Gilbert Paul Lougee

Gilbert Lougee of Pompano Beach, FL, and formerly of Lynn, MA peacefully passed away on January 10th, 2026, in Port St. Lucie, FL, after a long and fulfilling life. He was born to the late Claude Lougee and Cecilia (Amirault) Lougee of Lynn, MA.

Gil grew up in a full house of seven brothers and one sister on Cook Street in the “Highlands” of Lynn, MA. He spent his childhood playing with his siblings, and of course there was some mischief. He particularly enjoyed telling one story of “hunting” for vegetables in the neighborhood backyards with his brother David. He valued his siblings and maintained relationships with them throughout his life. He called his sister Judy every year to remind her that he loved her.

Gil was a graduate of Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, where he studied electrical work and excelled as a member of the basketball team. His talent with the trades carried through his life. He maintained and repaired the family’s cars, from oil changes to transmission repair, and also undertook major repairs and renovations of the family’s home on Moulton Street. Two memorable projects included replacing the garage doors and installing a large picture window on the second floor.

Shortly after high school, Gil enlisted in the United States Army in 1957 and spent two years serving overseas in Germany. During that time, he crossed the Atlantic by boat four times. He proved to be a skilled marksman, earning a special commendation, and he also made his squad proud by leading them to success in golf tournaments that were held on the base. He served at the same time as Elvis and said that he had once washed jeeps with him.

After his military service, his lifelong interest in sports and athletics led him to the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he discovered alpine skiing. With friends and family, he often visited Wildcat Mountain, and he even ventured into Mount Washington’s Tuckerman’s Ravine on a few occasions to ski the steep chutes and gullies. Gil liked to tell a story about when he bought a set of state-of-the-art Head “Competition” skis. Jet black, and extremely stiff, he claimed, with gusto, that he would “just go looking for ice” when he was skiing on them.

It was in the White Mountains that he met his wife-to-be, Barbara Ann DeBeradinis. They met at a ski club social in Bartlett, NH, where, unconventionally given the time, Barbara made the first move by asking Gil to dance. Barbara liked to joke around and managed to convince Gil that she was a nuclear physicist on the night they met. They were married in the summer of 1968 and had two children, Tracey and Jeff. The family had many good years together on Moulton Street and took memorable trips to New Hampshire and Maine, and to a variety of places along the east coast from Massachusetts to Florida.

After working for some time in insurance at John Hancock, Gil eventually found his calling in electrical work. He became a licensed electrician and worked independently as well as with his brother, Johnny Lougee. Gil enjoyed electrical work and strived to do it well. He held himself to a high standard, even if it slowed him down a bit.

In the summer of 1995, Gil tragically lost his wife Barbara to ovarian cancer. He was a loving and devoted husband, and during Barbara’s illness, he cared for her with strength and unwavering presence at the family’s home.

Shortly after losing his wife, Gil retired from electrical work. He continued to live at the family’s home in Lynn with his daughter Tracey and her two dogs, Jake and Jazz. Gil developed a deep fondness for the dogs, and he and Tracey often took them on walks in Lynn Woods, a place that he knew his whole life and where he also spent time with his family. He also began to travel, going on hiking adventures and venturing to the western United States on solo road trips. One memorable hiking trip was across the “Tripyramids” in New Hampshire’s White Mountains with his son, a story he often told. During these years, he learned about the Highpointers Club and started a multiyear effort to visit the high points in every state, many of which he managed to summit.

In the late 1990s, he reconnected with an old flame, Liz Garland of Pompano Beach, FL. He purchased a large RV, which he affectionately called the coach, and set off on nearly two decades of travel with Liz around the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He and Liz visited many of the US national parks and even traveled up the Alaska Highway to Denali National Park. One winter his son came to visit him in Florida, and they took the RV out of storage and drove it to Key West, spending a few nights there. Upon leaving, he told his son, “You’re going to probably inherit this, so you’ll need to know how to drive it.” That led to a harrowing trip back up the narrow highway to Miami, with the RV drifting back and forth across the road.

Gil became a proud grandfather in 2007 with the arrival of Olivia Deleo, who was later followed by a sister, Isabella Deleo. He visited the Northeast annually to see them and his kids, spending the winters in Florida. He loved to talk about his grandkids and marvel at their talent and beauty. The grandkids would also visit “Grandpa Florida” at his home in Pompano Beach, taking fun trips to places like Lion Country Safari and John Pennycamp State Park.

Gil had many hobbies, interests, and other ways that he found joy in life. He relished spending time with his brothers golfing at the Gannon golf course in Lynn, MA. He had a legendary appetite and particularly enjoyed getting the “honey bean burrito” at the Baja Café in Deerfield Beach, FL (along with a good shot of tequila). Ice cream and key lime pie were favorite deserts. He had a deep interest in the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and said that if he had a chance to do it again, he might have been an architect. He loved to read and was particularly fascinated with the stories of the American adventure novelist Clive Cussler, which he enthusiastically shared with others.

He is survived by his partner, Liz Garland of Pompano Beach, FL, his daughter Tracey and her husband Pat, and granddaughters Olivia and Isabella of Lynnfield, MA, and his son Jeff of Jackson, NH. He is also survived by his siblings David, Judy, Johnny, and Jimmy. He was an uncle to many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara, and his brothers George, Richard, Arthur, and Terence.

There will be no service or visiting hours at this time. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held in early May, with dates to be shared at a later time.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Highpointers Foundation, www.highpointersfoundation.org.