Blanche Ellen Cody

Bourne – Blanche Ellen (Burgess) Cody died unexpectedly on Tuesday, December 24, 2024. She was born in Wareham, MA, on May 3, 1942, the daughter of Leon A. Burgess and Gladys M. (Eldridge) Burgess. She grew up in Bourne and attended Bourne public schools graduating from Bourne High School as Salutatorian of the class of 1960.

She attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Later she attended the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay graduating in the early 1970s with her BA degree. After which she received her master’s degree in museum studies from Eastern Illinois University, Champaign-Urbana.

Blanche worked for many years as a Research Assistant to Dr. Schaefer Williams, an authority on early Canon Law. She travelled to Europe a number of times and worked in Cathedral libraries sitting at high desks, where she felt the presence of scribes who had worked at those same desks in the Middle Ages. On one of her trips to Europe, she attended Midnight Mass in St. Peter’s Square. That experience was one of her best memories.

Blanche and a friend lived in Florence, Italy for a year in the 1960s. They lived in the Hotel California where the owner’s wife kept a close eye on those two young American girls. Blanche spent another year living in London in the late 1960s. She traveled extensively in England during that year continuing with research for Dr. Williams.

After receiving her master’s degree, she became Field Services Representative for the Illinois State Historical Library and Society, Springfield, IL. This job required her to travel to local historical societies to help them with their projects. It was while working there that she met her future husband, Bruce D. Cody, a life-long resident of Illinois. They were married in Springfield, IL, July 24, 1980. In 1983 they moved to Bourne, where Blanche had been born and her family still resided. At the time she said she could take Bruce out of Illinois, even though she couldn’t take Illinois out of the man. Blanche was a Cape Cod Girl through and through. She found employment with R.H. McKnight Company, in Falmouth as the editor and designer of professional magazines until her retirement in 2009.

Blanche and a long-time colleague, Steve Bowman, joined together in a new company, Bowman Cody Academic Publishing in which they remained active for about 30 years. Blanche and Steve had met when both worked and studied with Dr. Williams.

Blanche was a very active volunteer with local groups. When she was born in 1942, her mother, Gladys M. Burgess, was the secretary of the Bourne Historical Society. Gladys decided, with an infant, she didn’t have the time to spend doing that job. As the story goes, Gladys gathered up all the records and brought them with her to the annual meeting of the society.

No one else in attendance would take the job and after much persuading, Gladys returned home with all of the records still in her possession. As a thank you to Gladys, the Society bestowed Life Membership on Blanche while still an infant. At the time of her death, she was the longest serving life member. Perhaps that is why she became so interested in history. She produced the Society’s newsletter, “Post Scripts,” for 40 years, having retired from doing so just this past fall.

Blanche was a member of the Bourne Society for Historic Preservation serving on the board. She produced their newsletter, “Preservation Matters,” for several years and worked on a number of their special projects. Blanche was a member of the Bourne Historical Commission having first been appointed in 2015. At the time of her death, she was Vice-Chairman.

She was a member of the Bourne United Methodist Church where she was a Trustee and on the Parish Relations Committee as well as being treasurer for United Women in Faith. She was a member of the board of the Oakland Grove Cemetery Association. She was a member of Plimoth Patuxet Museums, and the Benjamin Nye Homestead and Museum. She was a member of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

One of her favorite associations was the Weekly Bridge Group. This gave her much enjoyment.

Blanche loved traveling. Throughout her life she traveled extensively including cruising up the coast of Alaska, Mexico City, Grand Manan, Paris, several trips to Italy and Europe, all over New England and all around Cape Cod. A lifelong birder, she took Audubon trips to Block Island and to Newfoundland among others. Recently, she and a friend, went to New York City to attend the Metropolitan Opera where they saw Puccini’s “Tosca.”

Blanche’s husband, Bruce D. Cody and her parents, Leon A. and Gladys M. Burgess predeceased her. She is survived by her sister, Deborah M. Burgess and cousins, Paul S. Baillie and his wife Camellia, all of Bourne, and her cousin, Stephen A. Baillie of Abilene, TX, and numerous other cousins.

There will be a Memorial Service at the Bourne United Methodist Church, 37 Sandwich Road, Bourne Village on January 25, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Bourne United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 3037, Bourne, MA 02532; The Bourne Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 3095, Bourne, MA; or to the Bourne Society for Historic Preservation, P.O. Box 125, Pocasset, MA 02559.