Lenore Gessner Travis

Lenore Helen Gessner Travis, on April 26, 2015. Lenore  was born in Escanaba, Michigan on February 3, 1948. Her mother’s family fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Her father’s family emigrated from Germany in the 1870s and founded The Fair Store in Escanaba. In 1953, the family moved to Cambridge where they started a successful shoe company.

Lenore was a life-long learner. She attended Shady Hill School, Buckingham School, and Hiram College. In the summers, the self-described ‘city girl’ attended Arnold Western Ranch in Colorado, where she developed a love for horses and the outdoors.

After graduating from college in 1969, she taught at Shady Hill School, worked at the Ha’Penny Pub, volunteered at Revels, and shortly after began her career at Tom Fields Associates producing rock and roll shows nationally where she met her future husband, George.  They reconnected when she was with Mike Brown Grandstands in California. They were married for 35 years.

The Travises then moved to Lincoln, Massachusetts where they raised three children, numerous cows, chickens, and giant Flemish rabbits. Lenore continued her spirit of volunteering on many diverse fronts. Some of these include Revels, The Shady Hill School, The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, Planned Parenthood, The Farm School, the Food Project, Save a Dog, and Codman Farm.

Lenore embraced all faiths and never missed an opportunity to arrange a gathering with her large group of family and friends who were collected from diverse places and backgrounds.

Lenore leaves her husband George, her children Ben of New York City, Mat and his wife Amy of Washington DC, and Kyra of Chatham; brothers Charles Gessner and his wife Susan of Marblehead and David Gessner of Somerville, and relatives in Israel and Brazil. Services will be held in the Story Chapel, Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 2:30 pm. Following interment at Mount Auburn Cemetery, memorial observance will be at the Travis residence from 6-8 pm Thursday, and 5-7 pm on Friday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Food Project (thefoodproject.org), Revels(revels.org), Farm School (farmschool.org), or a community based organization of your choice.