Hugh Gilbert, 86, of St. Petersburg Florida and formerly of Salem passed away after a short illness Sunday, December 3rd, 2017. He was the husband of the late Lorraine C. (Senechal) Gilbert. Born in Springfield, he was the son of the late Neil F. and Madelyn (Austin) Gilbert. He attended Salem High School and earned a GED degree in the U.S. Army.
Mr. Gilbert was trained as a surgical technician and served as part of a medical detachment with the 13th Combat Engineering Battalion during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1954 after earning two Purple Hearts for wounds received in action along with a Presidential Unit Citation and five bronze campaign stars.
After the war, he worked as a mailman in Salem for 15 years until he met Lorraine where he joined her in running the Salem Pet Store. Together they worked in the pet store business for over 40 years, constructing the final incarnation of the store on Route 114 in Danvers. They retired in 1983 and split their time between Salem and St. Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Gilbert is survived by his niece Diane Senechal and her husband Robert McCully along with other nieces and nephews. His brothers Donald and John Gilbert both preceded him in death.
Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the Levesque Funeral Home, 163 Lafayette St [Route 114 / 1-A] Salem on Friday, December 15, 2017 at 9:00 AM, to be followed by his Funeral Mass in Ste. Anne Church, 290 Jefferson Ave., Salem at 10:00 AM. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Salem. Calling hours at the funeral home will be on Thursday, Dec. 14th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. For guestbook and additional information please visit www.LevesqueFunerals.com