July 2, 2022

Deacon Gilbert M. St. George-Sorel dies at 71; served Ware parishes

REGIONAL

Deacon Gilbert St. George-Sorel is pictured at his 2017 ordination to the permanent diaconate. (Catholic Communications file photo)

WARE – Deacon Gilbert “Gibby” M. St. George-Sorel, age 71, died on Monday, June 27 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield following a brief illness.

A lifelong Roman Catholic, he served as an altar boy in his youth and continued as an adult. In 1983 he became one of St. Mary Parish’s original eucharistic ministers. He also served as a church lector. In 2017, he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Springfield by former Springfield Bishop Mitchell Rozanski and served as a deacon at St. Mary and All Saints parishes in Ware until his death.  He also was a staff member at Cebula Funeral Home

Deacon St. George-Sorel was born in Ware on July 24, 1950, son of the late Romuald A. Sorel and Mildred (Rymarski) Sorel. He was raised and educated in Ware, a 1964 graduate of the former St. Mary School, and a 1968 graduate of Ware High School. In the summer of 1967, he started as a summer worker for the Ware Highway Department, and worked continuously for the town of Ware. In 1986, he became the water and sewer superintendent, then was elected as the Department of Public Works (DPW) superintendent in 1990. 

He retired for the first time in 2010, completing 42 years of service to the town and its residents. While serving the community, he came out of retirement several times to assist the town of Ware with its public works projects. In 2018 he returned to the DPW superintendent position and worked until recently. He also worked for various private consulting engineers, including Tighe & Bond from Westfield. 

During this time, he met and married his wife, Lauretta (Arventos) St. George, who owned a local dance studio. He became the “Last Student” of the studio. Following their shared interest in education, they both took night classes at various local colleges and institutions, with Deacon St. George-Sorel attending both Holyoke Community College (HCC) and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) to complete his associate’s degree. He then transferred to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, until he satisfied requirements for a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. 

He was predeceased by his wife, who died in November 2021.    

He is survived by his daughters, Wendy Piche and husband Fred, Cindy St. George, and Ginny St. George and partner David Ferris; his four grandchildren, Nicholas Martowski and wife Seda, Evan St. George and wife Erin, Jules Martowski and wife Tomi, and Carolyn Piche; three great-grandchildren, Ethan, Logan and Eleanor. He also leaves his nephew Jeffrey Sorel of Ware and niece and godchild Robin Sorel Evans of Southold, Long Island, N.Y.; sisters-in-law Shirley Higney and husband Joe, and Charlotte Mansfield and husband Bob, and many cousins. In addition to his parents and his wife, Gibby was pre-deceased by his brother Romuald “Rom” Sorel, and sister-in-law Lisa.   

A vigil service will be held on Friday, July 8 at 4 p.m. at St. Mary Church,  57 South Street, Ware. The wake will follow from 4:30-6 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 9 in St. Mary Church, followed by burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery.   

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the following organizations: Dakin Humane Society, P.O. Box 6307, Springfield, MA 01101-6307 (dakinhumane.org); St. Mary Church, 60 South Street, Ware, MA 01082 (www.warecatholic.org.)