October 20, 1934 – May 5, 2020
Geraldine M. “Gerry” (nee Collins) (Santella) Chagnon, resident of
Reading, and formerly of Melrose, passed away Tuesday, May 5,
2020 at Jeffrey and Susan Brudnick Center for Living in Peabody.
She was 85.
Born in Melrose on October 20, 1934, Gerry is one of four
children of the late Albert E. and Edith (nee Brown) Collins. She
grew up in Melrose, graduating from Melrose High School in
1952. She enjoyed spending time with her friends Gertie and
Janice, a friendship they maintained over the years of their lives.
Gerry worked as a bookkeeper at the Melrose Savings Bank, in
the Assessor’s Office at Melrose City Hall, as a Unit Secretary at
Winchester Hospital, a Coordinator at Grapevine Resource and
Family Center in Antrim New Hampshire, and at the Peoples
Service Exchange. She was also a proud member of the Social
Club at Cedar Glen in Reading.
While hard work was important to Gerry, and that was something
she instilled in her children, family was what mattered most to
her. She adored her children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchild. She was active in their lives, and exceptionally
proud of all their accomplishments.
Cooking and baking were a favorite pastime for Gerry. She
cooked and baked for everyone. She was known for her
brownies and Sunday dinners with her dear family and friends.
Good food was one of the cornerstones of her life.
Gerry loved shopping, reading, watching the Pats and Red
Sox, ballroom dancing and clogging, or tending to her beautiful
roses, which she so fondly looked after. Gerry absolutely loved music.
If she wasn’t reading or watching her crime shows, she would be listening
to Il Divo or Tom Jones, two of her favorites.
She also had a soft spot for animals, especially her two beloved cats,
Lovey and Pretty Girl. Traveling was another favorite pastime, with trips to
Ireland, Newfoundland, and out to the West Coast to see her
brother, as a few of her favorite destinations.
A woman of deep faith, church was exceedingly important to
Gerry and she was a longtime member of Church of the Good
Shepherd in Reading.
The love, warmth, and great sense of humor Gerry showed to
everyone will be deeply missed.
Gerry is the devoted mother of Debra J. Tibbetts and her husband
Donald of Methuen, Gerri L. Bellavia and her husband Francis of
Wilmington, Rhonda L. O’Keefe of Methuen, and Edmund R.
Santella and his wife Stephanie of Derry, NH. Dear sister of the
late Dr. Calvin J. Collins. Sister of E. Joyce Coe and J. Loreen
Doherty. Proud grandmother of Donald J. “DJ” Tibbetts, Lisa L.
Bellavia, Michelle Bellavia, Christopher L. O’Keefe, Leah M.
O’Keefe, Edmund A. Santella, and Elizabeth C. Santella. Also
survived by great-grandson Mason Tibbetts.
Due to current health regulations, services for Gerry will be
private. Interment in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose, where she will
rest for eternity with her beloved parents.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Gerry may be made to
MSPCA-Angell, Attn: Donations, 350 S. Huntington Ave, Boston,
MA 02130.
Please offer your words of love and support online at
RobinsonFuneralHome.com
