Anne D. Higgins

ANNE (DELOIAN) HIGGINS

5-26-1928 – 06-03-2018

“I HAVE REACHED THE PROMISED LAND’ Anne was born in Lawrence on May 26, 1928 to the late Kachadoor and Elizabeth Deloian. She graduated from the Gilbert E. Hood Grammar School in 1942 and Lawrence High School in 1946 with distinction. She always expressed gratitude from the wonderful education she received from the City of Lawrence. In later life she continued to pursue her love of learning through seminars, workshops and college courses. After her high school graduation she was employed at the New England Telephone Company for six years as a long distance operator. She was the pitcher on their softball team which was called “The Telephone Belles”. They played telephone teams from other cities and racked up an impressive number of wins. In 1963 she was the first woman to be appointed to federal postal position at the old Lawrence Post Office when it was located at the corner of Essex Street and Broadway. She later worked at the Internal Revenue Service in Andover for 26 years beginning as a key punch operator and then as a tax examiner. She was later accepted into a management training program and went on to hold several supervisory positions including quality review coordinator. She retired in December, 1989 as a Personnel Staffing Specialist. During her career she received several suggestion and performance awards. She was also the recipient of the Albert Gallatin Award for commendable service. She was an avid Boston Red Sox fan and would often say she wanted to live long enough to see the turn of the century and the Red Sox win the World Series. Happily, both these wishes were realized. She was an active woman who enjoyed travelling extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel and Carribean. She also took several cruises. At age 88, she took her last trip overseas to Armenia, The birthplace of her parents. Anne attended the First-Calvary Baptist Church since 1938. She was chairperson of fundraising when the new church was being built in North Andover. She served on every board and committee of her church and taught Sunday School Kindergarten for 17 years. She was also president of their Women’s Federation up to the time of her death. She was active with the Greater Lawrence Council of Churches (now called Communities Together) and served as their President. She was a member of the IRS Retirees Association and served as President of that group also. In 1990 Anne was one of 1000 Points of Light Highlighted by the Lawrence Eagle Tribune for volunteering for five weeks at Vacation Bible School in the area. She had a great sense of humor and in greeting cards and correspondence she sent she included jokes, humorous items and witty sayings to cheer its recipients. She was a lover of all birds and animals especially the family dog to whom she affectionately referred as Baptist Buddy. Every day she fed a variety of birds, squirrels and even a possum or two on her deck. When asked about the black crows that also came to be fed her reply was “they are also God’s creatures and they get hungry too.” Her happiest moments were when she was spending time with her family especially her great- grandchildren Derek and Juliana. She enjoyed humor, reading newspapers, magazines, novels and solving Crossword, Cryptoquote and Jumble Puzzles. Her mind remained sharp and focused to the end.

​Anne is survived by her loving daughter, Elizabeth (Beth) of North Andover; son, David and his wife, Marilyn of Lawrence; a brother, Harry of Richmond, Virginia; two granddaughters, Tara (Jason) Prive of Derry, NH; Jennifer (Derek) Nolin of Winchendon, MA; nine great-grandchildren, Sean, Jonathan, Ashleigh, Derek, Juliana, Alexandra, Kyleigh, Joshua and Jason, Jr. and two great-granddaughters, Evangeline and Keira; former daughter-in-law, Norma Higgins of Lawrence; sister-in-law, Rita (Higgins) MacDonald of Melbourne, FL; brother-in-law, Jim (Ruth) Higgins of Port Orange, FL; John (Beth) of Mt. Vernon, Ohio and Jerry (Joanna) of Vestal, NY. She was predeceased by her son, Harold (Chip) Higgins, III and her former husband, Harold J. Higgins, Jr. ​

Family and friends are invited to a memorial service on Saturday June 16, 2018 at 11:00 am at First Calvary Baptist Church, 586 Massachusetts Avenue, N. Andover, MA 01845.  Memorial contributions may be made to the missions, in care of First Calvary Baptist Church, 586 Massachusetts Avenue, N. Andover, MA 01845. Arrangements are by the Dewhirst & Boles Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Methuen. To leave an online condolence, please visit Anne’s tribute page at www.dewhirstfuneral.com.

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