PACE, Fla. — As a longtime secretary at Fairchild Semiconductor in South Portland, Wildreth Burnell organized meetings and travel plans for company executives and pretty much ran the office like a well-oiled machine.
It was a very different story at home.
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Mrs. Burnell, formerly of Anderson Cove Road in north Sebago, was the mother of two children and devoted grandmother of four, and dedicated her life to her family.
She died on June 24 at a hospital in Florida. She was 77.
Mrs. Burnell, known by many people as “Willy,” was remembered by her family Tuesday as a strong, positive and compassionate woman who lived her life to the fullest.
Her son, Austin Burnell of Parsonsfield, said she appreciated the simple things in life, like the first cup of coffee in the morning, Facebook, cooking and going camping with her grandchildren.
He said that for many years, his parents took their grandchildren camping for a week at Papoose Pond in Waterford. He said it was an important family tradition.
“She loved it there,” her son said.
She was married to Austin H. Burnell for 44 years. The family lived one-third of a mile from Sebago Lake for many years.
Her son spoke Tuesday about the sacrifices his mother made for her children. He said she was a stay-at-home mother in her early years, occasionally working seasonal jobs to earn extra money so her children could have new school clothes.
He remembered the years when they explored the woods around the lake after school, and how she read them a story every night before bed.
“My mom was really a wonderful mom,” he said. “You could confide in her with anything. She was very opinionated, but she was very compassionate and listened to what you had to say. I never met another person like her, I can tell you that. She had a great sense of humor. She was very positive woman.”
When her kids were teenagers, she took a job as an inspector at Fairchild Semiconductor. She held several entry-level jobs before landing her position as executive secretary.
Her son said she was dedicated to the company, often going to work early to make sure that a project or presentation was perfect. She retired around 1997.
Soon after, Mrs. Burnell began volunteering at Lake Region High School in Naples through the People’s Regional Opportunity Program’s Foster Grandparents. She volunteered at the school for a couple of years. Her son believes the students called her “Auntie.”
“She loved the kids,” her son said. “She came from tough times, and some of those kids came from tough homes. She liked interacting with the kids.”
A couple of years ago, Mrs. Burnell moved to Pace, Fla., to be closer to her daughter, Debra MacKenzie, who lives there. Mrs. Burnell was diagnosed with stomach cancer over a year ago.
She received chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and lived cancer-free for about six to eight months before it returned in May. The doctors told the family that her cancer was terminal.
“We knew that she was going to pass away. You would think that would make it easier, but it hasn’t,” her son said. “She was my mom, but she was my best friend, too.”
Staff Writer Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
mcreamer@pressherald.com
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