Roy O. Gilbert

Roy O. Gilbert, 85, of Gardner, died peacefully Friday, March 17, 2023, in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, after an illness.

Born in Concord, New Hampshire, on June 21, 1937, he was the son of the late Ibrey O. and Olive F. (Milligan) Gilbert. Roy graduated from Pembroke Academy in 1955 and received an Associates Degree in Engineering from New Hampshire Technical Institute. Roy was a United States Air Force Veteran serving in the New Hampshire Air National Guard from 1960 to 1963 and was actively deployed from 1961 to 1962. He also served in the New Hampshire Army National Guard from 1956 to 1960. Roy retired in 2004 as Director of Community Development for the Town of Winchendon. Roy was the Owner of G.B. Chapel Furnishing, LLC of Winchendon for many years until his death. He also owned the Gilbert Furniture Company.

Roy was a congregant of the Unitarian Universalist Society Church of Gardner. He was a member and past District 7910 Governor of Rotary International (2005-2006). Roy held his private pilot license and loved to travel with his late wife Lois.  He was proud of his Scottish heritage—the MacNeill clan, and enjoyed attending the Highland Games in New Hampshire. He had a passion for furniture making and was most proud of his custom shaker furniture designs. Roy’s greatest joy was his family and friends, treasuring all the special moments they spent together.  Roy was a compassionate, loving person that put other’s needs first before his.   

Roy was predeceased by his wife of 34-years, Lois J. (Nadeau) Gilbert, who died in 2019. He is survived by his four children, Kevin Gilbert (Jamie) of Bothell, WA, Tamara Mugel (Richard) of Hamburg, NY, Megan Piccus (Andrew) of Longmeadow and stepson Kyle Helie (Andrea) of Leominster; former wife Judith C. Gilbert of Arlington, VA; twelve grandchildren, Taylor, Connor, Emma, Hayley, Viola, Nathaniel, Stephen, Margaret, Emily, Madeleine, Zoe, and Parker; and six great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, June 23, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in the Boucher Funeral Home, Inc, 110 Nichols Street, Gardner, MA. Burial with Military Honors will follow at in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen Street, Winchendon, MA.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or on their website at (www.dana-farber.org/gift). Please reference in memory of Roy O. Gilbert