Westborough – Micheal A. (Quirk) Gillis, of Westborough, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Aug. 3, 2021. She was the beloved wife for 61 years of the late Joseph P. Gillis, who died in November 2020.
Born in Buffalo, NY, she was the daughter of the late Gertrude (Moloney) Quirk. She was raised and educated in Framingham and received her teaching degree from Framingham State College.
Mrs. Gillis began her career teaching first grade in the Framingham Public Schools. While raising her 5 children, she worked as a manager and buyer for the Book Corner store and later at the Open Book in Westborough. Upon retiring, she worked at the Shrewsbury Public Library.
Micheal was a longtime communicant of St. Luke the Evangelist Church where she served as a greeter, a member of the Martha’s and Mary’s, a CCD teacher and was an original member of the Women of St. Luke’s. She volunteered at the Westborough Food Pantry and was a member of the Westborough Historical Society.
She was an avid reader and a Red Sox fan. She loved to shop and antique with her two sisters. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and family to destinations including Hawaii, Bermuda, St. Thomas, Germany, England and Ireland. She enjoyed vacationing in North Falmouth, Cape Cod. Most of all, she loved to spend time with her husband, family and friends.
Micheal is the loving mother to Timothy Gillis and his wife Ann Marie of Northborough, Elizabeth “Betsy” Barr and her husband John of Westborough, Daniel Gillis of Auburn, Susan Franco and her husband David of Holliston, and daughter-in-law, Susan Gillis of Franklin. She was predeceased by her son, Patrick J. Gillis, in 2016 and her infant son, Peter J. Gillis, in 1960. Cherished Grammie to her ten beloved grandchildren, Cameron and Sean Gillis, Jonathan, Colin and Devin Barr, Brandon, Shelby and Brett Gillis, and James and Lindsey Franco. She is survived by her sisters, Cynthia Buscone and her husband Louis of Norwood and Susan Silva and her husband Paul of Framingham, and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her brothers, Christopher Quirk and John Quirk.
Her funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m., in St. Luke the Evangelist Church, 70 West Main St., Westborough. Burial in St. Luke’s Cemetery will be held privately at a later date. Calling hours are on Sunday, Aug. 8, from 3-5 p.m., in the Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home, 62 West Main St., Westborough.
The family requests that facial masks be worn during calling hours and the funeral Mass.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent to Westborough Food Pantry or Special Olympics.
