Nichols Funeral Home

Mulholland, Donna M., age 53, of Dorchester, formerly of Wilmington, March 11, 2010. Beloved daughter of the late Frances A. and Mary T. (Walsh) Mulholland of Wilmington, Life-Partner of Deborah A. Hall of Dorchester, dear sister of Frank Mulholland and his wife Suzanne of New Mexico, Kenney Mulholland, Barry Mulholland, Mary Ellen Mulholland, John Mulholland and his wife Gail all of Wilmington, Judy Gustafson and her husband Paul of Burlington, Susan Mulholland of Boston, and the late Diane Mulholland. Donna is also survived by several nieces and nephews and many dear friends.

A Memorial Service to honor Donna will be held at the MIT Chapel, Building W15, 77 Massachusetts Avenue (entrance at 44 Massachusetts Avenue), Cambridge, MA, on Friday, March 19th at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Donna’s name may be made to We Can Row – Boston, P. O. Box 750036, Arlington, MA 02475 or to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Sagundo, CA 90245. Retired Copywrite Administrator for MIT in Cambridge.

Lorraine A. (McArdle) Theriault, age 83, of Wilmington, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, March 10, 2010.

Born in Dorchester, MA, on February 12, 1927, Lorraine was the dear daughter of the late Thomas R. And Anne (Lenine) McArdle. Lorraine grew up in the Pinehurst section of Billerica and was a graduate of Billerica High School. She married J. Louis Theriault in January of 1950 and soon after the couple settled in Wilmington to raise their family.

Prior to retiring, Lorraine worked for Marshall’s Stores for many years. In her spare time, Lorraine enjoyed doing her crossword books, watching soap opera’s, and spending time with her family who she was very devoted to.

Lorraine is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years J. Louis Theriault of Wilmington, she was the devoted mother of Deborah Barnaby of Wilmington, Sandra Looney & her husband Steve of New Hampshire, John Theriault of Texas, J. Louis Theriault & his wife Gina of Tewksbury, and Edward A. Theriault of Wilmington, loving grandmother of 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, Lorraine was also the sister of the late Anne Blackwell.

Graveside services will be held on Friday, March 12th at 9:00 a.m. in the Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington.

Memorial donations in Lorraine’s name may be made to Care Alternatives Hospice, 181 Cedar Hill Road, Marlborough, MA 01752.

Mary D. (Costa) Gaudet, age 83, of Billerica and Florida, formerly of Cambridge, died March 8, 2010.

Beloved wife of the late Alfred J. Gaudet, devoted mother of Susan Marks of Woburn, Alfred G. Gaudet of Salisbury, Helen Reyna of Leominster, Janis Sweeney and her husband Paul of Billerica, and Allen Gaudet and his wife Linda of Winchester, loving grandmother of Stephen Marks, Erica Gaudet, Michael, Rebecca, and Anthony Reyna, Daniel Sweeney, Mark, Joseph, and Michele Gaudet and great-grandchildren Devin and Madeline Marks, and Jake Gaudet, dear daughter of the late Paul and Mary (Sousa) Costa, sister of Robert Costa of Florida, and Ruth Cordeira of Tennessee.

Funeral Services will be private.

Memorial donations in Mary’s name may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 1 Broomfield St., Boston, MA 02108.

Leland Baker Chisholm Jr. of Wilmington, MA died March 7, 2010 after a valiant fight with Parkinson’s disease.

Born November 5, 1931 he was the son of Leland Baker Chisholm and Carrie Langille Chisholm of Malden, MA.

Lee was an Army veteran of the Korean War and a graduate of the University of Massachusetts majoring in Landscape Architecture. He was captain of the cross country, track and ski teams and a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity at UMASS.

Working as a planner for the Capital Regional Planning Agency in Hartford, CT he was hired by the Town of Farmington, CT to prepare a Comprehensive Plan. He later became Town Planner of Farmington. As the Town Planner he was responsible for establishing and naming the town’s recreational site, Tunxis Mead, in addition conducting the site planning for Winding Trails. He left town planning to open his own business as a planning consultant.

