Therese V. Gill

Therese Valentine (Gagnon) Gill of Concord, passed away peacefully at Merrimack County Nursing Home on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at age 95.

Terry was born in Manchester, NH on February 14, 1927. She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Lea (Cabana) Gagnon. 

She graduated from Manchester West High School in 1944 and worked at J.F. McElwain Shoe Company before marrying Philippe M. Gill on January 4, 1947 at St. John the Baptist Church in Manchester.

Mr. and Mrs. Gill welcomed their only surviving child Muriel, in 1966 and they doted on her.  Terry went back to work in the early 1970s at St. Peter’s Orphanage/Day Care where she stayed until she retired, then caring for her ailing husband until he passed away on March 8, 1992.

Terry’s life got more hectic when she moved to Concord with her daughter and grandchildren in 1997.  “Memere” could always be counted on to cook a meal, play a game or teach a child the words to “Take Me Out to The Ball Game” or “Frere Jacques” for their delighted working mom. She taught Rachel love of country music and pretended she was “scared” when Claire yelled “boo!” from behind the adjoining apartment door.  She loved to see them laugh. Once the children were in school, Terry went back to work at FirstStart Day Care in Concord for several years and spent hours planting and caring for vegetable and flower gardens at her home and watching Tom Brady (but only when he played for the Patriots).

After a period of declining health, Terry moved to Merrimack County Nursing Home in 2009 where she continued to enjoy the outdoors, walking around the grounds daily.  Terry won the MCNH Citizenship Award in 2014 for her tireless effort maintaining the courtyard flower boxes (and Dr. Rodd’s giant plant). Her community at the nursing home was strong; filled with love, care and attention from the nurses, social workers, maintenance men, housekeeping and activities staffers.  She considered them to be her friends.

Terry leaves behind her “girls”, daughter Muriel Lajoie of Concord, granddaughter Rachel Lajoie and great-granddaughter Emerald Aiken of Concord and many in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  She is pre-deceased by all 5 of her sisters, Ganette Cullerot, Beatrice Cullerot, Laurette Carbonneau, Bertha Beaulieu, Gertrude Guilbert-Faucher all of Manchester and her granddaughter Claire Lajoie of Concord.

Terry will be best remembered by her girls as a quiet and determined woman who loved her family and gave whatever she could to support them.   

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord, NH for “Maggie”, the cat she grew to love.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 at 11:00 am at Parish of the Transfiguration Church in Manchester.

Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, Manchester, is assisting with arrangements.

To send an online message of condolence, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com.