Gail (Therrien) Gicas

After a lifetime spent defining the term “Family Matriarch,” Gail Gicas, 62, of Shrewsbury, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on April 27, 1956 in Worcester, MA, the daughter of the late Raymond and Margaret (Jalboot) Therrien.  Gail was always about family. She married Dean Gicas on October 20, 1979 and they were blessed with two beautiful children.  Gail built a warm and happy home with a front door that was always open to family and friends.  She enjoyed cooking for her family and was always ready to have a cup of coffee and great conversation with anyone.   Her summers were spent on Cape Cod enjoying time at the beach with family and friends.

Gail was an incredibly giving person and a caretaker in every sense of the word.  When her children were young, she perfected the role of homemaker and took care of everyone’s needs.  In between all of this, she also found time to work in the family business alongside her husband Dean at the Worcester Courthouse Cafeteria.  Gail also became a travel agent owning and operating a CruiseOne franchise.  This was the perfect way to share her love of travel with others.

She truly enjoyed traveling and saw more of the world than most people, leaving her mark on several continents.

When Gail became sick she never gave up and showed just how someone could still live a good life despite her illness.  Her fighting spirit lives on in those that survive her; her loving husband Dean Gicas of Shrewsbury, her children Kristin Gicas and Gregory Gicas of Shrewsbury, sister-in-law Donna Therrien of West Boylston, sister-in-law Joanna Voyiatzis and her husband Dimitrios of Worcester, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  Besides her parents, a sister Darlene Therrien and brother Steven Therrien predeceased her.

Gail was a longtime member of St. George’s Orthodox Cathedral, Worcester, MA.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Rochelle G. Scheib and her Nurse Practitioner Lindsay Shaw at Dana Farber Cancer Institute for helping Gail throughout her entire journey. The family also thanks Dr. Rebecca Spanagel of St. Vincent Medical Group.

Friends and relatives are invited to calling hours, Thursday, January 31^st from 4 pm to 7 pm in the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St.  Her funeral service will be held Friday, February 1^st from the funeral home with a procession to St George Orthodox Cathedral, 30 Anna St, where Reverend Fr. Milad Selim, will celebrate her liturgy at 11:00 am.  Burial will follow in Mt View Cemetery, Shrewsbury.   In lieu of flowers, charitable gifts in loving memory of Gail can be made to the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden Cancer Support Center, 145 Bolton Road, Harvard MA, 01451 which helped Gail immensely during her illness.