TEWKSBURY, MA — Evelyn “Evie” Dorothy Plourde, age 91, a longtime resident of Tewksbury, passed away on Thursday, August 18, at the Merrimack Valley Hospice facility after suffering from declining health.
She was the loving wife of Robert “Bob” Nelson Plourde with whom she celebrated 61 wonderful years of marriage before he died in December, 2003.
Born in Chelsea on July 8, 1925, Evie was the daughter of John J. and Ella F. (McHatton) Keough. She attended St. Rose School, as well as Chelsea High, before moving to So.Tewksbury with her family.
After her marriage in 1942 to Bob, Evie spent 3 years as a Navy wife, living in Jacksonville and Chicago, before settling in the Silver Lake area of Tewksbury, where they raised their family. After being Mom for a number of years, Evie worked at W.T. Grant Dept. Store and the Tewksbury State Hospital where she was a nurse’s aide, before she retired to be Nana. Evie had a strong love for her family and enjoyed both large and small family gatherings, particularly on Christmas, where the celebration always culminated with the family Christmas tradition of caroling throughout the neighborhood.
The Plourdes were among the founding families of St. Dorothy Parish (So. Tewksbury-Wilmington), where Evie was a daily communicant; her great faith guided her life. As an involved parishioner, Evie was a long-standing member of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality and took an active part in the annual Parish Christmas Fair. She also enjoyed visiting the Tewksbury Senior Center and was an avid bingo enthusiast. She looked forward to trips to Foxwoods with her daughters and nieces.
Evie was pre-deceased by her brothers, Alexander and Melvin, as well as her sister and best friend, Rosella Mary Dean, as well as her special niece, Ellen Dean and grandson, Sean Hardy.
Surviving Evie are her children: Dotty and Jack Bowen of Billerica, Bob and Linda Schumer- Plourde of Georgia, Tom and Terry Plourde of Mont Vernon, N.H. , Leo and Mary Plourde of Dover, NH, Betty and Gerard McGrath of Tewksbury, Debbie and Dan Desmond of Nashua, and Rosemary and Phil Harcourt of Millville; her grandchildren, Katie (Bowen) and Jim Maniscalco, John and Tasha Bowen, Luke Bowen, Kevin and Sarah Bowen and Mary Bowen, Sarah Schumer-Plourde and Niles Schumer-Plourde, Jeanne (Plourde) and David Cahoon, Tom Plourde, Cassie (Plourde) and Ryan Loughlin, Liz (Plourde) and Gretchen Young, Jed McGrath, Cindy, Rob and Tim Desmond, Patrick and Maureen Harcourt, Dan Harcourt, Chris and Kit Harcourt and Nadia Hardy. Evie enjoyed her great-grandchildren and was “Nana Darlin ” to James, Isaac and Joseph Maniscalco, Hannah and Keagan Bowen, Elle, Cecilia and Brock Bowen, Abby and Duncan Cahoon, Talia and Brianna Hardy, Alex Harcourt and Jane Young. She also leaves many nieces and nephews, in particular Cathy and Jackie Dean and Jack, Gary and Richard Keough, as well as many friends.
The family would like to thank the staff at Merrimack Valley Hospice for the care and consideration they provided for Evie and her family.
PLOURDE — of Tewksbury, Aug. 18. Evelyn D. “Evie” (Keough), age 91, wife of the late Robert N. Plourde. Visiting hours Wednesday, August 24, from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the Tewksbury Funeral Home, corner of 1 Dewey and 975 Main Sts. (Rte. 38) TEWKSBURY CENTER, Ph. (800- in MA or 978) 851-2950. Her funeral will begin Thursday at 8:45 a.m. from the Funeral Home followed by a Funeral Mass Thursday, Aug. 25, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Dorothy’s Church, corner of Harndon and Main Sts. (Rte. 38) Wilmington. Burial will be in Tewksbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Merrimack Valley Hospice House, 360 North Rd., Haverhill, MA 01830 or St. Dorothy’s Church, 11 Harndon St., Wilmington 01887 will be appreciated.
(NOTE: The above obituary is from Tewksbury Funeral Home.)
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