Gertrude (Siddie) Bloomer passed away Sunday, Jan. 14, shortly after celebrating her 94th birthday on Dec. 28. Born in Medford, OR as the youngest of the four children of William Martin Shepard and Alice Briggs she was predeceased by her three brothers, William, Richard and John.
She married David Eardley Bloomer in 1957 and they raised their three children, Jeremy, Martin, and Alice, in New York City and Oley, PA, later settling in Wilton in 1997. Her husband of 60 years, David, passed away in 2016.
After being raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina before the Second World War, Siddie attended Smith College. After the War she lived in Rome, San Francisco and New York for many years before spending her early married years with David living outside of the U.S. in London and Nairobi, Kenya.
She was an active member of the Colonial Dames of America, The City Garden Club of New York, The Daughters of the Cincinnati, Sheltering Arms, the Wilton Garden Club, and St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Wilton.
She is survived by her three children and their families: Jeremy, Martin, and Alice, their spouses Mary Bloomer, Wiebke-Marie Stock-Bloomer, and Jonathan Woods; and David’s and her grandchildren, William, Caroline, Christopher, Cameron, Catherine, Lily, Teddy and Andrew.
A memorial service celebrating her life will take place Saturday, Jan. 20 at St. Matthew’s Parish in Wilton at 36 New Canaan Rd. at 11 a.m.. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County.