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Obituaries

  • Related: Death Notices
    Index
  • Antonio G. Gilbert
  • Claire Sanford-Ericksen
  • Winifred D. Pierce-Louro
  • Jose Bretal
  • Dorothy A. Espindola
  • Seth A. Bailey
  • Norfolk County Sheriff Clifford Marshall
  • Catherine De Britto

  • Antonio G. Gilbert


    NEW BEDFORD -- Antonio G. "Antone" Gilbert, 77, of New Bedford, and formerly of Fairhaven, died Aug. 27, 1996 at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River. He was the husband of Benvinda (Lamas) Gilbert and the late Rose (Pinto) Gilbert.
    Born in New Bedford, he was the son of the late John A. and Candida (Gonsalves) Gilbert. He lived most of his life in the city and lived in Fairhaven before returning to New Bedford in 1988.
    Before retiring in 1971, he served for more than 30 years in the Merchant Marine. He later was employed in the forge room of the former Chamberlain Manufacturing Co. for 10 years before retiring 12 years ago.
    Survivors include his widow; four daughters, Francine K. Gilbert and Sheila R. Andrade, both of New Bedford, Bonita S. Depina of Marion and Kathleen E. Edwards of Virginia Beach, Va., a son, Kenneth A. Gilbert of New Bedford; two brothers, Armando Gilbert of Acushnet and John Gilbert of Florida; a stepdaughter, Georgette Correia of New Bedford; two stepsons, David Andrade of New Bedford and Robert Andrade of Fall River; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
    He was also the brother of the late May Gilbert, Edwin Gilbert and Jimmy Gilbert.
    Arrangements are by Donaghy Funeral Home, 465 County St., New Bedford.

    Claire Sanford-Ericksen


    FAIRHAVEN -- Claire Helenn (Bociek) Sanford Ericksen, 68, formerly of Highland Street in New Bedford, died Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996, at the Nichols House Nursing Home after a long illness. She was the wife of Henry Ericksen and the late Warren Russell Sanford.
    Born in New Bedford, she was the daughter of the late Michael and Helen (Gwozdz) Bociek. She lived most of her life in New Bedford.
    She was a homemaker and a communicant of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.
    Survivors include her widower; two sons, W. Russell Sanford Jr. of Indiana and Michael Sanford of New Bedford; two sisters, Cecil Lysko of Fairhaven and Felicia Jardin of New Bedford; five brothers, Patrick Bociek of Acushnet, Harold Bociek and Andrew Bociek, both of New Bedford, Stephen Bociek of Westport and Rudolph Bociek of Connecticut; five grandchildren, a great grandson and several nieces and nephews.
    Arrangements are by the Rock Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford.

    Winifred D. Pierce-Louro


    ACUSHNET -- Winifred D. "Winnie" Pierce-Louro, 65, died at home on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996, after a long illness.
    She was the wife of Norman F. Louro and the late Lloyd A. Pierce, and the daughter of the late Alfred M. and Wanda (Praisner) Westgate.
    Born in Freetown, she lived there 17 years, then lived in New Bedford for 13 years before moving to Acushnet, where she lived the past 35 years.
    She was a member of the Acushnet United Wesley Methodist Church in Acushnet.
    Mrs. Louro was employed by Paulding Clothing and retired as a stitcher from Ronnie's Manufacturing in 1979.
    She also was a member of Eastern Star and Red Cross, and had the handle of "Wonder Woman" on Channel 12 CB Club. Mrs. Louro also belonged to the Wareham Grange and the Pomano Grange.
    In her leisure time she enjoyed bowling and traveling. She and her husband recently celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary.
    Survivors include her widower; a daughter, Dorothy W. Fuchs of Acushnet; two stepdaughters, Shirley Louro and Amie E. Louro, both of Arizona; three brothers, Alfred Westgate of Dartmouth, Dennis Westgate of East Taunton and Raymond Westgate of Maine; three sisters, Mildred Rego of Acushnet and Edna Charbonneau and Sandra Ferreira, both of Maine; four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
    She also was the sister of the late Milton Westgate and Victor Westgate.
    Arrangements are by the Rock Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd. in New Bedford.

