Ms. Massachusetts Senior America Pageant to be held November 13

Ms. Massachusetts Senior America Pageant to be held November 13

The city of Springfield will host the 2011 MS. MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT at Commerce High School. The pageant will take place November 13 at 1 p.m. Tickets are priced at $12 each.
The pageant draws contestants from throughout the Commonwealth.
As of our November PRIME deadline, the following three women have stepped forward to compete for the title this year. For more information about being a contestant, or about buying tickets to this event, please call Lorraine Gorham at 534-1318.

Frances Perguidi


Frances Perguidi

Fran is a Palmer resident and was born in New York City, She is a retired medical secretary, is involved with Friends of the Palmer Senior Center, volunteers at St. Joseph's assisted living in Enfield, Conn. and fundraising for the Boy Scouts of America. A graduate of Assisium Institute in New York, Fran became an advocate for teenagers through Operation Friendship in Sturbridge and the Anti-Drug campaign at Tantasqua Regional High School. She has recently assisted with tornado victims in Monson and Brimfield. Most memorable was the finding of her brother and her biological mother who is 93 years of age and lives in Texas. Fran enjoys dancing, yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba,
dressmaking, quilling, embroidery and stenciling. Her four lovely children are her greatest joy along with two stepchildren and seven grandchildren. Her precious husband, Victor, is a delight.

Lillian George


Lillian George

Lillian was born in Boston, moved to Western Mass. in the 1960s and is a resident of Ludlow. She is the daughter of a commercial fisherman and has always loved to sing and perform. Through the years, she has sung with many local bands after having been bitten by the bug at age 11 and winning runner up in a radio show contest. She began volunteering at Mercy Hospital and Baystate Medical Center working in the NICU. While working at the American Cancer Society, she arranged for rides for cancer patients through volunteers in the Road to Recovery Program and then helping place breast cancer survivors with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients through the Reach to Recovery Program. Lillian is a past president of St. Anthony's Women's Guild and she continues to be a member and a volunteer. She has three children and four grandchildren. She continues to sing and enjoys movies, reading, cooking and entertaining especially for family.

Vera V. O'Connor


Vera V. O'Connor

Vera retired after 29 years with Mass Mutual in Financial Services and resides in Springfield. She was educated in Jamaica, W.I. and took courses at Elms College, UMass and STCC. She is a mother of three, has nine grandchildren and one great grandchild. A member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, she is a delegate to the Springfield Council of Churches, a member of the Daughters of the King, a Springfield library commissioner and former chairperson for the Democratic Ward 5 Cmte., Dist. 53 Toastmasters - Int'l Governor
1998-99, a CASA volunteer and has received the Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award for community service. Vera is one of the original organizers of the Springfield Carnival Festival which showcases Caribbean culture through costume and dance. She loves public speaking, reading, writing and travel.