Lucille B. Gilcreast
Beloved sister, aunt, great aunt, cousin and friend;
Lucille (Beaulieu) Gilcreast passed away on March 1, 2019 at D’Youville Life & Wellness Community in Lowell MA. She was the widow of William J. Gilcreast Jr., sharing 49 years of marriage until his death in 1996.
Lucille, the second oldest of six children was born on May 20, 1918 to Leo H. and Robea (Ducharme) Beaulieu of Lowell, MA. She graduated from St. Louis de France elementary school and Lowell High School. Lucille obtained a BS in Modern Languages from Boston University in 1940, and a Master of Library Science in 1964 from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, CA.
Mrs. Gilcreast lived in Nashua NH after having lived in Washington DC, Oregon, California and Illinois. Her husband’s business and military moves shaped her varied careers. She taught French and Spanish at both the elementary and secondary levels. During WWII and the Korean War, she worked as an analyst/translator for the FBI and the ASA in Washington DC and Fort Devens, MA. She also worked as an entomologist for Miriam Webster’s International Dictionary. As a volunteer, she helped establish and re-organize several private school and parish libraries.
Lucille held membership in the BU Alumni Association, and the American Association of University Women, Nashua Senior Center and Middlesex Women’s Club of Lowell. She had many interests, especially a love of music having studied classical piano for many years. Lucille was very fond of opera and piano concerts. She also enjoyed many different word games and crosswords.
Lucille loved to travel with her husband throughout Europe, Canada and the Caribbean Islands. A lover of animals, she enjoyed the company of cats and dogs, and with her husband playing golf and horseback riding. She was also loyal to the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots.
Mrs. Gilcreast was pre-deceased by siblings and their spouses, Col. John Julien Beaulieu and wife Grayce, Cms. Paul Andre Beaulieu and wife Sachiko, Gabrielle Healy and husband Robert, Doris Spencer and husband Burdell a sister-in-law Jeannette (Landry) Beaulieu; and a god-son Alex B. Haas; and her in laws James E. and Mary F. Gilcreast and John J. and Eleanor (Gilcreast) Stafford.
Survivors include a brother, Cdr. Maurice E. Beaulieu of VA, two God-daughters, Bonnie B. Haas of Brewster, MA and Mariann (Duggan) Lonewan of Chelmsford, MA, a God-son Daryl B. McGill, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews of the Beaulieu, Stafford and Gilcreast families. Lucille also leaves a special friend, Gloria Sprague of Nashua, NH.
Lucille would like to thank those who assisted in her care at D’Youville Senior Care, the former Chelmsford Crossings as well as Circle Home Hospice. She was also grateful to her primary caregiver of many years, her husband’s nephew, Brian J. Stafford who fondly shared “Of course, she wrote her own obituary.”
At her request, there will be no calling hours. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated on Friday April 26, 2019 at ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND PARISH in Lowell, MA at 10 A.M. followed by interment at St. Joseph Cemetery in Chelmsford, MA. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Memorial contributions may be made to Boston Catholic TV, PO Box 9196 Watertown, MA 02471, or your favorite library. Arrangements by the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME – LOWELL (978) 458-8768.
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