OBITUARY: Gertrude Louise White, 94

Below is an obituary from Nichols Funeral Home:

WILMINGTON, MA — Gertrude Louise White, age 94, a lifelong resident of Wilmington Massachusetts, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, July 24th, 2024, surrounded by family. Gertie was a loving, caring, strong, independent woman, who lived on her own until 2016 but came to live with family due to her health. She showed us her fun, loving side at many family gatherings and we all looked forward to seeing her. She loved going to karaoke, which she went often with her niece in the past few years and made new friends along the way. She loved to be sociable and always wanted to venture out when she could. Her love of life, family, food, fun and her faith, had kept her strong, even when faced with many challenges in her last few years, and her motto was “it’s better to laugh than to cry” and Gertie showed us she meant what she said as she was always laughing.

Gertie was on the national honors list and was also named class clown during her school years. Being around her, we can see why, as she was smart as a whip and funny to boot. She was always the star of the family gatherings as everyone loved her antics. Gertie has deep roots in Wilmington, as her mother’s family name, Surrette is linked to the Hiller family and Butter’s family. We loved hearing her stories from her childhood, and all she endured to make her the great woman that she became. She loved being surrounded by her family and friends, and was so full of energy and life, you couldn’t help but gravitate towards her whenever you were around her. Gertie was an avid animal lover and always talked about her cats Elmo and Muffin, and loved seeing family pets as well, which always made her smile.

Gertie was predeceased by her parents, James and Mary White (Surrette) as well as by her siblings Mary (Chicks) Johnson, Margaret Cunningham, and James (Brother) H White Jr. She is survived by her niece, Barbara LaFave (Johnson), great nieces and spouses, Lori and Francisco Leon, Cindy and Chris Larsen, Barbie and Billy McHugh, and Cheryl Joyce, and her great nephews and wives, Andy and Mary LaFave, Stephen LaFave, and Jimmy and Sheryl LaFave. She was a loving great great aunt to Frank Leon, Melina Leon, Jackee Joyce, Ashleigh Joyce, Kenny Joyce, Candace Larsen, Chris Peter Larsen, Nick Larsen as well as many more nieces and nephews and it went up to great great greats.

Gertie will be forever in our hearts and in her own words “Never Forget Me”, and she will never be forgotten. Our memories are full of her antics and stories to pass on and to retell.

Family and friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Avenue, (RT 62) Wilmington Massachusetts, on Wednesday, July 31st for visitation from 9-11:30am, immediately followed by 11:30 service and then Interment will take place at Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made through www.LowellHumaneSociety.org for both monetary and for their Amazon wish list for pet supplies.