    Jose Bretal


    BOSTON -- Jose Bretal, 55, died Sunday, Aug. 25, 1996, at New England Baptist Hospital after a brief illness.
    He was the husband of Ofelia (Prieto Ortega) Bretal, and son of Ramona Marino of Spain and the late Gerardo Bretal.
    Born in Pasajes de San Pedro, San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain, Mr. Bretal lived in New Bedford the past 16 years.
    He was a communicant of Nuestra Senora de Guadelupe.
    Mr. Bretal was employed by the New Bedford School Department as a custodian, and previously worked at the New Bedford Free Public Library. He also has served many years as a senior electrician in the Merchant Marine.
    Survivors include his widow; his mother; a daughter, Elena Bretal of New Bedford; a stepdaughter, Aurora Fernandez of Malden; two brothers, Gerardo Bretal and Juan Manuel Bretal, both of New Bedford; and two sisters, Teresa Bretal and Ramona Contreras, both of New Bedford.
    Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park Street, New Bedford.
    Due to a reporter's error, the home of Mr. Bretal's stepdaughter was incorrect in Wednesday's obituary.

    Dorothy A. Espindola


    FAIRHAVEN -- Dorothy A. (Poirier) Espindola, 71, died suddenly Tuesday, Aug. 27, 1996. She was the wife of Albert Espindola.
    She and Mr. Espindola would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in October. She was the daughter of Diana (Bourgeois) Poirier of South Dartmouth and the late Philbert Poirier
    She died at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.
    She was a resident of Fairhaven for the past 43 years and was employed by Almacs Supermarket in New Bedford as a cashier for 10 years, retiring in 1984.
    Mrs. Espindola was a communicant of St. Joseph Church in Fairhaven, a Eucharistic minister and also a member of the St. Joseph's Couples Club. Through St. Mary's, she was a member of the Fresh Air Guild for four years. Mrs. Espinola also opened her home to mentally handicapped citizens for the past 12 years.
    Survivors include her widower; her mother; seven daughters, Beverly Rousseau, Diane Tapper and Marilyn Espindola, all of Fairhaven, Janis Steed of Carver and Susan Breton, Donna Dwelly and Patricia Espindola, all of New Bedford; three sons, Richard Espindola and Robert Espindola, both of North Dartmouth, and Steven Espindola of New Bedford; two sisters, Lorraine Poirier of South Dartmouth and Irene Cormier of Dover, N.H.; a brother, Robert Poirier of New Bedford; 23 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
    She was also sister of the late Blanche Anthony and grandmother of the late David Rousseau.
    Arrangements are by the Fairlawn Mortuary, 180 Washington St.
    Mrs. Espindola's mother was incorrectly listed as being deceased in Wednesday's obituary. By The Associated Press
    LAS VEGAS -- Actor Greg Morris, who played quiet, efficient electronics expert Barney Collier in the "Mission: Impossible" television series, has died at 61 after a battle with brain cancer.
    Mr. Morris was found dead at home Tuesday. Clark County Coroner Ron Flud said he apparently died of natural causes, but no autopsy was planned.
    Mr. Morris, who had fought brain cancer the past few years, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May that he was cancer-free.
    In a 1994 interview, Phil Morris said his father continued to smoke while battling cancer that originated in his lung and later spread to his brain.
    Mr. Morris was one of the first black actors to star in a hit series during the 1960s, playing a technical wizard on "Mission: Impossible," which ran from 1966-1973.
    "My seven years on that show were seven of the most fun years of my career," he recalled.
    But he walked out of the new movie version after watching only 40 minutes. "It's an abomination," he said of the Tom Cruise film, which did not feature any of the TV series' cast.
    Born Sept. 27, 1934, in Cleveland, Mr. Morris went to Hollywood in the early 1960s after some minor stage experience in Seattle. He had guest roles on series including "Dr. Kildare," "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Twilight Zone" before being cast in "Mission: Impossible."
    Mr. Morris played the part of an electronics expert who helped an elite team of agents usually involved in disrupting the activities of various small foreign powers seeking to create problems for the free world.
    Mr. Morris came to Las Vegas in 1979 to film the TV series "Vega$," in which he played Lt. David Nelson. He liked the city so much he decided to stay.
    He and his wife, Leona, were divorced last year after 38 years of marriage. He is survived by three children: Phil, Linda and Iona.

