Obituary for Pauline Rita Bouchard
Pauline Rita (Phillips) Bouchard from Winooski, Vermont, age 92, died on March 5, 2023, at the University of Vermont Medical Center, after a brief illness and a broken heart. Pauline also went by the names of Mom, Memere, and Aunt Pauline.
Pauline had a long and full life, born September 5, 1930. She grew up in Winooski surrounded by lots of extended family. She was the third child of Eugene and Florence (Poirier) Phillips. She is a graduate from Mount Saint Mary’s in Burlington, Vermont, class of 1949.
Pauline met her husband of almost 72 years, Andre Bouchard, at a square dance at Saint John the Baptist in Winooski. On June 16, 1951, they were married at Saint Francis Xavier, also in Winooski. Soon after she moved from her childhood home on St. Peter Street around to corner to Pine Street.
Her first job was delivering sandwiches to workers at the Woolen Mills, but later was a secretary at Toulatex and a small weekly newspaper company before being a stay-at-home mother raising their six children. In about 1969, they started an appliance repair business, she was the bookkeeper and office manager, and then they opened Bouchard-Pierce Appliance in Essex Junction, Vermont, with their oldest daughter, Annette, and her husband, William Pierce. They retired around 1985 and traveled the world, as well as summering at their favorite spot in Isle La Motte, where they were surrounded by family enjoying sunsets on the lake.
Pauline is predeceased by her parents, her sister Theresa (and Jim) Meyers, brothers Donald and Bernard (and Claire Feeney) Phillips, all of Winooski, and grandchildren Melissa Bouchard and Richard Bouchard, both of Burlington.
She leaves behind her six children, Annette (William Pierce) of Alburgh, Suzanne Bouchard (Joe Dawson) of Winooski, Robert (Cheryl Hurteau) of Colchester, Diane (James Verret) of Isle La Motte, Richard Bouchard of Winooski, and Lisa (Shane Maxfield) of Keene, New Hampshire, as well as 17 living grandchildren and their significant others, 36 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and sister-in-law Monique (Desroches) Phillips (wife of Don) of Winooski and sister-in-law/brother-in-law Lorraine (and Ben) Quirion of Nokomis, Florida.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winooski on Friday, March 10 at 1:00. There will be no visiting hours. If you plan on attending the funeral, please feel free to wear pink and/or white, Pauline’s favorite colors, in her honor.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Francis Xavier School and/or Saint Anne’s Shrine.
Pauline was also predeceased by her beloved husband, Andre, who died ten days prior. The death certificate will record her death as a medical issue, but we know it was from a broken heart and that their love could not withstand being apart. This is how every true-love story should end.
Arrangements are under the care of LaVigne Funeral Home.
Pauline had a long and full life, born September 5, 1930. She grew up in Winooski surrounded by lots of extended family. She was the third child of Eugene and Florence (Poirier) Phillips. She is a graduate from Mount Saint Mary’s in Burlington, Vermont, class of 1949.
Pauline met her husband of almost 72 years, Andre Bouchard, at a square dance at Saint John the Baptist in Winooski. On June 16, 1951, they were married at Saint Francis Xavier, also in Winooski. Soon after she moved from her childhood home on St. Peter Street around to corner to Pine Street.
Her first job was delivering sandwiches to workers at the Woolen Mills, but later was a secretary at Toulatex and a small weekly newspaper company before being a stay-at-home mother raising their six children. In about 1969, they started an appliance repair business, she was the bookkeeper and office manager, and then they opened Bouchard-Pierce Appliance in Essex Junction, Vermont, with their oldest daughter, Annette, and her husband, William Pierce. They retired around 1985 and traveled the world, as well as summering at their favorite spot in Isle La Motte, where they were surrounded by family enjoying sunsets on the lake.
Pauline is predeceased by her parents, her sister Theresa (and Jim) Meyers, brothers Donald and Bernard (and Claire Feeney) Phillips, all of Winooski, and grandchildren Melissa Bouchard and Richard Bouchard, both of Burlington.
She leaves behind her six children, Annette (William Pierce) of Alburgh, Suzanne Bouchard (Joe Dawson) of Winooski, Robert (Cheryl Hurteau) of Colchester, Diane (James Verret) of Isle La Motte, Richard Bouchard of Winooski, and Lisa (Shane Maxfield) of Keene, New Hampshire, as well as 17 living grandchildren and their significant others, 36 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild, and sister-in-law Monique (Desroches) Phillips (wife of Don) of Winooski and sister-in-law/brother-in-law Lorraine (and Ben) Quirion of Nokomis, Florida.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winooski on Friday, March 10 at 1:00. There will be no visiting hours. If you plan on attending the funeral, please feel free to wear pink and/or white, Pauline’s favorite colors, in her honor.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Francis Xavier School and/or Saint Anne’s Shrine.
Pauline was also predeceased by her beloved husband, Andre, who died ten days prior. The death certificate will record her death as a medical issue, but we know it was from a broken heart and that their love could not withstand being apart. This is how every true-love story should end.
Arrangements are under the care of LaVigne Funeral Home.