December 04, 1944 – March 09, 2021
Rolland Gilbert Congdon, better known as “Gil” or “Popsie”, died peacefully with family at his side in the early morning on March 9, 2021, at the age of 76 following his long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Gil leaves behind his beloved wife Pamela (Andresen) Congdon just shy of their 50th wedding anniversary. Gil grew up on a chicken farm in East Longmeadow, MA, and lived in Reading for more than forty years. He is predeceased by his parents Rolland Hunt “Bud” Congdon and Helen (Gilbert) Congdon and sister Carolyn Traver Wiseman. His three surviving sisters are Joan Betts and her husband James of W. Hartford, CT; Dorothy St. Germain and her husband Brewster of E. Longmeadow, MA; and Paula Butler of Cotuit, MA.
Popsie will be greatly missed by his immediate family: sons Peter Congdon of North Andover, Bradford and his wife Sandra (Szela) Congdon and their two children Sophia and Chase of Reading, and daughter Brooke Wilmot and her husband Michael and their two children Roosevelt and Emmett of Methuen, as well as brother and sisters-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and goddaughter.
After graduating from Colby College, Gil found his true calling as a Mathematics Teacher, and baseball and basketball coach at Reading Memorial High School (RMHS) for 8 years. He was lured away to Bethlehem, NH for the scenic mountains and rural life of vegetable farming during his summer breaks from being educator, Athletic Director, and “Coach” of five sports at Profile Jr./Sr. High School.
Gil returned to RMHS as Athletic Director and teacher in the 1980s, followed by 16 years of teaching at Manchester Essex Regional High School. Upon retiring after 34 years at the High School level, he couldn’t stay away from the classroom and became an adjunct professor at Bentley University for 12 more years, where he was recognized with multiple honors including the Adamian Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Gil enjoyed travel including chaperoning student trips to Australia and throughout Europe. Bucket list trips to Alaska and a Danube River Cruise with close friends, were intertwined by trips with Pam to tropical islands and many interesting cities around America.
Some of Gil’s greatest friendships came from playing cards, singing, and sports. He loved card games with family and other couples, at Senior Centers in Reading and Wakefield, and with the Reading Amateur Bridge Association that he founded in the 1980s. Gil enjoyed singing in the Reading Community Singers, sang the National Anthem at many Bentley football games, and played various roles in high school musicals including Daddy Warbucks in “Annie” and the Cowardly Lion in “The Wizard of OZ”.
Gil was part of Red Sox Nation and traveled to many ballparks to cheer on his favorite team. He even coached at Ted Williams and Mike Andrews Baseball Camps for a few summers; his enthusiasm for Reading Baseball, golfing, and the New England Patriots wasn’t far behind. Two of Gil’s most cherished moments were being inducted into his high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame and when a former student dedicated her book to him.
Gil had a full life and especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports, dance, and laugh. We’ll miss his dedication, selflessness, sense of humor/quick wit, and strength fighting Parkinson’s with his support group friends. Sadly, an extra innings game just wasn’t in the cards.
Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Douglass, Edgerley & Bessom Funeral Home located on the corner of 25 Sanborn Street & Woburn Street in Reading, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Gil can be made to any of the following: · American Parkinson’s Disease Association – apdaparkinson.org · Dana Farber Cancer Institute & Jimmy Fund – www.jimmyfund.org · Reading Scholarship Foundation – readingsf.org (R. Gilbert Congdon Memorial)
