Geraldine A. Trudel

Geraldine Alice (Drury) Trudel passed peacefully into eternal rest on August 18, 2024 after a brief illness.

Gerry, as she was known, grew up and raised her family in Dracut Center, a close-knit neighborhood consisting of her parents and extended family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and lifelong friends. 

When she married her husband, Paul Trudel, they chose a plot of land at the end of a quiet street nearby to design and build their home and raise their kids. Weekends were spent collecting antiques, enjoying country drives in one of their Ford Model-Ts, hosting parties in their rumpus room, or cruising Lake Winnipesaukee aboard Bar Shy, their Chris Craft. Upon Paul’s untimely death at forty, she worked in the retail industry for many years before retiring from St. Joseph’s Shrine Gift Shop in Lowell, MA.

Gerry loved the “old ways” and spent considerable time tending her perennial gardens, cooking with the bounty of local summer produce, and looking after an array of animals that over the years went beyond just dogs and cats to include rabbits, a lamb, turkeys, chickens, and a pig. She also enjoyed sitting under her old cherry tree watching the birds, bees, and deer that roamed nearby. More recently she took up support of organizations focused on the well-being of animals, open space, and children. 

With a youthful spirit and exceptional health that belied her age, Gerry was at her happiest spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren on any number of adventures that included weekend visits, sightseeing, kids’ athletics and performing arts, crafts, and nature walks as well as other pursuits over the years. 

Gerry is survived by her children, Donna Burrows, Judy Ryder, Paul Trudel Jr., and Kimberly Trudel; five grandsons and seven great-grandchildren; her sisters, Doris Parsons and Betty Asselin; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Paul Charles Trudel; and her parents, Alice (Hesson) Drury and George Drury. 

Services and burial are private. Memorial gifts may be offered to Mass Audubon at www.massaudubon.org/donate or to ALivingTribute.Org.