NEWPORT — Family and coworkers are grieving the death of the assistant manager at Salt hill Pub, whose body was discovered early Saturday morning on the floor of the Newport restaurant.

Jillian Dearden, 36, a Lempster, N.H., mother of four who had worked at Salt hill Pub since 2018, apparently collapsed while closing the restaurant on Friday night, according to her husband, Gary Dearden.

He said, based on the information provided by police, the family believes Jillian Dearden succumbed to a heart attack.

“It was something to do with her heart. We didn’t feel an autopsy was necessary,” Gary Dearden said outside their family’s home on Route 10 in Lempster on Tuesday.

Authorities said there was no sign of foul play and that Dearden died from natural causes.

“We have no indication that this was anything other than an untimely medical tragedy,” said Newport Police Chief Brent Wilmot, who declined further comment, noting that police were not regarding it as a criminal matter.

More than 40 people gathered outside Salt hill Pub in Newport on Sunday for an impromptu candlelight vigil in her honor, and friends also organized a meal train for her family, according to the What’s Up, Newport New Hampshire Facebook page.

On Tuesday, Salt hill Pub posted on its Facebook page a tribute to Dearden.

“With immeasurable sadness we report that three days ago, we lost a dear member of the Salt hill Pub family,” the post said, describing Dearden as “invaluable in her years of service with our team — even more so amid COVID and the staffing challenges that all businesses are facing.

“Jillian showed passion in everything she did, evoked smiles, found and was part of solutions, and made our guests happy,” the restaurant said.

Salt hill Pub co-owner Josh Tuohy on Tuesday declined to comment further “out of respect for Jillian’s family and our team members.”

Dearden, who grew up in North Walpole, N.H., and graduated from Fall Mountain Regional High School in 2000 in Langdon, N.H., is survived by her husband and two daughters and two sons, ages 12 to five; her parents Darlene and Stephen Pecor, of North Walpole, and an older brother.

Gary Dearden said they first met in high school and were married six years ago.

He said his wife worked night shifts at Salt hill Pub while he worked his day job at Yankee Barn Homes in Grantham building roof panels and wall panels.

“She loved her customers and coworkers. She did everything there. Waitress, bartender. Whatever they needed. Anybody needed a shift covered, she’d do it,” said Gary Dearden.

Sometimes when they couldn’t arrange help Jillian Dearden would bring their youngest daughter, nicknamed Peanut, to work at Salt hill Pub, where she would sit at the table near the side door while her mother’s coworkers would “bring out chicken tenders from the kitchen” for Peanut to eat, Gary Dearden said.

Jillian Dearden loved her slightly overweight golden lab, a rescue, named Teddy, and had a big heart for dogs.

“He followed her everywhere,” Gary Dearden said.

Usually, Gary Dearden said, he would fall asleep before his wife returned home from work at the pub.

But when he woke up at 4:30 on Saturday morning, he discovered his wife was not in bed beside him.

Gary Dearden texted his mother, thinking that after working a double shift Jillian might have gone there to sleep for some peace and quiet.

His mother, asleep, did not return the text.

At about 9 a.m. Gary Dearden said he received a visit from a New Hampshire State Trooper informing him about his wife’s death.

One blessing, however: Gary Dearden said his wife got to see Peanut start her first week of kindergarten last week.

“She started on Tuesday and then had school on Wednesday and Thursday, so at least she got to see Peanut hit the kindergarten milestone.”

Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.

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