Lois Cherry Gorton

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Lois Cherry Gorton, 84, died quietly at her home on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born in Tennessee, the daughter of Harry Eugene and Ruby Adamson Cherry.

Lois met her future husband, Hugh Wanzer Gorton, when he was stationed near her home in Memphis, Tenn., during the World War II. They married on June 16, 1947, and took up residence in his hometown of Sheldon, Vt., where they raised four children. They moved to Augusta in 1971.

Lois was always active in parent-teacher associations at local schools and taught Bible classes at the local church. Her strong faith helped her survive the death of her husband when they were both 45 years old. She had been hired to cater luncheons at Central Maine Power Company, where she moved to full-time work as a clerk-typist and eventually was promoted to secretary in the development department. She retired from CMP after 14 years and worked for the Maine Housing Authority for the next 11 years.

Upon retirement, she moved to Massachusetts to live with her daughter. There, she volunteered 10 hours a week to process books in the library at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's Boston campus, also known as the Center for Urban Ministerial Education. She became known as the Grandmother of CUME. All the students and staff knew they could share their family photos with her and they often solicited her advice on coping with life as parents.

Lois loved cooking and served as the chairperson of the hospitality committee at Penney Memorial Baptist Church in Augusta, Maine, which catered for events held at the church. She also spent five summers as a cook for a children's summer camp in Vermont. Lois loved meeting new people and shared Kermit the Frog's philosophy of people: Strangers were just friends she had not met yet. Her hobbies also included reading books or listening to books on tape, taking classes to learn new things, and word search puzzles. Her favorite role in life was as a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent.

She is survived by her daughter, Cherry Gorton, of Beverly; three sons, Grant John Gorton II, a retired Naval officer who runs a dairy farm in Vermont, Burton Gorton, who works for Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., and David Gorton, pastor of the North Windsor Baptist Church in Maine. She had six grandchildren and three great-granddaughters.

A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 27, at Memorial United Methodist Church, 2 Dane St., Beverly. There will be a reception following the service in the church Fellowship Hall. Memorial services in Maine and Vermont will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. Arrangements are by the Campbell-Lee, Moody, Russell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot St., Beverly. Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com. 7241850