Mary-Elizabeth Houskeeper

Mary-Elizabeth “Meg” Houskeeper, 94, of Upton and formerly of West Hartford, Connecticut, died peacefully at home on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was the wife of the late Robert M. Houskeeper, who passed away in 2020. Their life together began after meeting at a USO dance while Bob was stationed at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, and she loved him dearly throughout their 64 yearlong marriage and the years following his death.

Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, she was the daughter of the late George and Mary (Hastings) Gordon. Meg grew up in Newburgh, New York, in a multi-generational home. She was raised by her mother and her grandparents, James and Isabella Hastings, along with her Uncle Charlie who lived next door. She was especially close to her grandfather, James.

During the Depression, Meg’s family rented out rooms in their home. This experience sparked her lifelong interest in people; she spent much of her childhood on the family stoop talking to the various renters coming and going. She truly enjoyed learning about others and could strike up a meaningful conversation with anyone she met.

Meg graduated at the top of her class from Mount Saint Mary Academy (“The Mount”) and earned her degree in Library Science from SUNY Geneseo. She worked as a school librarian in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and later for many years at the Smith and Charter Oak Elementary schools in West Hartford where she made many lifelong friends, three of which would visit her every year through the remainder of her life despite having moved to Massachusetts.

She was a voracious reader of espionage novels and historical biographies, but she was most passionate about her own family history. As the family historian and a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), she made sure the stories of the family’s ancestors were passed down to her children and grandchildren. In her free time, she tended to her "English gardens”, intentionally wild and chaotic flower beds where she loved seeing what would pop up each spring. She was also a talented knitter, making many blankets, hats, hoodies and other handmade clothing for her family over the years.

Meg was an only child, but she leaves behind a large family. She is survived by her children: Marshall Houskeeper and his wife Jean, of Upton; James Houskeeper and his wife Lynn, of Bolton; Mary Rivera and her husband German, of Upton; and her former son-in-law Michael Donelan, of Newport, Tennessee.

She was the grandmother of eight: Rebecca Flaeter and her husband Joe, Sarah Leacu, Ashley Donelan and her wife Jill, Bridgette Donelan, Patrick Donelan, Katie Houskeeper, Susie Houskeeper, and Hope Rivera. She was the great-grandmother of six: Benjamin, Abby, and William Flaeter; George and Julia Leacu; and Mary Mae Donelan. She was predeceased by two great-grandchildren, Alexander and Bradley Leacu.

Calling hours are Tuesday, May 19, from 10 to 11 A.M. at the Pickering & Son Upton Funeral Home, 45 Main Street, Upton. A graveside service will follow at 11:30 A.M. at Lakeview Cemetery, North Main Street, Upton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the West Hartford Public Library Foundation (www.westhartfordlibrary.org/library-foundation)

Mother: I love you...

Child: How much do you love me?

Mother: Down to the monsters, and up to the sky!

Child: Does the sky ever end?

Mother: No, it keeps going, and going, and going...