From Athol Daily News, 30 April: "Gloria Catherine (Simonds) Gurdak was taken from the loving arms of her family to eternal peace in Heaven on April 27, 2012, after suffering complications from open heart surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston
She was born Oct. 13, 1926, the daughter of Dell Paul and Grace Marie Angela (Gingras) Simonds of Athol and was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Marie, who died at age four, in 1925.
Gloria worked at F.W. Woolworth before she graduated from Athol High School in 1944. After graduation, she worked for Union Twist Drill, New England Telephone as an operator, and for Dr. Schiltz as a dental hygienist.
She married Joanneui (John) A. Gurdak on Sept. 14, 1948, in Our Lady Immaculate Church, Athol.
After moving to Baldwinville, she was employed for several years by the Temple Stuart Company as a secretary in their office.
She was president of the Temple Stuart Social Club where she often organized trips to see the Boston Red Sox. Gloria was also president of the Baldwinville Legion Auxiliary and a sewing club.
After moving back to Athol in 1960, she became the first woman firearms dealer in the state of Massachusetts and ran her own gun shop until her husband joined her a few years later.
Gloria taught CCD at both Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi churches.
She volunteered at school libraries and was a leader for Camp Fire Girls.
Gloria and John enjoyed their cottage on Laurel Lake in New Hampshire during these years as well and retired together in 1986. John was taken from this life on April 14, 1987, 25 years ago.
In 1996 Gloria moved to Whatley to be with her daughter, Robin Gurdak-Foley, and son-in-law, Rick Foley, and granddaughter Alexis Foley, who was the apple of her eye.
She enjoyed sewing, reading, and watching birds in her backyard feeders.
Gloria loved cats and dogs. She especially enjoyed dining at the Whatley Inn and going to the beach in Westerly, R.I., with her family.
A devout Catholic, Gloria visited the shrines of Canada including St. Joseph's Oratory, St. Joachin's (where ancestors were married in the 1600s), and Anne de Beaupre many times. She also visited Fatima and Lourdes twice, the second time with her family and granddaughter Alexis Bernadette.
A visitation time will be held at the Wrisley Funeral Home on Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, on May 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Holy Family Church will host the funeral celebration of her life, May 2, at 10 a.m., with a private burial at Gethsemane Cemetery in Athol immediately following the service.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the American Heart Association, so that research may someday find a way to curtail heart disease."
She was born Oct. 13, 1926, the daughter of Dell Paul and Grace Marie Angela (Gingras) Simonds of Athol and was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Marie, who died at age four, in 1925.
Gloria worked at F.W. Woolworth before she graduated from Athol High School in 1944. After graduation, she worked for Union Twist Drill, New England Telephone as an operator, and for Dr. Schiltz as a dental hygienist.
She married Joanneui (John) A. Gurdak on Sept. 14, 1948, in Our Lady Immaculate Church, Athol.
After moving to Baldwinville, she was employed for several years by the Temple Stuart Company as a secretary in their office.
She was president of the Temple Stuart Social Club where she often organized trips to see the Boston Red Sox. Gloria was also president of the Baldwinville Legion Auxiliary and a sewing club.
After moving back to Athol in 1960, she became the first woman firearms dealer in the state of Massachusetts and ran her own gun shop until her husband joined her a few years later.
Gloria taught CCD at both Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi churches.
She volunteered at school libraries and was a leader for Camp Fire Girls.
Gloria and John enjoyed their cottage on Laurel Lake in New Hampshire during these years as well and retired together in 1986. John was taken from this life on April 14, 1987, 25 years ago.
In 1996 Gloria moved to Whatley to be with her daughter, Robin Gurdak-Foley, and son-in-law, Rick Foley, and granddaughter Alexis Foley, who was the apple of her eye.
She enjoyed sewing, reading, and watching birds in her backyard feeders.
Gloria loved cats and dogs. She especially enjoyed dining at the Whatley Inn and going to the beach in Westerly, R.I., with her family.
A devout Catholic, Gloria visited the shrines of Canada including St. Joseph's Oratory, St. Joachin's (where ancestors were married in the 1600s), and Anne de Beaupre many times. She also visited Fatima and Lourdes twice, the second time with her family and granddaughter Alexis Bernadette.
A visitation time will be held at the Wrisley Funeral Home on Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, on May 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Holy Family Church will host the funeral celebration of her life, May 2, at 10 a.m., with a private burial at Gethsemane Cemetery in Athol immediately following the service.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the American Heart Association, so that research may someday find a way to curtail heart disease."
