood Friends, 189 Prescott St., Groton, MA 01450, in memory of Isabel Chute.

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