Cecile Helena (Hemsley) Gordon died peacefully at her home in Oak Bluffs on Oct. 27. She was 88.

She was born on Oct. 19, 1926 to Marion and Christopher Hemsley in Boston. Cecile was educated in the Boston Public School system and was a graduate of Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls at the young age of 16. She was a long-standing member of the Berea Seventh Day Adventist Church in Roxbury.

In the early 1940s Cecile met, and shortly thereafter married, H. Lynn Gordon 2nd and from that union came a son, H. Lynn 3rd, and a daughter, Gayle Helena.

Cecile had a long, successful career as manager of community affairs at the New England Telephone Company. In 1990, she attended classes in Urban Affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, where she earned a master’s degree.

Very active in the Boston community, Cecile served as president of the Freedom House in Roxbury; served on the draft board in the early 1960s, and was the past matron of the Celestial Chapter #6 Order of the Eastern Star, Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Grove Hall, Mass. Cecile served on the board of the United Way; was president of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Greater Boston, and was an active member of the Circle-Lets, Inc.

In 1987, she received the Outstanding Contributor Award from the board of Hope and the Hispanic Leadership Development Project. In 1990 she was the proud recipient of the 61st annual Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

In 2005, Cecile moved to Martha’s Vineyard as a year-round resident, where she peacefully resided until her death.

Cecile leaves to celebrate her home going: her children, H. Lynn Gordon 3rd of Oak Bluffs, and Gayle Gordon Rogers of Oak Bluffs and Eastham; two sisters, Yvonne Wrenn (Curtis) of Glendale, Calif., and Elayne Billups (Bill) of Bronxville, N.Y.; her loving cousin Emily Robertson of Oak Bluffs; two granddaughters, Kimberly Rogers and Courtney Rogers Werner and husband Bryan, both of Las Vegas; five great-grandchildren, two nieces and a host of relatives, friends and colleagues.

Cecile will be fondly remembered for her sense of style, gardening, interior decorating, and her zest for reading and travel.

In lieu of flowers, donations made in Cecile’s name to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, P.O. Box 6012, Albert Lea, MN 56007-9805, would be greatly appreciated.

A spring memorial service will be planned.