Gertrude H. (McDonnell) Desrosiers

Gertrude Honora Desrosiers (McDonnell), 94, of Belmont and Chatham passed away at home on May 27th after a long illness.

Gertrude was born on May 8, 1932, to Mary A. and William A. McDonnell of Cambridge, MA.  The youngest of their five daughters, Gertrude was raised in a close-knit Mt. Auburn neighborhood alongside her large extended family.  She graduated from Framingham State Teachers College receiving her BA, and Lesley University with a Master's in Education.

Gertrude met her late husband Bruce at the CYO dances and they went on to marry in 1957.  Together they raised their five children in the home they built in Belmont on Taylor Rd, where they lived for the next 68 years.

Gertrude was a fiercely dedicated mother to her children, raising them to honor the importance of education, family and faith. She was a devoted parishioner of St. Joseph Parish in Belmont, assisting with the coordination of religious education for many years.  She balanced her busy family life alongside a long career as a Learning Specialist in the Cambridge Public Schools.  Her summers were spent in Chatham on the Cape with her family and she took great pleasure in watching her children and then her grandchildren enjoy Red River Beach with family and friends.

In retirement, Gertrude enjoyed traveling with Bruce and continuing her education, especially through the Beyond BC program, and she was an avid participant in the BC Lifelong Learning Lectures. She also loved to get together with her lifelong friends sharing decades of memories.  Gertrude was a passionate reader, and few things pleased her as much as the Thursday delivery of the beloved New Yorker magazine.  

Gertrude is survived by her dear sister Dorothy McDonnell and her daughters Mary Lisa Sisson (Michael) of Rochester, NY, Elizabeth D. Healy (James) of Needham, Sarah E. Connolly (Joseph) of Belmont, Gretchen H. Quinn (Thomas) of Raleigh, NC, and her eight grandchildren, John, Grace (Jon), Mary, Madeline (Josh), William (Madeline), Annie (Jesse), Jack and Honora and her great grandchildren Eliza, Harrison, Noah, James, Jack, Annabelle and Jane.  She was predeceased by her husband Bruce and son Robert as well as her sisters Mary Cole and her husband Henry, Barbara Brady and her husband James, Frances McDonnell and sister-in-law Carol Mack and her husband John.

The family gratefully acknowledges the love and care provided to Gertrude by her devoted caregivers Ann, Deidre, Teresa, Geraldine and Sandra.

A private family Mass of Christian Burial will be held on June 1st at St. Joseph Parish in Belmont. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Luke's St. Vincent de Paul Society, Belmont, MA (781-530-7087 or at https://givebutter.com/SVDPSL)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gertrude H. (McDonnell) Desrosiers, please visit our floral store.