WILDWOOD, Fla. – Lucy G. “Gigi” Burgess, 96, of Wildwood, Fla., a native of the Dixfield-West Peru region, died peacefully on Friday evening, Dec. 16, at the Arbor Village Health Center.

She was born Nov. 1, 1909, in Lawrence, Mass., the daughter of Joseph F. and Josephine (Gaudet) Richard, and received her education in local schools.

For 35 years, she was employed at Diamond Match Co. in Dixfield, retiring in 1980 as an inspector. She also was a local reporter for the Rumford Times and the Lewiston Sun newspapers.

She was a member of the Mount Sugarloaf Chapter of the Maine State Grange and was the recipient of its Golden Sheaf Award for 50 years of continuous Grange membership. She was also a member of the Dixfield Senior Citizens, where she was treasurer for many years, and was a member of the Guild of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Dixfield, and more recently, was a communicant of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Leesburg, Fla.

She is survived by one son, Donald E. Whittemore and his wife, Joanne, of Leesburg, Fla.; five grandchildren, Deborah Browning, Stephen Whittemore, James Whittemore, Michael Whittemore and Donald Whittemore Jr.; and 12 great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband of 25 years, Roland Burgess, in 1975.

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