Jean G. Lacroix

July 25, 1926 — March 12, 2016

Jean G. LaCroix passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 12, 2016 in the presence of family at the Rose Lane care unit at Fillmore Pond at the age of 89.
She was born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of Raymond and Margaret (Pilling) Griswold. She was predeceased by her sister, Katherine Blakely of Burlington.
Following the death of her husband at an early age , Jean's mother Margaret moved to Bennington to become a teacher & next principle at Cora B. Whitney School. Jean and her sister Kay were both graduates of Bennington High School. Jean next attended Butler University where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. She married Gedeon LaCroix of Bennington in 1947. They then set up housekeeping in Middlebury where Gedeon continued his education following WW II. At Middlebury Jean served as a faculty secretary. Among faculty was Waldo Heinrichs , a downed WW I fighter pilot who wrote a book about the Lafayette Escadrille in WW I. He credited Jean as his "tower of strength" while he researched & worked on the book. Gedeon next pursued a career in public service shortly in Pennsylvania and then worked his way up in the steel industry. Jean was mainly a home maker but devoted great time pursuing antiques and became very knowledgeable growing their collection of mainly of American pieces.
Upon her husband's early retirement as a steel industry executive who chose not to downsize employees in 1985 ( a recessionary year ), Jean opened a successful antique business called "The Farm Antiques". It featured Fine Americana and was located at their farm in West Arlington for some twenty years. From high school sweethearts Jean and Gedeon went on to celebrate sixty nine years of marriage. In addition to her husband, survivors include a son, Christopher LaCroix and his wife Katherine Hart of Hanover, NH and nieces and nephews, Katherine Delfause of Williston, Dana Blakely of Colchester, Susanne Cronkite of Hanover, NH and Cindy Blakely of Fairfield, Iowa.

A commemoration event celebrating Jean's life will be held at a future date this spring yet to be announced. Any bequests in her memory should be made to the Arlington Rescue Squad .

Guestbook condolences may be made at www.maharandsonfuneralhome.net.

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