| Graduation Year | Class of 1961 |
| Date of Passing | Feb 13, 2016 |
| About | In Memory of Winifred Norma Eldridge September 17, 1942 - February 13, 2016 Obituary Lifelong Bourne resident, Winifred Norma (Swift) Eldridge passed away quietly February 13th at the Essex Pavilion Care Center in Hyannis. She was 73. Born at Tobey Hospital in Wareham on September 17th, 1942 to Doris and George Swift of Sagamore, she was the youngest of the couple's four daughters, quickly earning the name "Penny" by her father due to her petite size at birth. The name stuck, and she was known as Penny by friends and family for decades to come. Like the generations of her family before her, Penny grew up in the town of Bourne and went to Bourne High School, leaving a loving, indelible mark on all those who knew her. On July 13, 1963 Penny married fellow Bourne High School alumnus Stanley Eldridge at the Swift Church in Sagamore and together they had four children. Though she never drove a car, Penny was surrounded by family and friends and adored her town, easily finding herself always busy and getting around. She worked at Peebles Elementary after school programs for the last eight years, leading games and helping with homework. She was a staple at the school and the children knew her by name, thrilled when she would arrive. Penny was also a long time host mother for the Cape Cod Baseball League where she would open her home to the players of the Bourne Braves, acting as an adoptive summer mom to players who would go on to the MLB, including Kevin Youkilis. She played Bingo for the past twenty-five years at St John's on Barlow's Landing Road in Pocasset with her Bingo Buddies. Penny adored camping on the beach at Sandy Neck, enjoying the sun and water, and sitting at the Cape Cod Canal overlook with her husband watching the boats go by. A favorite family pastime was camping along the canal with her husband and children at the end of Bell Road in Monument Beach in the family's faithful truck camper. As her daughter states, "My mother was a always happy. Always content. She wasn't a world traveler, but she adored her life in Bourne and loved everyone she knew." Penny left a long legacy in her wake. She is preceded in death by her parents and her other two sisters, Ernestine and Doris. Visitation and calling hours was held on Thursday, February 18, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Nickerson Bourne Funeral Home at 40 MacArthur Blvd in Bourne, Massachusetts. Cremation will follow with internment in the Old Bourne Cemetery in Bourne. A Celebration of Life was held Friday, February 19th from 11-4pm at the Weary Travelers Club, 77 Valley Bars Rd. Monument Beach, MA. All are welcome to attend. Penny fought a valiant battle against cancer for many years, though she never lost her beautiful smile or sense of humor. Because of her bravery, the family has named the Friends of Mass. General Cancer Fund and the Bourne Firefighters Rescue Fund at P.O. Box 911, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532, as the recipients of any donations in lieu of flowers. |
