Florene A. (Vattes) Gorski

STERLING/CLINTON – Florene A. (Vattes) Gorski, age 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 5, 2025 at her home in Sterling. Born in Clinton, she was the daughter of the late Henry and Bertha (Kappel) Vattes.

Florene is survived by, and will be lovingly missed by her husband of 62 years, William V. Gorski, her two daughters: Jennifer Moulton and her husband, Kevin of Sterling and Joyce Hart Paone and her husband, Robert of Marshfield along with five grandchildren: Austin, Madison, Kelsey, Brooke and Kara. Besides her parents, she is predeceased by her brother, Robert Vattes.

Florene grew up in Clinton, graduating from Clinton High School with the class of 1951. Upon graduation, she worked at the Colonial Press in Clinton as a Proofreader. She never misspelled a word and her grammar was nearly perfect. While her future husband Bill was taking classes in Boston, Florene would accompany him and loved to shop in the city. Florene and Bill were married in 1962, after which she left proofreading to stay at home with her daughters. When her children were older, she returned to proofreading and worked over 8 years at Acorn Graphics in Worcester. There she reviewed medical journals.

Florene and her husband, who she fondly called Billy, enjoyed traveling the world. For their Honeymoon, Florene and Billy rented a car and drove all over Europe for over a month including a visit to Sparneck, Germany where Florene’s mother was born. When her girls were young, Billy accepted a two-year assignment with the FAA bringing the family to American Samoa in the South Pacific and while there, their travel included Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

Upon retirement, the two continued their travel adventures internationally and throughout the United States. For over 25 years Florene and Bill spent 3 months of the winter in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Florene loved warm sunshine and especially the beach.

Florene was very social and loved keeping in touch with family and friends. She never forgot a birthday or occasion and always remembered to send a card. Florene was proud of her marriage, wonderful daughters and especially her grandchildren. Her legacy will live on through them.

Florene’s memorial service will be held privately by her family. Memorial donations may be made to UMass Memorial Home Health and Hospice 60 Hospital Road, Leominster, MA 01453, who provided exceptional care and support to her family. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Miles-Sterling Funeral & Tribute Center, 100 Worcester Rd., Sterling.

To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit her guestbook.