Always interested in sports, Lee was active in coaching Cross Country for Farmington High School. The boys’ teams won four straight championships in a row 1971-1974 and, in 1973, he started a girls team. In 1971, he was awarded State Coach of the Year by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

In his retirement he enjoyed birding, canoeing, running and hiking as well as splitting wood and bee keeping. He also volunteered many weeks each tax season preparing tax returns for senior citizens.

He leaves his daughter, Colonel Lisa P. Chisholm, and son-in-law, Mike Romeo, of Virginia Beach, VA; son, Christopher M. Chisholm, daughter-in-law, Kristin L. Chisholm, and grandchildren, Nicholas, Jason and Matthew Chisholm, all of Farmington. He also leaves a sister, Carilee Chisholm Miller, and brother-in-law, Charles Miller, of Georgetown, MA and his long-time companion and friend, Caroline Lloyd.

A memorial service will be held in Wilmington, MA at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Leland’s name may be made to Local Heroes, Inc., P. O. Box 536, Wilmington, MA 01887.

Michael A. DeStefano, Jr., age 84, of Wilmington, died Tuesday, March 2, 2010, surrounded by his family at the Winchester Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer.

Born on December 4, 1925 in Chelsea, MA, Michael was the dear son of the late Michael A. Sr. & Lucia (Ciarlone) DeStefano. Michael grew up in Chelsea, MA and was educated there, he joined the United States Navy on October 14, 1942. Michael was an Aviation Machinist and was responsible for maintaining many fighter jets. Michael served all over Europe, the Middle East, and the Asiatic Pacific Theatre, receiving many commendations for his service. He was honorably discharged on January 27, 1946. Michael returned to Chelsea and married his sweetheart Yvette T. Labbe on April 29, 1950; they were just shy of celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary. The couple moved to Wilmington in 1951.

Prior to retiring, Michael was employed as a Foundry Worker for Union Metal in Chelsea and Ferris Technology in Lawrence for many years.

Michael was considered a very “earthy person” he loved to plant tomatoes, flowers, and work in his yard, which he kept in pristine condition. He also loved to golf, fish, owning his own tuna boat at one time, and do wood working. Michael will be fondly remembered as a talented carpenter, a good friend and neighbor, devoted family man, and wonderful “Grandpa” who loved spending time with his grandchildren and help them with their many projects. He will be greatly missed.

Michael was the beloved husband of Yvette T. (Labbe) DeStefano, devoted father of Mary Ann Chamberland & her husband Warren of Westford, loving grandfather of Kelly Ann Belt & her husband Jeffrey and Justin Mark Chamberland, dear brother of Edward DeStefano & his wife Joan of Revere, and the late Ann Petit, Rosemarie Thompson, and Irene Ely, brother-in-law of Evelyn Longo of Chelsea and Joseph Labbe of Winthrop, also survived by many nieces & nephews.

Family & friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, Inc., 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington on Saturday, March 6th at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Thomas of Villanova Church, 126 Middlesex Ave., Wilmington at 10:00 a.m. Interment Wildwood Cemetery. Visiting hours Friday, March 5th from 4-9 p.m.

Memorial donations in Michael’s name may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.

Mary Anne (Connors) DeLucia, age 62, of Wilmington, died Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington following a courageous battle with cancer.

Born in Boston, MA on August 4, 1947, Mary Anne was the cherished only child of Victor and Josephine (DiGregorio) Connors. Mary Anne grew up in Revere until the age of 13 and moved to Wilmington in 1960, she was a graduate of Wilmington High School Class of 1965. She went on to continue her education at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Mary Anne married Richard DeLucia on June 9, 1968, celebrating over 41 years of marriage.

Together Mary Anne and Richard had two sons Richard and Matthew and they were the world to their mother.

Prior to her illness, Mary Anne worked at T. J. Maxx in Wilmington for several years.

