SHIRLEY — Helen C. (Boutilier) Gionet, 69, of 22 Horsepond Road, died Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at the Nashoba Valley Medical Center, Ayer after a lengthy illness.
Mrs. Gionet was born in Ayer, January 27, 1939, the daughter of Rolf G. and Ethel (Poore) Boutilier and was a lifelong resident of Shirley. She was a 1957 graduate of Ayer High School where she was a member of the National Honor Society.
Helen is survived by her husband of 50 years, Charles W. Gionet, a son; John C. Gionet of Shirley, a daughter and son in law; Kimberly M. and Ross Amico of Leominster, a brother; Arthur W. Boutilier of Shirley. She also leaves two grandchildren, Nicholas Amico and Allison Amico both of Leominster.
She was the mother of Shelley Gionet of Watertown who died in 1995.
An active member of St. Anthony’s Church in Shirley, Mrs. Gionet served on the church building committee and was instrumental in the building of the St. Anthony’s Church CCD Center as well the Parish Center.
Mrs. Gionet was a founding member and president of the Shirley Charitable Foundation. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the former Shirley Cooperative Bank and continued to serve on the Advisory Board of Fidelity Bank. She served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Board of the Deaconess Nashoba Hospital in Ayer. She was a member of the Shirley 250th Anniversary Committee and had volunteered in the Nashoba Associated Board of Health Hospice Program.
She very much enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren especially at their family’s summer home in Biddeford, Maine.
Helen worked many years as a legal secretary at the law firm of Holden & Holden in Ayer before her retirement in 1993.
A funeral mass will be celebrated 10 am Saturday, April 12 at St. Anthony’s Church, 14 Phoenix Street, Shirley. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
Calling hours are 4-7 Friday at the T.J. Anderson & Son Funeral Home, 25 Fitchburg Road, (Rte 2A) Ayer. Please see www.andersonfuneral.com for additional information.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Curt and Shonda Schilling ALS Clinic Lahey Clinic 41 Mall Road Burlington, MA 01805.
