Obituary for Margaret Celeste Burgess
It is with sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Margaret C. Burgess, 89, of Berwick, Maine on March 10, 2021 after a period of declining health.
Margaret was born Margaret Fall on February 8, 1932 in Washington, D.C. to Chesley and Edris Fall. A few years after her birth, the family moved back to Berwick, Maine where she remained a life-long resident.
She graduated from Berwick High School in 1949, McIntosh College in 1950 and began working in the offices of General Electric in Somersworth, NH where she worked until she became a full-time homemaker. She married Robert Blanchette in 1953. They had a son, Gregory, and were together until Robert’s untimely death in 1963.
In 1965 she married Roland Burgess and became stepmother to three daughters, Becky, Cindi, and Allison. Roland and Margaret’s daughter, Susan, arrived in 1966. Roland passed away in 1986.
Margaret was a doer. When she wasn’t painting, wallpapering or re-decorating her 200-year-old colonial house, she was knitting. Over the years we have all been the recipients of her beautiful sweaters, scarves, hats, and mittens. Her home has several of her handmade braided rugs that have stood the test of time of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was an active volunteer at the local food pantry. She was an avid reader, loved crossword and jigsaw puzzles and complained when they were too easy. She couldn’t pass up a lobster or dessert.
She flew for the first time in her life at age 55 and found a love of travel taking trips to Florida, California, Italy, and Ireland.
But most of all she loved being with her family. For Margaret, family was the most important thing in her life. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, and sister who took care of her mom until her passing at age 97, drove her sister, Lorrayne, to her daily cancer treatments when she couldn’t drive herself and cared for Roland as he battled cancer in the last year of his life. Over the years, she has been there for each of us when we needed her. She was a lovely woman; loving mother and we will miss her.
Margaret was a devout Catholic and a communicant of Our Lady of Peace church in Berwick and more recently Our Lady of the Angels in South Berwick. Her faith helped her through the difficult times in her life. She was small in stature but tough as nails. There were several times in her later years that we thought we would lose her but through her faith, will to live and strong Yankee stock she proved us wrong.
We would like to thank our sister, Susan, who provided loving care to our mom over the past several years that allowed her to maintain a quality of life that would not have been possible without Susan’s support.
She was predeceased by her parents, sister, Lorrayne Stanley and husbands Robert Blanchette and Roland Burgess. Survivors include son Greg Blanchette and wife, Ruth Pease, daughters, Becky Burgess, Cindi Burgess and husband, Tom Jonaitis, Allison and husband, Wayne Estes, Susan Burgess and husband, Gary Comisky. Grandchildren, Kurt and Luke Priestley, Shawn Dyer and Lindsay Craft, Graham, Kyle, and Claire Blanchette, Taylor, Riley, and Brett Comisky as well as great-grandchildren, Ashlynn, and Bentley.
A memorial service will take place at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 21, 2021 at Bibber Memorial Chapel in Berwick followed by interment at Evergreen Cemetery.
Margaret loved animals and had a kind heart. In lieu of flowers please send a donation in her memory to the SPCA, local animal shelter or food pantry.
Margaret was born Margaret Fall on February 8, 1932 in Washington, D.C. to Chesley and Edris Fall. A few years after her birth, the family moved back to Berwick, Maine where she remained a life-long resident.
She graduated from Berwick High School in 1949, McIntosh College in 1950 and began working in the offices of General Electric in Somersworth, NH where she worked until she became a full-time homemaker. She married Robert Blanchette in 1953. They had a son, Gregory, and were together until Robert’s untimely death in 1963.
In 1965 she married Roland Burgess and became stepmother to three daughters, Becky, Cindi, and Allison. Roland and Margaret’s daughter, Susan, arrived in 1966. Roland passed away in 1986.
Margaret was a doer. When she wasn’t painting, wallpapering or re-decorating her 200-year-old colonial house, she was knitting. Over the years we have all been the recipients of her beautiful sweaters, scarves, hats, and mittens. Her home has several of her handmade braided rugs that have stood the test of time of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was an active volunteer at the local food pantry. She was an avid reader, loved crossword and jigsaw puzzles and complained when they were too easy. She couldn’t pass up a lobster or dessert.
She flew for the first time in her life at age 55 and found a love of travel taking trips to Florida, California, Italy, and Ireland.
But most of all she loved being with her family. For Margaret, family was the most important thing in her life. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, and sister who took care of her mom until her passing at age 97, drove her sister, Lorrayne, to her daily cancer treatments when she couldn’t drive herself and cared for Roland as he battled cancer in the last year of his life. Over the years, she has been there for each of us when we needed her. She was a lovely woman; loving mother and we will miss her.
Margaret was a devout Catholic and a communicant of Our Lady of Peace church in Berwick and more recently Our Lady of the Angels in South Berwick. Her faith helped her through the difficult times in her life. She was small in stature but tough as nails. There were several times in her later years that we thought we would lose her but through her faith, will to live and strong Yankee stock she proved us wrong.
We would like to thank our sister, Susan, who provided loving care to our mom over the past several years that allowed her to maintain a quality of life that would not have been possible without Susan’s support.
She was predeceased by her parents, sister, Lorrayne Stanley and husbands Robert Blanchette and Roland Burgess. Survivors include son Greg Blanchette and wife, Ruth Pease, daughters, Becky Burgess, Cindi Burgess and husband, Tom Jonaitis, Allison and husband, Wayne Estes, Susan Burgess and husband, Gary Comisky. Grandchildren, Kurt and Luke Priestley, Shawn Dyer and Lindsay Craft, Graham, Kyle, and Claire Blanchette, Taylor, Riley, and Brett Comisky as well as great-grandchildren, Ashlynn, and Bentley.
A memorial service will take place at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 21, 2021 at Bibber Memorial Chapel in Berwick followed by interment at Evergreen Cemetery.
Margaret loved animals and had a kind heart. In lieu of flowers please send a donation in her memory to the SPCA, local animal shelter or food pantry.