From Athol Daily News, 30 April: "Gloria Catherine (Simonds) Gurdak was taken from the loving arms of her family to eternal peace in Heaven on April 27, 2012, after suffering complications from open heart surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston
She was born Oct. 13, 1926, the daughter of Dell Paul and Grace Marie Angela (Gingras) Simonds of Athol and was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Marie, who died at age four, in 1925.
Gloria worked at F.W. Woolworth before she graduated from Athol High School in 1944. After graduation, she worked for Union Twist Drill, New England Telephone as an operator, and for Dr. Schiltz as a dental hygienist.
She married Joanneui (John) A. Gurdak on Sept. 14, 1948, in Our Lady Immaculate Church, Athol.
After moving to Baldwinville, she was employed for several years by the Temple Stuart Company as a secretary in their office.
She was president of the Temple Stuart Social Club where she often organized trips to see the Boston Red Sox. Gloria was also president of the Baldwinville Legion Auxiliary and a sewing club.
After moving back to Athol in 1960, she became the first woman firearms dealer in the state of Massachusetts and ran her own gun shop until her husband joined her a few years later.
Gloria taught CCD at both Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi churches.
She volunteered at school libraries and was a leader for Camp Fire Girls.
Gloria and John enjoyed their cottage on Laurel Lake in New Hampshire during these years as well and retired together in 1986. John was taken from this life on April 14, 1987, 25 years ago.
In 1996 Gloria moved to Whatley to be with her daughter, Robin Gurdak-Foley, and son-in-law, Rick Foley, and granddaughter Alexis Foley, who was the apple of her eye.
She enjoyed sewing, reading, and watching birds in her backyard feeders.
Gloria loved cats and dogs. She especially enjoyed dining at the Whatley Inn and going to the beach in Westerly, R.I., with her family.
A devout Catholic, Gloria visited the shrines of Canada including St. Joseph's Oratory, St. Joachin's (where ancestors were married in the 1600s), and Anne de Beaupre many times. She also visited Fatima and Lourdes twice, the second time with her family and granddaughter Alexis Bernadette.
A visitation time will be held at the Wrisley Funeral Home on Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, on May 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Holy Family Church will host the funeral celebration of her life, May 2, at 10 a.m., with a private burial at Gethsemane Cemetery in Athol immediately following the service.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the American Heart Association, so that research may someday find a way to curtail heart disease."
She was born Oct. 13, 1926, the daughter of Dell Paul and Grace Marie Angela (Gingras) Simonds of Athol and was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Marie, who died at age four, in 1925.
Gloria worked at F.W. Woolworth before she graduated from Athol High School in 1944. After graduation, she worked for Union Twist Drill, New England Telephone as an operator, and for Dr. Schiltz as a dental hygienist.
She married Joanneui (John) A. Gurdak on Sept. 14, 1948, in Our Lady Immaculate Church, Athol.
After moving to Baldwinville, she was employed for several years by the Temple Stuart Company as a secretary in their office.
She was president of the Temple Stuart Social Club where she often organized trips to see the Boston Red Sox. Gloria was also president of the Baldwinville Legion Auxiliary and a sewing club.
After moving back to Athol in 1960, she became the first woman firearms dealer in the state of Massachusetts and ran her own gun shop until her husband joined her a few years later.
Gloria taught CCD at both Our Lady Immaculate and St. Francis of Assisi churches.
She volunteered at school libraries and was a leader for Camp Fire Girls.
Gloria and John enjoyed their cottage on Laurel Lake in New Hampshire during these years as well and retired together in 1986. John was taken from this life on April 14, 1987, 25 years ago.
In 1996 Gloria moved to Whatley to be with her daughter, Robin Gurdak-Foley, and son-in-law, Rick Foley, and granddaughter Alexis Foley, who was the apple of her eye.
She enjoyed sewing, reading, and watching birds in her backyard feeders.
Gloria loved cats and dogs. She especially enjoyed dining at the Whatley Inn and going to the beach in Westerly, R.I., with her family.
A devout Catholic, Gloria visited the shrines of Canada including St. Joseph's Oratory, St. Joachin's (where ancestors were married in the 1600s), and Anne de Beaupre many times. She also visited Fatima and Lourdes twice, the second time with her family and granddaughter Alexis Bernadette.
A visitation time will be held at the Wrisley Funeral Home on Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, on May 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Holy Family Church will host the funeral celebration of her life, May 2, at 10 a.m., with a private burial at Gethsemane Cemetery in Athol immediately following the service.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the American Heart Association, so that research may someday find a way to curtail heart disease."
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