PUTNAM, Conn. — Elizabeth M. (Desaulnier) Wells, 83, died on Jan. 23, 2016, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, Connecticut.

She was born May 9, 1932, to William Desaulnier and Yvonne (Potvin) Desaulnier. Growing up in Putnam, Elizabeth had many friends, including two lifelong friends, Joyce (Hall) Bell and Nancy (Ferguson) Godley.

After she and her husband, John, married, they moved to East Woodstock, Connecticut, where John was from. In East Woodstock, she was involved in the East Woodstock Library and one of the original committee members for the East Woodstock Fourth of July Jamboree.

In 1960, she moved to Norwich, Connecticut, with John, where she raised her family. In Norwich, she became involved in Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts. Elizabeth attended Mohegan Community College for Business and Marketing, and later became a department manager for Filenes Department Store in Waterford, Connecticut.

After her son, John David, and her husband died, Elizabeth moved to Saco, where the family had spent many summers. She loved Maine, flourished there, and made many close friends there. She often spent time with her aunt Alice Fisher- Basley and her cousin Judy Chandonnet.

Elizabeth loved to read, and she loved art and history. This love led her to volunteer and later work part-time at the Saco Museum. She loved the museum, and enjoyed time spent with her co-workers. She also loved to shop and lunch. Her niece, Joanne Woodfall, would come from her home in New Hampshire for shopping trips and lunches with “Aunt Betty.”

As winters became more difficult, she spent time in Florida with her daughter, Lynn. The trip to Florida was made with her nephew, Dennis Desaulnier, and she had many great memories of traveling with him.

Elizabeth worked at the museum until her health began to decline at age 80. As it became impossible to be alone in Maine, she moved to Seely Brown Village in Pomfret Center, Connecticut, to be near her sister-in-law, Alice Desaulnier and her niece, Beverly (Desaulnier) Spink. Beverly was instrumental in her care, and Elizabeth greatly depended on her.

Her nephews Ronald, Dennis and David Desaulnier helped her stay independent as long as possible. She enjoyed her time spent with all of them, and very much appreciated their help. At Seely Brown Village, she took up painting and found a new love, even winning a prize at the Woodstock Fair.

Elizabeth had many accomplishments, but her most prized was her family. She will be very much missed.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by: her husband, H. John Wells, and her son, John David Wells of Norwich.

She is survived by: her daughter, Lynn C. Wells- Ockun, who resides in Boynton Beach, Florida, with her husband Robert J. Ockun; and grandchildren, Jocelyn Paige (Quarto) Hamilton of Olympia, Washington, Adrian Joseph Quarto of Camano Island, Washington, Army Master Sgt. Richard Irving McNamara III, presently of Seoul, South Korea, and Dr. Courtney Lynn McNamara of Trondheim, Norway.

Elizabeth was also the proud great-grandmother of her 10 great-grandchildren. Much loved by her were also her nieces and nephews, the children of her late brother William Desaulnier and her sister-inlaw Alice Desaulnier of Seely Brown Village in Pomfret, Connecticut.

Visiting hours will be 9- 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at Most Holy Trinity Church, 271 Main St., Saco. Burial will be in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Elizabeth M. Wells may be made to: Saco Museum, 371 Main St., Saco, ME 04072. To share condolences online, please visit www.hopememorial.com.