Obituary of Alice Gifford

Alice Margaret Gifford, passed away after a short illness on January 1, 2015 at the age of 97. Alice was born in Cambridge, the daughter of the late Walter and Margaret Bassett. She grew up in Cambridge until the age of 8 and then her family moved to the small farming community of Burlington. The Great Depression started when she was 12 years old and her family, like everyone else struggled to get by. She went to school in Burlington, helped care for her younger siblings, and worked in the local farms. When she was 20 years old she married John L. Gifford and they settled in Woburn in 1943 to raise their family. Alice had worked at Grants Department Store in Woburn Center as a Sales Clerk for many years and at Sylvania in Burlington as a technician and tester. She and her husband also owned the Maples Lounge in Billerica for many years. After working the week at Sylvania, the weekends were spent at the lounge cleaning and waitressing. She enjoyed working in the garden with her husband raising vegetables and growing roses. Her retirement years were spent summering on their mountain property in Starks, Maine. She was blessed to live a long life, remain in her home, and see the births of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. Alice was the beloved wife of the late John L. Gifford. She was the loving mother of John L. Gifford, Jr. of Fayette, ME, Joan Campbell & her husband Neil of Beverly, Ronald Gifford & his wife Betty of Woburn, and Walter Gifford & his wife Diane of Starks, ME. She was predeceased by her siblings; Lillian Pysczynski, Gertrude Scofield, Beatrice, Viola, & James Bassett. . Grandmother of the late Edward J. Stott, Jr. Alice was also survived by 7 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren and 9 great great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 of Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 11 a.m. Visiting hours Monday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Alice’s name may be made to the Care Dimensions, for the Kaplan Family Hospice House, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.