Edith Ilona (Soderblom) Milott, 73, of Mattapoisett and Jupiter, FL died peacefully at home on Friday July 2, 2010 after a courageous battle with ALS.
She is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, Paul E. Milott Jr. She leaves her three children, Paul E. Milott III and his fiancée Kathleen O’Malley of Cambridge, Lisa M Puhala and her husband Richard of Round Rock, TX, and Karli A. Lomax and her husband Michael of Houston, TX and four grandchildren, along with a sister, Virve Soderblom of Lake Worth, FL.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, she was the daughter of the late Carl W. and Edith (Sunila) Soderblom of Helsinki, Finland. She was a graduate of Cooley High School and Wayne State University, where she had been a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority. Upon graduation, she worked at J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in Detroit as an administrator on the Ford account. From there, she began a career in public education, first serving as a Jr. High School teacher in Detroit, and later a High School teacher in Lake Worth, FL. She joined the Worcester Public School System in 1970, working at the elementary school level in several capacities. She was the city-wide director of DISTAR, a program to help students who lagged behind peers in language skills. She later managed computer labs dedicated to teaching higher order thinking skills to students, while studying toward an advanced degree at Worcester State College. She retired in 1997.
She was a summer resident of Mattapoisett for over forty years, becoming a permanent resident of the town the past 12 years. For many years she was a member of the Mattapoisett Historical Commission, participating in the creation and installation of the town’s three historical wayside panels. She and husband Paul donated the Ned’s Point Lighthouse panel to the town. In 2007, she was involved in the planning and execution of several events celebrating the town’s Sesquicentennial anniversary, including her design and creation of the bumper sticker commemorating the event. She also enjoyed working at the Mattapoisett Senior Center, often contributing with seasonal and event publicity posters. She was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church and for several years actively participated in the planning and operation of the annual Christmas Fair.
Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10 AM at St. Anthony’s Church. Burial will follow in St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Tuesday from 4-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Route 6, Mattapoisett, MA 02739. Remembrances may be made to Southcoast Hospice, 200 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA 02719. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.