Charles N. Gilligan

Charles N. Gilligan, 64, of Springvale died on Thursday, November 11, 2010 at the River Ridge Center in Kennebunk.Charles was born in Cambridge, MA on February 22, 1946 to Charles and Geraldine Gilligan. He grew up in Arlington, MA and attended local schools there. He attended colleges in Oklahoma and Wisconsin and earned a Master's Degree in history. In 1983 he married Gail Duran and they spent the next 27 years together.Charles worked for many years as an orderly in the Charles Choate Hospital in Woburn, MA and the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. He was a very caring man and made it a point to be attentive to the needs of any patient that he was caring for. Charles had a soft spot in his heart for children. For many years he would dress up as Santa for the Christmas parties at the Lahey clinic to help spread holiday cheer. He always had a passion for history and also enjoyed photography. He was a devoted Catholic and was a member of St. Therse of Lisieux Parish as well as the Knights of Columbus. He was a very loyal, faithful and honest man with a very dry sense of humor. He had a unique ability to brighten the day of everybody around him. Charles will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father and friend and will be deeply missed by his family and friends.Surviving are his wife, Gail Gilligan of Springvale; two sons, Edward J Snapp and his wife Suzanne of Northbridge, MA and Sean-Michael E. Gilligan and his fiancee Katie Alzapiedi of Milford, MA; three siblings, Stephen Gilligan of Arlington, MA, Geraldine Tremblay of Florida and Judith Akins of Pittsburgh, PA and a cousin, Leonard Anderson of Florida.Services for Charles will be held at a later date.Arrangements are under the direction of Carll-Heald & Black funeral Home in Springvale.Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider The Children's Cancer Foundation, Inc., 6 Park Center Court, Suite 201, Owings Mills, MD 21117.To leave a message of condolence for the family please click on the condolences tab to the left.