Sarah Solace (Walker) Tobey

Solace (Walker) Tobey, 76, of Hingham, passed away on Tuesday January 16th after a long illness with multiple myeloma.

Solace was born in Northampton MA in 1941 and was the daughter of Robert Randolph Walker and Helen Hatcher, who met while students at Amherst College and Smith College respectively. Solace spent most of her childhood growing up in Auburndale (Newton) and Duxbury MA with her parents and her younger brother Peter Walker.

Solace attended the Dana Hall School in Wellesley MA. As a teenager, she won honorable mention in an essay contest and met Senator John F. Kennedy during the award ceremony.

Following in her mother’s footsteps Solace graduated from Smith College in Northampton MA with a degree in Art History in 1963. She was later to become part of three generations of Smith women as her daughter Elizabeth graduated from Smith College in 1993.

After Solace graduated she returned to the Boston area and met Philip Tobey of Brookline MA. They were married in Duxbury in 1965. Solace and Phil eventually settled in Hingham MA in 1970 where they lived for the next 47 years.

Solace spent her career working as a journalist as a town reporter for the Hingham Mirror, the Hingham Mariner, and the Patriot Ledger. Solace loved the town of Hingham and all of the people she met through her reporting work including the town hall officials and staff, the teachers and staff at the Hingham Public Schools, the police officers, the firemen and emergency medical personnel, her colleagues at the newspaper, and many other of the residents in town.

Solace had a life long love of singing. After graduating from college Solace performed as a part of a chorus directed by John Oliver, who later went on to found the Tanglewood Festival Chorus with its over 45 year relationship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. After retiring from her newspaper work Solace sang with the OPALS, a senior chorus which performed for many elderly residents in South Shore communities.

 Solace’s other passion in life was reading. She was a lifelong reader and always seeking out new novels to read along with her favorite authors including Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Donna Leon’s Inspector Brunetti series, and James Herriot’s books about his life as a veterinarian in Yorkshire.

Solace loved her family and always made time with them a priority in her life. She is survived by her husband Philip Tobey of Hingham, her brother Dr. Peter Walker of Melvin Village NH, her daughter Elizabeth Tobey of Greenbelt MD, and her son Robert Tobey of Cohasset MA.

Arrangements are under the care of Downing Cottage Funeral Chapel, Hingham. There will be a memorial service for Solace “Sarah” (Walker) Tobey on Saturday, January 27, 2018 at 11 am at New North Church in Hingham. The service will be followed by a catered reception in the parlor in the back of the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wellspring, 814 Nantasket Avenue, Hull, MA 02045, http://wellspringhull.org/web/. 

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