Aileen P. (Gardner) Waite

TOPSFIELD – Mrs. Aileen P. (Gardner) Waite, 83 of Topsfield and the loving wife of the late Richard W. Waite, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2026.

Born in Northampton, England, Aileen was the daughter of the late Roy and Jean (Sale) Gardner. She was raised and educated in Colchester, England before moving to London and ultimately Massachusetts where she met her dear husband, Richard with whom she shared 40 years of marriage until his passing in 2019.

Professionally, Aileen worked as a lab technician at hospitals in Colchester, London, and Cambridge, MA. Later in life, she taught herself multiple programming languages and worked for many years developing tax software for Taxware International.

A long-time resident of the Town of Topsfield, Aileen was an active and devout member of Trinity Church, Topsfield, which provided her with a deep sense of community and purpose. Her true passions were music and nature. Extremely talented, Aileen learned the violin and viola as a young girl and continued playing in orchestras throughout her life. She enjoyed singing in Trinity’s choir as well as multiple chorales on the North Shore and playing in handbell choirs. Her devotion to music and the Church led her to study hymnody and the philosophy of church music as part of a leadership program for church musicians. A nature lover, Aileen enjoyed birding and travelled the world on birding trips. Music and nature were extremely important to her and brought her comfort throughout her life. Her final years were full of joy and laughter; listening to music, singing, dancing, and enjoying nature. Her life was a beautiful journey and an honour to accompany her. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Aileen is survived by her daughter, Erica Waite, of England; her former son-in-law, Aaron Clay of NH; her grandson, Charles Clay of Boston; her beloved sisters, Janet Smith of Australia and Sheila Abbott of England and dear nieces and nephews, Claire and Tony of England, Alison, Jennifer, and Melanie of Australia, and Stephen and Erle (Terry) of the US, in addition to several great-nieces and nephews.

ARRANGEMENTS: Relatives and friends are invited to attend Aileen’s funeral Mass which will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 124 River Road, Topsfield on Friday, May 1st at 11 A.M. with her burial to follow at Pine Grove Cemetery, Topsfield. Visiting hours will be held at O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple St., (Rte. 62) DANVERS on Thursday, April 30th from 6 to 8 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations in Aileen’s memory may be made to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.