Priscilla Hope Bourassa

WORCESTER-Priscilla Hope (Skoglund) Bourassa, 64, died Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at Shrewsbury Nursing and Rehab Center.

She was born in Worcester, daughter of the late Earl W. and Doris J. (Erickson) Skoglund. Priscilla was a 1973 graduate of Burncoat High School and started working at U.S. Steel with her father. Priscilla was a lifelong member of Emanuel Lutheran Church and from a very young age was active in the choir and youth groups. She married, and she and her husband moved to Baltimore, Maryland where they raised their children. While in Maryland she was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church and worked at Bruning Paint Company for several years. She was very active in the Special Olympics in Maryland, especially taking part in the annual Polar Bear Plunge. Priscilla moved back to Worcester in 2010 and was very delighted to return to Emanuel Lutheran Church. She worked at Kohl's for several years.

Priscilla had a beautiful soprano voice and she shared that gift with the church choir and performed on several occasions at various venues including the US Naval Academy. She enjoyed the opera and listening to classical music and had a love of carousels and carousel horses. Priscilla was very proud of her Swedish heritage and had a fine collection of Dala horses. Baking and decorating cakes was a specialty of Priscilla's, and she always shared her delicious creations with her family and co-workers, especially at Bruning Paint in Maryland and fundraisers for St. John's Lutheran Church.

Priscilla will be dearly missed by her husband Roger P. Bourassa; her children, Jason Duke of Saratoga Springs, NY, Melissa "Macy" Zazarine and her husband Chris of Lakeland, FL; her daughter-in-law, Nicole Duke of Saratoga Springs, NY; her siblings, Edd Skoglund of Tecumseh, OK, Virginia Soos of Greensboro, NC, Lynne Hadley of Webster, and Marie Skoglund of Worcester; her grandchildren, Jason Duke, Courtney Gonzalez and Madison Duke and several nephews and nieces.

Visiting Hours to celebrate Priscilla's life will be held Saturday, July 11th from 11:30am until 1pm at Callahan, Fay & Caswell Funeral Home immediately followed by a service at 1:00pm in the funeral home. Please join Priscilla's family for lunch following the service at the outdoor pavilion at the Scandinavian Athletic Club/SAC Park, 438 Lake St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Priscilla's memory may be made to the Emanuel Lutheran Music Fund, 200 Greenwood Street, Worcester, MA 01607 or to the Special Olympics at www.give.specialolympics.org/massachusetts‎‎