Obituary for Muriel O'Gorman

O'Gorman, Muriel N. (Maw), 96, of Island Pond, Vermont, was called home to the greatest teacher of us all, Our Lord and Savior, in the early morning hours of November 11, 2025.

Muriel was born September 19, 1929, in Island Pond, VT. to the late Charles F. and Ada (Taylor) Maw at their residence on Birch Street. Muriel was a graduate of Brighton High School where she was on the basketball team with life-long friend Pat Carbonneau. She loved the beach, was a swimming lifeguard, and mentored local youth.

After receiving her bachelor's degree from Lyndon State College in 1950 Mom began her career as a teacher for 42 years, starting out in a one room school house. She taught school in Norton, VT., Berlin, N.H., Burlington, VT. and her last 20 years at Derby Elementary teaching special education.

Muriel married Nicholas Patrick O'Gorman of Island Pond on October 3, 1958, in Fryberg, Maine. They had three children: Catherine Taylor, Mark Charles and James Harry. Somewhere along the way she survived two bouts of breast cancer and earned two master's degrees from the University of Vermont.

Like her father, Muriel was very civic oriented. She served on the Brighton Elementary School Board (as chair at one point) and served on the School Board of North Country Union High School. She was past President of Northeast Kingdom Elementary Teachers Association, and a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society and Order of the Eastern Star. Muriel was also a very active member of American Legion Auxiliary Post #80. With the help of her husband Nicky and her family, Muriel designed and constructed numerous floats for Island Pond's Memorial Day and 4th of July parades, twice winning first prize with floats featuring Snow White & The Seven Dwarves and a Ulysses S. Grant float for the Island Pond Historical Society.

Muriel served as a Lay Reader and Lay Eucharistic Minister of Christ Episcopal Church, as had her father, Charles. Muriel officiated at numerous weddings and funerals and conducted the "Blessing of the Snowmobiles" ceremony as part of the annual Island Pond Winter Carnival festivities.

She had a great appreciation of history and was for many years Trustee of the Island Pond Historical Society, alongside friends vice president Craig Goulet, Treasurer Marilyn Maxwell, and trustees Gordon Lefebvre and Michael Clark. In 2017, Muriel appeared in a WCAX TV channel 3 Super

Senior feature and in 2018 appeared on Your Kingdom Today, a documentary about her life. She enjoyed reading about the British royal family and often told the story of how her father had seen Queen Victoria, and how he had later taken Muriel and her mother Ada and sister Millie to see King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their 1939 visit to Canada.

In 2006, Muriel ran for selection as a Progressive for State Representative of the Essex-Caledonia-Orleans District #1.

Cooking was a big part of Muriel's life. In the mid 1970's she worked at the Cook Shack downtown with Pam Stabile and others, she also worked in the kitchen at the Grandview Pavillion for wedding receptions, Saturday dances and Sunday Bingo. With her friends Frances Goulet, Eleanor Harris and Gerry Dufour, Muriel enjoyed berry picking. In her spare time Muriel read people's Fortunes at parties and, in her role as a wedding celebrant, married dozens of couples who stayed in touch with her. Mom's faith was her strength, she always had her bible near her armchair and her door was always open to family, friends and strangers.

At one time Muriel also bartended at the American Legion and called Bingo there. For several years, Muriel managed the catering service at the Legion for weddings; funerals and other special receptions. Her children and grandchildren were included as staff working in the kitchen and waiting tables. She had a keen eye on the expenses of the food and in meeting the expectations of the clients based on their budget. In later years, when she could not do as much, she earned the nickname "The General" for how she would bark out the orders of getting things done in the kitchen, ensuring everything was timed perfectly. Anyone who worked with or for her certainly would have some stories to tell about those happy days.

Mom's favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. So, it is proper and fitting that she passed away near this holiday. She loved cooking Thanksgiving dinner and having the family close. She thought it was sad that the holiday almost seemed overlooked between Halloween and Christmas. Mom absolutely loved children. For St. Patrick's Day she would dye her hair green and dress up as a Leprechaun at school for the smaller grade children. She continued this tradition right up until seven years ago.

Muriel loved music and could play the organ and piano. She loved listening to classical music, the harp, bagpipe music and hymns. She also enjoyed traveling. Sometimes, in the summer, she would visit her sister Dorothy and her husband Bill Wells in Ohio, and help Bill by sharing long drives to Florida, Texas and California to visit Bill's relatives. She was also very artistic and enjoyed drawing birds and landscapes with artist color pencils

or pastels. Mom loved to decorate her school bulletin boards for the various seasons and holidays. This tradition eventually carried over to her home where – with daughter Cathy's help, she would always decorate the front windows of her house with decorations befitting the season or upcoming holiday. Everyone loved her clever eye catching designs.

Muriel was pre-deceased by her parents, Charles F. and Ada Maw, her sisters, Winifred (1918), Mildred, "Millie" (1943), Dorothy Wells (2001), brother in law Bill Wells (2014), her husband Nicholas (1982), her son Mark (2007), grand-daughter Taini Mae Kinney (2004), and grandsons Quincy O'Gorman (2017) and his brother Michael O'Gorman (2024), her beloved cats Chi Chi and Bella, and many friends including Pat Carbonneau (2021).

She is survived by her daughter Cathy Kinney and husband Alson of Island Pond, VT., her son James O'Gorman and partner Sharon Biron of Suffolk, U.K, her grandson Austin Patrick O'Gorman and his partner Emily Black of Malden, MA, her grand-daughter Kalli and husband Caleb Lefebvre of Westmore, VT. Great grandchildren Rylan and Gideon Lefebvre of Westmore, VT. Also, many nieces and nephews and their partners on the O'Gorman side of the family, and Muriel's grand dogs, Chance O'Gorman, and Dixie and Luna Biron.

The family extends sincere thanks to Dr. Robert Primeau and the IPHC, the Visiting Nurses Association, Coos County Nursing Hospital, Island Pond Meals on Wheels, Richard Bouffard and colleagues at Curtis Britch & Bouffard, carers Becky Ashman and Patrice Ladd, Muriel's retired teaching colleagues who stayed in touch and her many supportive friends including (to name just a few) Doug Westin, Craig Goulet, Waid Hudson, Sharon Amero, Judy Castonguay, Mrs. Joanne Watson and all those who kindly sent greeting cards to Muriel for her 96th birthday on 19 September.

Service to be held at Christ Church Episcopal, Island Pond, 6th December at 11am followed by a Celebration of Life reception in American Legion post #80, Main Street, Island Pond. Private interment 2026 at Lakeview Cemetery, Island Pond. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to : Christ Church, c/o Judy Gonyaw Worth, 2541 East Brighton Road, Island Pond, Vermont  05846 or to the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Society, 4473 Barton-Orleans Road, Orleans, Vermont 05860. On-line condolences are welcome at curtis-britch.com.  Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home, & Cremation Service, locally family owned and operated.