Edwina Marie Plasse

Edwina M. Plasse, 94, passed away peacefully on March 2, 2021, at Chestnut Hill of East Longmeadow. She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Josephine (Boulerice) Gauthier. She was born in the village of Newton Falls, New York, the 7th of 9 children. At a young age her family moved to Cornwall, Ontario Canada, where she was raised.
Edwina was educated in Catholic schools and as a teenager she was employed in a silk mill producing parachutes in support of the Canadian war effort for World War II. She moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1945. In Springfield she was employed by the former Forbes & Wallace department store. In 1947, Edwina married her cherished husband Lawrence Plasse and moved to Agawam where she resided for 67 years before moving to East Longmeadow. As her children grew older, Edwina was employed by Peter Pan bus lines and later by Mercy Hospital for many years until her retirement. She was a communicant of Saint John the Evangelist Church in Agawam.
Edwina enjoyed spending time with her family and was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She took pride in her home, yard and flowers. She often enjoyed watching the birds as they visited the numerous bird feeders in her back yard.
Edwina was proud of her French-Canadian heritage and was conversant in French.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her beloved husband of 60 years, Lawrence “Larry” Plasse. She is survived by her two sons David Plasse and his wife Joyce of Enfield, CT and Michael Plasse of Agawam, MA, her grandchildren Mark Plasse of Colchester, VT and his wife Jean and Laura DeShay and her husband Brett of Newtown, CT, as well as her three great grandchildren Ian Plasse, Riley DeShay and Tyler DeShay. Edwina was predeceased by her great grandson Dylan DeShay. Edwina was also predeceased by her siblings: Edward, Morris, Beatrice Cadieux, Jeanette Riley, Leo, Lawrence (Bob), Joseph Jr. (Rudy) and Roy. She also leaves many beloved nieces and nephews, including her niece, Jean Riley of Texas, who visited her in recent years and with whom Edwina shared a deep life-long loving bond. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Barbara Gauthier and Marjorie Plasse.
She will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Edwina’s family wishes to thank her nurse Doreen and all the staff at Chestnut Hill of East Longmeadow for the compassionate care and attention she received over the last 3 years.
A calling hour will be held on Friday, March 5, 2021 from 11:15am-12:15pm in Colonial Forastiere Funeral Home, 985 Main St., Agawam. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 1pm at Saint John the Evangelist Church 833 Main Street Agawam, MA. Internment will be private at the at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions, in Edwina’s memory, may be made to Saint John the Evangelist Church, 833 Main Street Agawam, MA 01001 or to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104. To leave a personal message of condolence or for more information, visit www.forastiere.com.