Rockport - Rockport - Perhaps it was your mother or your neighbor, maybe your spouse, your brother—or even you. If you or someone you loved received care at Addison Gilbert Hospital over the past four decades, chances are you were cared for by Fern Taylor. Chances are even greater that you remember her—not just for her exceptional care, but for the deep compassion, empathy, and connection she brought to her work.

It is with great sadness that we announce Fern's peaceful passing on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at the age of 77. She was surrounded by loving family and close friends, serenaded with her favorite Barbra Streisand ballads.

Born on April 13, 1948, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Fern was the second daughter of Ruth Hohensee (née Litke) and Howard Taylor. She was a proud member of the Prospect Drum Corps Honor Guard during her time at Wilby High School and later earned her nursing degree from Quinnipiac University.

Shortly after graduation, Fern discovered Gloucester and fell in love with its rugged coastline, tight-knit community, and natural beauty. Soon, she inspired her whole family to trade Connecticut for Cape Ann. Fern served Addison Gilbert Hospital as a registered nurse for over thirty-five years, where she was known for her unwavering dedication and heartfelt care. Later, she extended that care through massage therapy, opening a successful private practice.

Fern's generosity reached far beyond Addison Gilbert. She volunteered her medical skills in service to people suffering in poverty and crisis in the Dominican Republic and for years provided free massages to Boston Marathon runners. She cherished time with her dogs, Tubs and Ravello, and found joy in traveling, gardening, walking the Cape Ann coast, and most of all, time with family and friends.

Fern will be remembered for her gentle spirit, fierce loyalty, and boundless love. She is preceded in death by her mother, Ruth Hohensee; stepfathers, John Bredice and Kenneth Hohensee; siblings, Aleta Taylor and John Taylor, and longtime partner, James "Lucky" Sinagra.

She is survived by siblings, Paul Bredice and Caroline Fitzpatrick; brother-in-law, Richard Fitzpatrick; nieces, Stephanie Dehner, Lauren Patel, Isabel Fitzpatrick and Emily Fitzpatrick and nephew Brennen Fitzpatrick, along with their partners and a gaggle of grand-nieces and -nephews who will miss her dearly.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at 2:00 at the First Congregational Church in Rockport, MA. A reception will follow, providing an opportunity for friends and family to celebrate Fern's remarkable life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to the Massachusetts Nurses Association Scholarship Fund at www.massnurses.org or Doctors without Borders at

www.doctorswithoutboarders.org

Arrangements by Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA. For online condolences please visit www.greelyfuneralhome.com