Mary Anne will be fondly remembered by family and friends as an avid reader, doll collector, for her sense of humor, friendliness, devotion to her family and friends, she loved to travel with her husband Richard especially to Wells, ME, and most notably her special bond with her grandchildren who she idolized and cherished every moment spent with them. She will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Mary Anne was the beloved wife of Richard DeLucia of Wilmington, devoted mother of Richard A. DeLucia & his wife Denise M. of Walpole, Matthew P. DeLucia & his wife Jamie B. of Fayetteville, NC, loving “Nana” of Brooke, Kaitlyn, Ryan, Tyler, Isabel, Thomas, and Joshuah, dear sister-in-law of Michael A. DeLucia & his wife Gail of Billerica and Patti DeLucia of Wilmington, Mary Anne is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, her dear friend Ruthann Soderholm of Wilmington as well as many other close friends.

Family and Friends will gather at the Nichols Funeral Home, Inc., 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington on Sunday, March 7th for visitation from 2-6 p.m. with a time of sharing at 6:00 p.m.

Her Funeral Service will take place at the Funeral Home on Monday, March 8th at 10:00 a.m. Interment will take place in the family lot at Wildwood Cemetery.

Memorial donations in Mary Anne’s name may be made to St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 4 Forest St., Wilmington, MA 01887 or to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA 02215.

Loving mother, grandmother, friend to all, gardener, bibliophile, antique-lover, entrepreneur, former Wilmington Memorial Library employee

Dorothy Wiberg, 75, of Wilmington, born Dorothy Ellen Jackson in Cambridge, MA, died of heart failure on Saturday, February 27th at Lahey Clinic.

Dorothy was active in several town organizations in Wilmington where she lived for 48 years. She was one of the very first “Welcome Wagon Ladies” in the 1970’s. These women would put together gift baskets and deliver them to new residents in town. She was also very active in the Wilmington Garden Club, as well as being a member of the Friends of Wilmington Memorial Library, Friends of Harnden Tavern, and the Wilmington Women’s Club. She had been an active member of two singing groups, the Sweet Adalines and the North Regional Theatre Workshop, for several years.

Dorothy had a variety of interesting jobs over the years including working as a marketing aide for a company, handing out free samples of products– from dog food to deodorant! She and a friend later started a balloon business, delivering balloon bouquets to people throughout the Greater Boston area. They would tie helium balloons to a wicker basket containing either a small teddy bear or some chocolates, then deliver then to hospital patients or to new moms. They also did a booming business on Valentine’s Day. It brought her joy to see the surprised looks and smiles on the recipients’ faces.

Always an avid reader, Dorothy enthusiastically accepted a job as a Technical Services Aide at the Wilmington Memorial Library in the late 1980’s. She very much enjoyed working there until 1999, retiring at age 65.

After retirement, Dorothy enjoyed travelling and helping to care for her grandchildren. She had a fearless, adventurous spirit, as seen by her activities such as white water rafting and parasailing. She even went hot air ballooning at the annual festival in Albuquerque, NM. Her trips with her family & friends took her to England, where her parents came from, Italy, Hawaii, Disney World, and cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean. She also enjoyed going on some of the Wilmington Senior Center trips. Dorothy lived her life undaunted by her significant physical challenges, determined to do her best to live every day to the fullest.

Dorothy felt very blessed to be close to all three of her children who live in North Reading. She also was extremely grateful for her many wonderful friends and neighbors that she had throughout the years in Wilmington.

She is survived by her children, son Hugo W. Wiberg III and wife Mary, daughters Wendy Wiberg and her husband Robert Capozzi and Heidi Hastings and husband Gary; six grandchildren, Hugo W. Wiberg IV, Maxwell and Alexis Capozzi, Kyle, Jackson and Allison Hastings; sister Gladys Brown of Weymouth, brothers George Jackson of Ohio, Bob Jackson of Colorado and many nieces and nephews. Her sister Jean Jackson passed away in November.

