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Mary Helen Lavigne died Sept. 26, two days short of turning 108.
Mary Lavigne, 107, was Lancaster’s oldest resident
Thu Sep 27, 2007, 01:23 PM EDT
Lancaster -Mary Helen Lavigne, for many years Lancaster’s oldest resident, died Sept. 26 in Oakdale Nursing Home, West Boylston. She would have celebrated her 108th birthday this Friday, Sept. 28.
Born in Granby, Quebec, Canada, in 1899, to Joseph and Josephine (LaFleur de Gibouleau) Lavigne, she was the youngest of 12 children. She attended schools in Putnam, Conn.; West Brookfield; and Worcester.
She purchased a home on Bolton Road in South Lancaster in 1922 while working at the former Bigelow Carpet Co. in Clinton. After its closing in 1925, she moved to Long Island, N.Y., to work as a maid and cook. She later settled in Worcester with her mother and worked at Brewers Pharmacy. She then earned an L.P.N. degree while working at Rutland State Hospital for 17 years, retiring in 1965. At that time, she returned to her home in South Lancaster.
Mary was a member of Immaculate Conception Church, Lancaster, the Golden Age Club, and the AARP. In September 1999, a great-grandniece planned a special surprise party to commemorate her 100th birthday. Seventy-five special friends and relatives attended.
In 2001, she was interviewed by Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatric physician at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, who wanted her to participate in his nationwide study of centenarians. Later, an Australian television station interviewed Mary for their documentary on aging. On Oct. 11, 2002, she was presented the Boston Post Cane Award by Lancaster selectmen for being the town’s oldest citizen. At that ceremony, the South Lancaster Post Office presented Mary with a “Happy Birthday Stamp” plaque in honor of her 103rd birthday.
In June 2003, she was the grand marshal of the Lancaster’s 350th Birthday Parade. One of the highlights of the day was riding in Hank Paszko’s 1927 Model T Ford Touring Car, accompanied by her friend Jimmy Camara of the South Lancaster Post Office.
She is survived by a niece, Dorothy St. Denis of Warren; several grandnieces, one of whom, Mildred Reed of Warren, was her godchild; and several grandnephews.
Her funeral will be Saturday, Sept. 29, from McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church St., Clinton, with a Mass at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Conception Church, Main Street, Lancaster. Burial will follow in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester. A calling hour will be 8:30-9:30 a.m. prior to the funeral Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Jessica Marie Ramey Charitable Foundation, 91 Tuttle Road, Sterling, Mass. 01564.