    Seth A. Bailey

    By The Associated Press
    BOSTON -- Seth A. Bailey, the 17-year-old vice president of the fund-raising Penny Bear Co., has died.
    Mr. Bailey lived in Lynn and was the only child of Stephen A. and Helen Bailey. He died of complications from leukemia.
    He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 3 and had a bone marrow transplant when he was 7. He was 16 when he learned he needed a lung transplant because of damage caused by treatments.
    He died Tuesday at Children's Hospital.
    Mr. Bailey became vice president of the Penny Bear Co. last year. The nonprofit company is operated by more than 30 part-time volunteers, most of them school children.
    They turn commercially manufactured teddy bears into "penny bears," each with a plaid bow tie and bright "magic" penny.
    The penny is meant to give a message of hope through the motto "In God we Trust."
    The bears are sold in stores and at arts festivals to raise money for Angel Fund, which helps those in need.
    The Penny Bear Co. was founded by Penny Wigglesworth in the basement of her Marblehead home.
    Mrs. Wigglesworth, who met Mr. Bailey at a hospice, Tuesday called him "our angel," and said he was a "dear, wonderful, fun and loving boy, who touched everybody he met. He would come in here and light up the place."
    In a story in The Boston Globe last Dec. 24, Mr. Bailey said of his work at Penny Bear, "I think it's neat to help people. It makes you feel good. It's cool."

    Norfolk County Sheriff Clifford Marshall

    By The Associated Press
    QUINCY -- Norfolk County Sheriff Clifford Marshall, a city councilor and state representative before becoming sheriff more than two decades ago, died yesterday of complications from cancer. He was 58.
    District Attorney William Delahunt said Sheriff Marshall died at his home around 4:30 a.m. A lifelong Quincy resident, he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor last year.
    Mr. Delahunt said Sheriff Marshall provided a lasting political and personal legacy all along the South Shore.
    "He was an innovator, a pioneer," Mr. Delahunt said. "He instituted programs that were always on the cutting edge."
    Sheriff Marshall, who served as sheriff for 21 years, increased professionalism among the staff, instituted work-release programs, created a sexual assault unit and worked to construct a state-of-the-art jail along the median strip of Route 128.
    "He was a dedicated public servant who will be missed," Gov. William F. Weld said in a statement.
    The work-release program provided millions of dollars of improvements to cities and towns, City Council President Peter Kolson said.
    "It's incalculable how much money he saved municipalities in his district," Mr. Kolson said.
    A native of Quincy, Sheriff Marshall graduated from Quincy High School in 1956. He served four years in the Marine Corps, then became a reservist for four more years. He attended the University of Massachusetts and Suffolk University.
    Sheriff Marshall served as a city councilor in Quincy from 1965 till 1974. He also served as state representative from 1968 till 1974, when he was elected sheriff.
    "His legacy on a professional level is remarkable. But I think on a personal level it is even greater," Mr. Delahunt said. "He touched people's lives in a positive way."
    Sheriff Marshall is survived by his wife, Louise, and four sons.

    Catherine De Britto


    NEW BEDFORD -- Catherine (Vieira) De Britto, 82, died at her home on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1996, after a long illness. She was the daughter of the late Mary (Equi) and Joseph Vieira.
    Mrs. De Britto was born in New Bedford lived most of her life in the city, though she lived in New York for a period of time.
    She was employed by Colonial Textiles as an assembler. She also was a communicant of St. James Church.
    Survivors include two sisters, Lillian Souza of New Bedford and Josephine Oliver of Dartmouth, and several nieces and nephews.
    She also was the mother of the late Robert De Mello.
    Arrangements are by the Perry Funeral Home, 111 Dartmouth St.
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