Anne M. Gilman

With grace and dignity, Anne (Grady) Gilman accepted her fate and succumbed to the waiting arms of her beloved husband Gary and her three boys Tim, Paul, and Sean on July 12, 2025, after battling head and neck cancer.

They are now reunited in eternal peace.

Anne was the second of three children born to Frank and Agnes Grady in Manchester, NH, on February 9, 1946. She spent her entire life growing, learning, working, and living life to the fullest in the Queen City after having graduated from McDonald School in 1960 and Manchester Central High School in 1964. She grew up in “the fields” area of Manchester when life was simple and there were always plenty of friends and cousins to play with. Time spent jumping rope, playing hide-and-go seek, swimming, and pretending to be cowboys made for great fun, and Anne enjoyed every minute of her childhood.

Anne was rather shy as a child, but she outgrew her shyness in her adult years during which she became a great story teller. She would willingly tell anyone who would listen about her three-day job at Manchester City Hall (Her mom worked part time at City Hall and managed to get all the neighborhood girls a stint during tax season.) where her first paycheck netted her $14 to spend on new clothes for school. Her profit bought her two skirts, a blouse, and a sweater with a little bit of change left over for a couple of treats. Once she got started, her stories could keep you enchanted for hours on end.

Anne married shortly after her graduation from Central High School, and within nine years she was a mom to four boys. When her youngest was eight years old, she met Gary Gilman, the love of her life, whom she married on a freezing cold evening in January of 1983. Gary immediately became a patient stepfather to four growing boys, but the family was to grow a little more, and Gary and Anne welcomed their adorable daughter Shannon on June 17, 1984.

Anne was a hard worker, both at home and as an employee. Besides keeping a spotless house, she became the best darn pie maker around. After perfecting her no-fail pie crust, her lemon meringue pie became simply the best, and her coconut cream pie was to die for. Another of Anne’s talents revolved around sewing. She spent hours making clothes for her two youngest grandchildren, and she had a blast spending hours with her quilting group.

Anne had many jobs during her lifetime, but she maintained that the best was her first job when she worked in the kitchen at the Elliot Hospital. Her final 28 years were spent working for the United States Government—4 years at the VA Hospital and 24 years for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Anne was a true fan of Stephen King, she was an Elvis lover which began in her teen years, she loved tole painting, and she enjoyed ushering at The Palace Theatre. Upon retirement Anne would wake up daily to a cup of hot coffee and a game of Candy Crush (Level 7377). A great day in Anne’s life would include a ride with Gary—usually to the back roads of Maine—followed by a cheeseburger lunch. Anne was lucky enough to do a bit of traveling in her lifetime—a trip to Ireland, a few cruises, several trips to Florida and Canada, a trip to China, and a special trip to California to see the redwood trees and some national parks. She was lucky enough to enjoy one last vacation in February to Paradis Island in The Bahamas where, among other things, she was able to enjoy as much ice cream as she wanted. She was always happy when she was with friends enjoying a strawberry daiquiri or a creamsicle frappe. Anne’s laugh was contagious, and she managed to include a couple of big belly laughs every day. She didn’t need much more than that as the simple joys of life brought her great happiness and immense satisfaction.

Anne is survived by her son Stanley Lesnick and her daughter Shannon (Thomas) Shurtleff, her grandchildren Paul, Natasha, Trisha, Kelly, Caitlin, Mary, and Margaret, sister Mary Panarese (Joseph), sisters-in-law Sylvia Grady and Judy Aron (Mark), and brothers-in-law Rick Gilman (Kathy) and Bruce Gilman (Kim), daughter-in-law Fran Lesnick, and several nieces and nephews. Anne was predeceased by her husband Gary, her sons Timothy, Paul, and Sean, her parents Frank and Agnes Grady, and her brother Gerald.

Since Anne was not a fan of dark colors and the services will be a celebration of her journey home, the family requests that colorful, cheerful clothing be worn for the services.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Special Olympics NH, P.O. Box 3598, Concord, NH 03302. On the memo line please write “Anne Gilman/Chris Panarese.”

Calling hours at Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St, will be Monday, July 21, from 4 to 7 pm. A memorial Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 22nd at 10 am in St. Pius X Church. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery.