Many postal workers might exchange a friendly wave or quick hello with residents as they deliver mail, but USPS letter carrier Elizabeth Crowe was committed to creating a meaningful relationship with each and every Newton Highlands resident on her route. There are often few constants in Newton locals’ hectic lives, yet there’s one thing they can always rely on: their daily (except Sundays!) USPS mail delivery. Elizabeth brought reliability – and good cheer – to her work every day, walking over 9 miles and connecting with the neighborhood, no matter if the air was thick with summer humidity or winter snow.
Highlands residents on Elizabeth’s delivery route were deeply shocked and saddened to learn that she had passed away suddenly, while delivering mail, on August 18.
Residents on Elizabeth’s delivery route described being truly surprised and saddened when they heard of her passing. As resident Lou Bonegio said, “She was such a part of our community. She was just somebody I always expected to see, and it was such a shock hearing what had happened to her. It just doesn’t feel like the same neighborhood anymore.”
Marion Kaufmann, another resident Elizabeth often spoke with during her routes, said that she was “completely shocked” when she heard that Elizabeth had passed away. Kaufmann emphasized this sentiment, saying, “I am so sad that I won’t get to see her again. She was just such a wonderful, thoughtful person. She was not the usual, distant type of letter carrier.”
Elizabeth brought her work ethic and friendship to her colleagues in the Newton Highlands Post Office, as well. When speaking of Elizabeth, the Newton Highlands Post Office shop steward told Fig City News, “She was the most senior carrier in this office — the hardest working carrier. Full of energy, she always lit up the place every morning.”
Elizabeth brought energy and vibrance to each day in the over 40 years she spent as a postal worker. Kaj Wilson, a Newton resident on Elizabeth’s postal route, noted that Elizabeth “seemed to work really hard and was really dedicated …yet she was always, always so friendly and cheerful.”
These three traits – dedication, liveliness, and connection – might often coexist in the world of postal service, where one-on-one communication is a central part of one’s daily work, but it’s rare for a postal worker to make a neighborhood impact to the extent Elizabeth did. As neighbor Julia Brody put it, “she knew everybody, she kept up-to-date on comings and goings, and she was a really important connector for the neighborhood.”
Elizabeth’s power to connect was known across the Newton Highlands area. Lori Lass, another resident on Elizabeth’s route, mentioned that “everybody seemed to know her and like her. She brightened up everybody’s day by making the time to say hello.” According to Lass, if multiple neighbors were outside walking together, Elizabeth would “sit, stop, and come over to talk to the whole group” – going past typical one-on-one daily chats and engaging the community as a whole.
Elizabeth’s love for her family always played a central role in her conversations with residents young and old. Many reported seeing Elizabeth on the phone during her route – yet this didn’t affect her professionalism in the slightest, as she cheerily greeted faraway family members while still doing excellent work. “She’d always sound so happy and merry,” commented neighbor Jon Goldberg. “Sometimes I could hear her coming before she even got to my door. I’d hear her laughing and talking.”
Other neighbors fondly remember one-on-one conversations with Elizabeth about her children and grandchildren. According to parent and Highlands resident Adam Galowitz, “every time I’d see her, we’d have a 15-to-20 minute conversation where she’d tell me all about what was going on with her kids or her grandkids. She loved to share pictures of the grandkids, stories about what they were up to …it was just so delightful.” Galowitz continued, saying, “she loved our children, and she’d ask about them in that same loving way. She’d come back and she’d want to hear stories about them. It was just incredibly sweet.”
Many residents hope that Elizabeth’s family will see her impact on the Newton Highlands community and all of the love that she brought to her job. Elizabeth’s obituary, including many heartfelt comments from her friends on her Newton Highlands route, can be found here. Services will be held on August 29, with 9AM visitation at Farley Funeral Home (358 Park Street, Stoughton) and 11AM mass at St. Edith Stein Church (71 E. Main Street, Brockton).