Dorothy’s wake will be at the Nichols Funeral Home,187 Middlesex Avenue in Wilmington, from 2-4 and 6-8 on Friday, March 5th. Her Memorial Service will be at Trinity Evangelical Church, 105 Haverhill Street in North Reading, on Saturday, March 6th at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wilmington Memorial Library in Dorothy’s memory, or Heifer Project International (www.heifer.org), a nonprofit organization that provides income-producing animals to developing countries–two of Dorothy’s favorite organizations.

Gardner H. “Unkie” Appley, age 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 26, 2010, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Somerville, MA on August 30, 1919, Gardner was the son of the late Josiah and Ella (Perkins) Appley.

Gardner joined the United States Navy, entering into active service on January 3, 1944. He served on the U.S.S. Wilmarth in the Asiatic Pacific Theater and the Philippines as a Torpedoman’s Mate. Gardner received the WWII Victory Medal, American Theater Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal with 4-stars, and the Philippine Liberation with 1-star for his service and was honorably discharged on March 19, 1946.

He was a mechanic for the Ford Motor Company for many years and always loved working on old cars and tractors. Gardner was very active and loved to hike Mount Washington in New Hampshire sometimes hiking it twice in one day. He also had a great love and respect for animals. His most beloved pets were our Golden Retriever, Molly and Siamese cat, Griffy.

Unkie most enjoyed being with his family and the memories they made, which they will cherish forever. He will be fondly remembered as a man of great wisdom, quick wit, who loved to recite poetry and share words of encouragement. He was a most kind, compassionate man of great character and generosity, always doing for others, and he always had a song to whistle and a kind word for his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

Gardner was the dear brother of the late Myrtle Zubel and her husband John, he was the special “Unkie” of Cheryl & Jim Diorio of Wilmington, and their daughters Robin & Steven Dyer and Brittany Diorio, Sandra & Scott McKeen of Ashland and their children Kimberly Bilawchuk and Brian McKeen.

Private funeral services were held with military honors.

Memorial donations in Gardner’s name may be made to the MSPCA, Attn: Donations, 350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130.

Peter George Martin, age 86, of Wilmington, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, with his family at his side after an extended illness.

Born June 6, 1923, in Canton, Massachusetts to Leon and Margaret (McGuire) Martin. Peter left Canton High School at the age of 16 to join the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941 Peter joined the United States Maritime Service and served aboard the Joseph Conrad. He enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps in 1942. Peter participated in the Pacific Theater during WWII, serving in Samoa, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Guam. Peter attained the rank of Corporal before leaving the service in 1946.

After his wedding to Frances Mary Machiesky on February 1, 1947, Peter went back to school and earned his high school diploma from Veterans High School in Washington D.C. He and Frances moved to Kansas City, Missouri so Peter could train to become a railroad station agent. After finishing his schooling, he worked for the Reading Railroad in Pennsylvania and the Boston and Maine Railroad in Massachusetts. After retiring from the railroad, Peter was employed by RCA, First Security Services Corp., and RPS Security Services, working continuously until the age of 83.

He and Frances traveled extensively across the United States and Canada. Peter was also an avid runner, jogging daily well into his late seventies. He was an all-around handyman and was not afraid go get his hands dirty. He loved coffee and had a notorious sweet tooth.

Peter is survived by his wife of 63 years, Frances (Machiesky) Martin, and their six children Diane F. Martin of Lowell, Robert P. Martin & his wife Ondis of the Phillippines, Mary Ann Marks & her husband Walter of North Reading, Thomas A. Martin & his wife Marylee of Londonderry, NH, Theresa M. Gilbride & her husband Thomas of Lowell, and Katherine M. Martin of Lowell, Peter is also survived by six grandchildren Anthony Marks, Michael Martin, Thomas Marks, Jessica Diebold, Elizabeth Gilbride, Peter Martin, and has a great-granddaughter due in May.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 27th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, 126 Middlesex Ave., Wilmington. Interment Wildwood Cemetery.

Memorial donations in Peter’s name may be made to Local Heroes, Inc., P. O. Box 536, Wilmington, MA 01887.