Sr. Aurore or Sr. Mary Lemieux or Gilbert Obituary (1918 - 2010)

Lewiston, Maine Sr. Mary Gilbert Aurore Lemieux,O.S.U., 91 passed away on Sunday March 7, 2010 at the St. Mary's D'Youville Pavillion in Lewiston where she had been a patient for several months. Aurore was born in East Vassalboro, Maine on March 29, 1918 the daughter of Paul and Grace Picard Lemieux. She attended the Ursuline St. Francis de Sales Elementary School in Waterville and received her high school diploma from the Waterville Public High School. In 1936, Aurore entered the Ursuline Sister's Novitiate in Waterville, was given the religious name Mary Gilbert, and pronounced her vows of religion in 1939 in the Mount Merici Chapel in Waterville. As a young professed Ursuline, Mary Gilbert pursued her education at St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont and received her B.A. degree in education. Through summer school programs at Boston College and the Catholic University in Washington, she enhanced her education in biology and in theological studies later at the Dominican School of Theology in Providence,R.I. Throughout her long teaching career, she served in many areas in Maine, on both levels, elementary and secondary. She taught classes in the Ursuline Parochial Schools in the Waterville area: St. Francis, Notre Dame, St. John's in Winslow, as well as schools in Brunswick, Sanford and Springvale. On the secondary level, she taught high school subjects at the Mount Merici Academy in Waterville and the St. Ignatius High School in Sanford, as well as in Ursuline Secondary Schools in Dedham and Springfield, Mass. She also served as principal at the Mount Merici Academy and St. Ignatius High Schools. By nature serious, punctual and always exact, Mary Gilbert likewise generously responded to the call for her serving in various other capacities, such as assistant novice directress in Belgrade, Maine, in the 1950's local superior, provincial and local secretary-treasurer for many yearsand coordinator for fund-raising activities within our schools to support our foreign missions. Sister is survived by one sister Theresa Lemieux of Grass Valley, Calif. and nieces Ann Bootier of Madison Ct. and Julie Bureau of Waterville, Me. She was predeceased by six brothers: Rev. Gilbert Lemieux, Raoul, Raymond, Romeo, Arthur and Leo, and four sisters: Sisters Consilia and Lucille, Ursulines Jeannette Violette and Alma Richard. Visitation will be held from 12 noon until 1 P.M. at Mount Merici Chapel in Waterville with a Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. Burial will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ursuline Sister's Retirement Fund Ursuline Provincialate 45 Lowder Street Dedham, Mass. 02026. Arrangements were made with Gallant Funeral Home 10 Elm Street Waterville,Maine.