Estelle Rhea"Memere, Sunshine" Ford

Estelle Rhea "Memere" (LeBlanc) Ford, 94, of 81 Church Street, Gardner passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord, Jesus Christ on June 19th, 2016, surrounded by her loving family. On this day, the world lost a Saint and Heaven gained an angel. She was predeceased by her husband of 57 years, John H. Ford, who passed in 2002.
Estelle was born in Gardner on October 30, 1921, the daughter of the late Alfred J. LeBlanc and Adrienne (L'Huiller) LeBlanc. She was the second eldest of seven children.
She was a member of the Gardner High School graduating class of 1939, and received her Nursing Degree in 1943 from Heywood Hospital School of Nursing in Gardner. Immediately following her graduation as a nurse, she cared for her father, until his death in 1945. Estelle then joined the United States Navy during World War II and served as a Registered Nurse at the US Naval Hospital in Chelsea, MA. The wounded service men fondly nicknamed her "Sunshine". After her military discharge, she worked as a private duty nurse as well as on the wards at Henry Heywood Hospital for many years. After her youngest child began school, her love for nursing took her to the Gardner School System where she worked as the School Nurse for twenty years and every child in those schools became "her kids". She covered the High School, School Street School and Prospect St. School and assisted the other public and parochial schools when needed. During her years as school nurse, she created and sponsored the Future Nurses Club at Gardner High and took a personal interest in all the young women who joined and later became nurses, many having graduated from Henry Heywood School of Nursing. She had found her calling in nursing, it was something she loved and was passionate about. That passion was something she was able to pass on to her students as well. She was so proud of all the club members who went on to become nurses or who worked in the medical field and remembered them fondly. Estelle was an active member of the Education Board for the development of Head Start and the early intervention programs in the city. One of her greatest accomplishments was serving the generations of family and children in the Gardner area.
Estelle was a member of the American Legion Post 129 of Gardner, the Chair City Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons, the Gardner Emblem Club and served as the Charter President of the Business and Professional Women's Club for many years. Estelle continued to attend the Henry Heywood School of Nursing Alumni events twice a year until her death.
With her husband, John "Jack", she owned and ran New England Consumer Buyers (CBA). She also enjoyed helping her mother (Adrienne L'Huiller LeBlanc) and sisters (Rachel and Corinne LeBlanc) at the family store, J.A. LeBlanc.
In May of 2014, Estelle was honored by Honor Flight New England, along with 60 other WWII Veterans and participated in a trip to the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. She said it was a trip of a life time and an honor she would never forget.
Estelle loved the company of her family, especially her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews. She enjoyed many years of attending the Senior Prom with either her son, or one of her grandsons. She enjoyed everyone who shared time with her and who paid her a visit, especially those who knew her as "Mrs. Ford the school nurse". She also enjoyed her precious pets, Fenway, Fritz and her bird Pretty Boy. She enjoyed taking care of and serving others, and spent most of her life doing so. Estelle was a past member of Holy Rosary Parish, and for over 25 years, a member of Mission Street Congregation Church in Gardner and loved attending worship services, fellowship dinners, blanket ministry, Ladies Aid and other events at the church. She always said they were her spiritual extended family. What she enjoyed most from her church was the love she felt from the church community. She loved music, dancing, board games with her grandkids and truly enjoyed sing-a-longs and having someone serenade her.
She leaves two daughters, Estelle E. (Beth) Bumbarger and her husband Daniel Bumbarger of Hudson, MA and Marjorie J. Fischer of Gardner; one son, Bob (John) Ford and his wife Dona (Neely) of Hopedale, MA; two sisters, Corinne P. LeBlanc of Baldwinville, MA and Lucille C. Slack of South Hadley, MA; five grandsons, Eric A. Fischer of Milford, NH, Timothy A. Fischer of Gardner, Daniel J. Bumbarger of Derby, VT, Ryan J. Ford and his wife Lindsey of Grafton, MA and Connor I. Ford and his wife Erika of Baltimore, MD; seven great-grandchildren, James (JD) Willyard, Nykol and Sara Fischer of Gardner, Aiden Ford of Grafton, Ashley Meyers and Tyler Fischer of Colorado Springs, CO, and Samantha Fischer of Florida; grandniece, Lynda Drake of Gardner; her nephew, John Santy and his wife Sharon of Charlton, NC and niece Bette O'Neill and her husband Tom of Charlton, NC, and many grand-nieces and grand nephews, cousins.
She also leaves her loving caregivers, Leslie Witty and Chelsea Deloge along with Judy Brown, Donna Thompson, Nancy Cotter from Trinity Home Services. Special thanks for the years of loving caregiving go to Fern Henri and Noella Gallant of Gardner and Sacha Luoma Bartlett of Jaffrey, NH. Estelle's family will be eternally grateful for the love and care extended to our mother by Claudia Marsh, RN and Donna Oliveri, CNA of Notre Dame Hospice Care.
Estelle was predeceased by her two brothers, Alfred J. and Roger LeBlanc; and two sisters, Rachel D. LeBlanc and Beatrice Y. Adams.
Calling Hours will be held Sunday, June 26th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Boucher Funeral Home, Inc., 110 Nichol Street, Gardner.
Funeral Services will be held Monday, June 27th from the Boucher Funeral Home, Inc., 110 Nichols Street, Gardner with a Service at 11:00 a.m. in Mission Street Congregational Church, 15 Mission St., Gardner, MA. Burial will be in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen Street, Winchendon, MA.
In tribute to her love for nursing, her former nursing students, her pride in Gardner and the former Henry Heywood School of Nursing, and her desire to care for others, her family is establishing the Estelle Ford Nursing Scholarship Fund. Memorial contributions may be made payable to Marjorie J. Fischer, 81 Church Street, Gardner, MA 01440. Please reference the Estelle Ford Nursing Scholarship Fund in the memo.

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