Bertha Lea Morin

Bertha Lea Morin, 107, of Escondido, California formerly of Gardner died peacefully at the Edward Jones Retirement home in Escondido on January 22, 2021.

Born in Grande-Digue, New Brunswick Canada on December 9, 1913, she was the daughter of John Richard and Elizabeth (Gallant) Richard.

She moved to Gardner at an early age and was educated at Holy Rosary School and was a former member of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish and a former member of the Société des Dammes de Ste Anne.

While in Gardner she worked in sales at the former Colonial Hotel and Goodnow-Pearson Department Store.

She and her late husband of seventy-one years Aimé, who died in 2011 at the age of 99, moved from Fitchburg to Escondido, CA in 1978. While in Escondido she did modelling for department stores, loved to travel with her husband and participated in Arthur Murray ball room dancing competitions in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Bertha was predeceased by her parents John and Elizabeth Richard, her sisters Yvonne Arsenault, Ida Cormier, Blanche Allain, Lena Bouchard, Alyce Cormier a brother Alfred Richard, and niece Marie Edna Reynolds.

Although Bertha and Aimé had no children of their own they were a special aunt and uncle to several nephews and nieces. Ronald Cormier and wife Marcelle, Brian Richard, Faye Aldrich and husband Stephen, Deborah Hayes and husband Stanley, Richard Cormier and wife Prentiss, Douglas Cormier and wife Phyllis, Cameron Cormier and wife Diana, Bradford Cormier and wife Aileen, and Clayton Cormier and wife Margaret.

In addition, Bertha leaves dear friends and caregivers in Escondido, Atty. Janathan Allen and Richard Barron. They adopted and provided Bertha with family like care after Aimé’s death.

Her last years were tenderly provided for by Arceli Songco and her staff at Edward Jones Retirement Home in Escondido who cared for in a home with a family like atmosphere.

She will be interred with her late husband Aimé and her parents John and Elizabeth at Notre Dame Cemetery, West Street, Gardner, MA, on Thursday May 27, 2021 at 11:00 o’clock AM.