Obituary of Marlene Gourgoumis

Marlene Christine Gourgoumis passed away Wednesday morning, August 28, 2013 with her family at her bedside. She was 64 years old. Marlene was born and raised in Somerville and was a graduate of Somerville High School. She loved being a part of Somerville and kept in touch with her childhood friends as a member of her High School Reunion Committee. After high school, she earned her BS from Salem State and her Master’s Degree in Elementary education from Boston State. While in college she studied for a semester at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Marlene was a teacher for the Somerville School system and Montesorri Schools. She then worked for the Internal Revenue Service as a customer service representative for 15 years. Marlene first took ill with cancer 15 years ago and successfully beat the disease. Having cancer reaffirmed her perspective on life and the importance of family. She embraced life and cherished her family. She traveled all over the world with Hawaii being one of her favorite destinations, partly because of its beauty, but more importantly it was where her son was stationed in the military. She also went on numerous cruises and a number of trips to Las Vegas. She appreciated her husband’s service to his country, and supported his involvement in the Bobcat Society, which was made up of Vietnam Veterans and their families. In recent years, she took a great interest in researching her ancestry. In the end, Marlene knew that family was the most prized possession an individual can have. She took great joy in seeing her children grow up, become adults, and succeed in their careers and interests. It gave her great joy to become a grandmother with the birth of Elena 9 months ago. Marlene also loved having her siblings, her in-laws, nieces, nephews, and extended family together sharing each other's company and keeping their family bond. Marlene was the beloved wife of George Gourgoumis for 39 years. She was the loving and supportive mother of Major Andrew Gourgoumis, USMC & his wife Cara of Rye, NH and Melisa Gourgoumis of Los Angeles, CA. She was the very proud grandmother of Elena Gourgoumis. She was the loving daughter of the late John Sousa and the late Margaret Ponte & her husband Gilbert. She was the sister of Dennis Sousa & his wife Prue of Bend, OR and Wayne Sousa & his wife Mary Simpson of Salem, MA and sister-in-law of John & Carol Gourgoumis of Saugus and Dessie & Robert DeVito of Waltham. Marlene was also survived by many other loving family members and friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Saturday August 31 at 10:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 11:30 a.m. Visiting hours Friday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Memorials in Marlene’s name may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701 or www.cancer.org. For directions, obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net or www.saintmargaretschurch.net Words of remembrance by Andrew I would like to thank everyone for being here today to Honor my Mother, as well as those who could not be here with us today but have called and written, from all over the world, to send their support and condolences to my family. I do not intend to tell stories right now as I could just not do justice to any in the short time I have before you in this service. I have heard numerous stories in just the last few days that I never knew of my mother, and I ask everyone to continue to tell those today and for years to come, especially to my daughter, so that she may better know and love the extraordinary woman that her grandmother was. What I prefer to do now is to relay to you the impact my mother had on our lives and what the core of her character was. My mother taught us that nothing is impossible and that we are only limited by our imaginations. She imbued in us an awareness of the endless possibilities of this world. She raised us to be curious and explore…to be astonished by the wonders of this world…to learn with enthusiasm about exotic places and to possess a passion for travel and adventure…to set goals and work hard…that we truly could achieve anything we set out to…to have a love for the sea as she did (a true N.E. girl of Portuguese descent)…She taught us the importance of family, of knowing your family history, and of the amazing stories of your ancestors and your enduring connection to them…AND She emphasized life-long learning, no matter what your interest was…a fitting lesson from someone whose first, selfless profession was teaching. My mother was loving. She modeled for us the epitome of unconditional love. She was intelligent and her integrity uncompromising. She was a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt, niece, and cousin. Every Holiday was a major production. Every decision she ever made was first and foremost what was best for our family, not her individual needs and wants. She had a young spirit. She certainly knew how to let loose and have fun, never caring what anyone thought. She loved to try and embarrass us in a comical way, but at the same time she did all this while exemplifying class, a characteristic she clearly inherited from her mother. Most of all, my mother was tough. Here in this part of her character is where many of the stories are found. It was not uncommon for her to want to stop abruptly during a drive through somewhere like the White Mountains and on a whim hike up a mountain in less than desirable footwear. She was tough. Dad, I have to tell you, as kids if we ever wanted to pull the wool over someone’s eyes and get approval for something, you were our target. You were the soft one, because Mom would see right through our little scams. But her physical toughness was clearly overshadowed by her mental toughness. She set the example for us all by fighting this terrible disease with vigor and positive attitude. Her faith was never shaken; a stoic woman who refused to show weakness. My mother would have walked through fire and worse to protect those she loved. Additionally, she had to deal with the stress of my expeditions to less than safe neighborhoods around the world. If anyone has ever earned a place among Saints and Angels, so too has my mother. Getting orders to Eastern New England a year and a half ago was somewhat of a surprise, but I am forever indebted that it afforded Cara, Elena, and I to spend more time with my mother. I enjoyed watching my parents, seemingly inseparable, doing the things they loved and having fun. Elena’s birth last November greatly expanded my understanding and appreciation of a mother’s love. It also made me realize just how well my mother took to being a grandmother. Her love for Elena brought us closer together and made me love and appreciate her more than I ever have. I need to talk for a moment about my Father. A few months ago, I was at their house and I saw a Mothers’ Day card on a table. Inside, he had written, “You are the best thing that ever happened to me.” Someone once told me that every person you meet in your life will either be a better or a worse person for having known you, no matter how brief the encounter. I am sure we are all better people for having known my Mother. Dad, your love of Mom and your unwavering, honorable, and Herculean support for her throughout this ordeal was purely heroic and cannot be emphasized enough. I know you are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of your beautiful bride and I hope that the love and appreciation of everyone here and everyone else who loved Mom so much can help you through this. If I can be half the husband and father you are, I’ll be doing all right. Mom, we miss you, but you will forever be with us. I will remember you each time I look at my daughter, hear one of your favorite stories, see a favorite book of yours on a shelf, or when I do one of the many things I do which I clearly inherited from you. Nothing is more difficult in life than saying goodbye to the woman whom, as a child, you instinctively cried out to in the middle of the night when scared or sick. You are forever etched in our minds and in our hearts. Your memory and what you taught us will continue to guide us until we ultimately join you. We love you.