BIDDEFORD — Gertrude Bisson, of Biddeford, died peacefully of natural causes, surrounded by family and friends, on Saturday morning, May 17, 2014, at Southridge Living Center in Biddeford. She was 86 years old.
Gertrude “Gert” Lucia Bisson was born in Biddeford on Dec. 22, 1927, the daughter of Marie Reine “Irene” Dubuc and Adelard Francis Bisson.
She attended St. Joseph’s Schools in Biddeford.
She first worked at Woolworth’s and then Nichols. When she was 19, she started at Westpoint Pepperell and then continued at Biddeford Textile until her retirement. For most of her career, Gert was a cloth inspector, which went along well with her detail-oriented and thorough nature.
Gert has always been described as among the sweetest, kindest, most giving and most genuine of people. After her retirement, she enjoyed volunteering for some two decades at the hospice benefiting Books Revisited stores in Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach, working alongside her beloved sister, Claire. She and Claire also greatly enjoyed playing Scrabble and cards together. As she had done for her parents, Gert provided wonderful care to Claire in her later years. Among Gert’s many joys was to go out with her numerous friends dancing on the Old Orchard Beach Pier while seeing the big bands. She and her friends also enjoyed bowling weekly, frequent shopping excursions, and going to the beach. In her early 60s, Gert took up golf for exercise and recreation, playing several times a week. She delighted at every opportunity to golf with her nephew, Gil, and they played together frequently until she was 80.
She was a communicant at St. Joseph’s in Biddeford as well as at Most Holy Trinity in Saco.
Gert was most proud of her two nephews, Gil and Roger Lacroix, the sons of her only sibling, Claire Bisson Lacroix. She was as a second mother to Gil and Roger who have often repeated to others that while their mother, Claire, made them “toe the line,” Aunt Gert was the mother who spoiled them.
She was also very proud of her grandnephew and grandnieces, Mickey, Michelle, Kristin and Emily Lacroix, to whom she gave much loving care and attention.
Gert is survived by: her two nephews, Gil Lacroix and his wife Lynn Bonsey of Bucksport and Roger Lacroix and his partner Mary Snowman of Lancaster, N.H.; her cousin, Charlotte Bisson of Kennebunk; three grandnieces, Michelle Lacroix and Kristin Jeannin of Florida, and Emily Harvey Lacroix of Massachusetts; a grandnephew, Mickey Lacroix of Florida; step-grandnephew, Ryan Campbell and his wife Dani Mason Campbell of Scarborough; step-grandniece, Hilary Campbell of Portland; and four great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews, Jean Paul “J.P.” and Amanda Lacroix, and Owen and Elena Jeannin.
Visiting hours will be 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at Cote Funeral Home, 87 James St., Saco. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 22, 2014 at St. Joseph’s Church in Biddeford. Burial will follow in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Biddeford. To sign the guestbook or leave condolences, go to www.cotefuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Gert’s memory may be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 U.S. Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074; (207) 289-3640; www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org.
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