Mary Lillian Gravel

Winslow - Mary "May" Lillian Gravel passed away on Aug. 8, 2014 at Inland Hospital in Waterville. She was born in Earnscliffe, Prince Edward Island P.E.I., Canada Oct. 26, 1920. She was the daughter of Joseph and Josephine Byrne Morrissey. May attended Prince of Wales College and then the Charlottetown School of Nursing where she became an RN. She did a post graduate in surgery at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. She worked at the Charlottetown Hospital in the Surgery Dept. for four years and the Polio Clinic in Halifax, Nova Scotia for five years, before coming to Waterville to join her sister Josephine. She met her husband Romeo "Rocky" Gravel and they were married on Aug. 20, 1960. They lived in Winslow and had one son, Joseph Roch "Rocky". She became an American citizen in 1961. May worked at the Sisters Hospital in the Surgery Dept. for ten years, the Fairfield Sanatorium for eight years until it closed and the Psychiatric Hospital AMHI in Augusta, ME for 13 years. After she retired, she enjoyed her home life, working in her flower garden, baking, visiting special friends and playing cards. She traveled some, but most of her trips were her yearly visits driving herself even into her 90's back to P.E.I. to visit her twin brother, Byrne, plus other family members and friends. May was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Winslow, where she took part in the weekly Rosary. She was a life member of the Ladies Auxiliary Post 8838 in Winslow. For many years she provided knitted socks and mittens as well as baked goods for the St. John's Catholic School Christmas Fair. May was predeceased by her parents; her husband Romeo "Rocky"; her sisters Rita Sullivan of Vernon, P.E.I., Annie Bradley, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Josephine Cole, Silver Springs, MD, Beatrice Morrissey of Earnscliffe, P.E.I., and Kirsten Bradley, wife of nephew Louis. May is survived by her son, Rocky and his wife Lisa of Winslow and two very special grandsons Kyle and Matthew; her twin brother Byrne Morrissey of Earnscliffe, P.E.I.; sister-in-law Gloria Hart Gravel and brother-in-law Jerome "Babe" Gravel both of Winslow. Also left to mourn her passing is her godson, Kenneth Shirley Bradley; special nieces and nephews, Mary Ross Young, Dianne Bradley Garry Doyle, Mervin Paula Bradley, Whitney Cynthia Bradley of Prince Edward Island, Canada, Josephine Erwin Connolly of Walpole, MA, Louis Bradley of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and Kelvin Lori Bradley of British Columbia, Canada, John Phyllis Gravel of Benton, Joan Tom Corey of Waterville; twelve nieces and nephews and the O'Shea cousins from Prince Edward Island - Rev. Art, Maurice, Anne and Leo. She also had two special friends Mary Lou Martin and Betty Soule of Winslow. Heartfelt thanks to Betty Soule for the love and care she gave to May. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to St. John Regional Catholic School, 15 S. Garand St., Winslow, ME 04901 or the Winslow Firemens Assoc., 114 Benton Ave., Winslow, ME 04901. Visiting hours will be on Fri., Aug. 15, from 2-4 P.M. and 7-9 P.M. at the Gallant Funeral Home, 10 Elm St., Waterville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 A.M. Sat., Aug. 16 at Notre Dame Church, 116 Silver St., Waterville. Committal prayers and burial will be at the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Civic Center Drive, Augusta on Mon., Aug. 18, at 10 A.M. An on-line guest book may be signed and condolences may be expressed at www.gallantfh.com.