Juliette Veilleux Obituary (1929

Juliette Theresa (Gagne) Veilleux 1929 – 2018 WINSLOW – Juliette (Judy) Veilleux died peacefully on March 12, 2018 at Mt. Saint Joseph Nursing Home in Waterville. Juliette was born in Waterville on May 30, 1929 to the late Placid and Georgiana (Trahan) Gagne. She grew up in a family of six children, with four sisters and one brother. From an early age she learned the importance of family. From them and her years at Mt. Merci Academy she grew to be a compassionate, caring and giving person, with a strong faith in God. She was dedicated to her faith and continued to go to Mass every Sunday until she was no longer able, only a few months before her death. She married the love of her life, Gerald J. Veilleux On August 16, 1947. Together they would raise eight children. Family was her life. She was amazing to watch. Though tiny in stature her children were no match for this tough little lady. She ran their house like clockwork, all the while volunteering to bake for classes, attending games and school events, and was never too busy to help a family member or a friend in need. Her house was immaculate, believing indeed that “cleanliness is next to godliness”. Grandchildren merely intensified her love and dedication and she took great pride in spoiling them as often as possible. She especially loved holidays and would spend hours decorating so that the ‘kids’ would be excited when they arrived to see what she had done. She was a fun-loving person, full of life and always on the go. Her giggles were contagious and often took little more than a sip of a margarita and the flood gates would open. She was quick with a joke and loved to tease, especially her sister Anita. The two could hardly sit beside each other before the laughter and bantering began. She and her siblings remained close as adults and Juliette treasured the times they were together – always fun, always laughter, and always food. Juliette was a tremendous cook and she loved it. She took great joy in feeding anyone and everyone who happened to be at the house at suppertime. And you had better have an appetite. Refusing seconds meant you didn’t like the food and she may well have cooked something else for you right then and there. She had many great recipes but her famous peanut butter fudge surely tops the list. And though many have tried, there are very few who can make it “just like Mem”. Along with the full time job of raising her family, she also worked for a time as an LPN at the Osteopathic Hospital, caring for others as she did her family. As the children got older she went to work at Stern’s Department Store, at the cosmetic counter. She was the ‘face’ of the department, women wanting to buy whatever she used so they could get their skin to be as beautiful as hers. She loved working there and made many dear and life-long friends. She made close friends wherever she went – from Maine to Florida. The number of lives she touched immeasurable. We are deeply saddened by our loss but find comfort in knowing that she is now again at peace. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Gerald, son ‘Pete’, daughter Linda, daughter-in-law Amy, grandson Drew, and infant grandchild. She is survived by her sisters Anita Farrell, Marge Cacioppo (Dino), brother in-law Joseph Veilleux, sister-in-law Bernadette Bizier; her children: Jean (Wayne), Doug (Michelle), David (Jody), John (Victoria), Michael (Danielle), Jeffrey, daughter-in-law Theresa Veilleux; 17 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren and many, many, nieces and nephews. The family wishes to offer thanks to all her caretakers over her last year, especially those on Memory Lane. Friends my visit on Tuesday, March 20, from 4pm – 6pm at Veilleux Funeral Home, 8 Elm Street, Waterville; a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 21, at 11:00 am at Notre Dame Catholic Church, 112 Silver Street, Waterville. Burial will be in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, Waterville. Please visit www.veilleuxfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of Judy’s life and to share condolences, memories and tributes with her family. In lieu of flowers, friends may choose to make donations to: Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, 19 Colby Street, Waterville, Maine, 04901. ************************************* The following words of remembrance were given by Jody Veilleux at The Mass of Christian Burial: Good morning everyone. I am David’s wife Jody. First and foremost, on behalf of the Veilleux family, a heartfelt Thank you to everyone for being here to celebrate the life of our mother. The outpouring of sympathy and kindness and fond memories have been a true testament to the number of people whose lives our mother touched. She was an amazing woman. Born in 1929, at the onset of the great depression, it could not have been easy - yet she only ever talked about her childhood with fond memories. She was one of six children, and though the third in birth order, she would be the matriarch of the family. It was certainly during her childhood that she developed her strong faith and strength in character. And also her sense of humor. All attributes that would carry her through some most difficult times in her life and be the reason for such happiness as well. She married our Dad at the age of 18.. 18. When I was 18, I was more interested in going out with my friends and having fun. Having a family was something in the future. They would raise 8 children. By the time Jeffrey – the youngest - was born, Pete - the oldest - was 16. Is there any better proof of her toughness than being pregnant on and off for almost 16 years of her life? She was small in stature - but her kids will tell you she was a force to be reckoned with. She ran her house like a regiment. Everyone had chores – and she had a routine that was rarely disrupted. Her house was as immaculate as was she with herself and her kids. Though they had little, she was a proud woman. She always wore white sneakers and they may have had a whole in the toe but they were always bleach white clean. The boys will tell you that while the girls – Linda and Jean lived at home – they carried out the bulk of the responsibilities. But once they were on their own, the younger boys were left to carry on. Five boys, three bedrooms, and one bathroom – oh my. My husband to this day loathes the sound of the vacuum cleaner. That of course was his job. He either did it or was awakened by the vacuum running under his bed every Saturday morning at 7AM. Consider also, that for some of the time when the boys were young, they had to carry kerosene from the basement to the kitchen and up to the bedroom. And Dad was gone almost five days of the week as a long haul truck driver. Thank goodness he was gone 5 days a week!! Late nights and early mornings were the norm. One part of her routine included evening visits of friends and family. Mostly our Uncle Babe. He would come several nights a week, knowing mom was done with her work, for coffee and a snack. You all know that Mom was a great cook. And all including Uncle Babe relished in that. I myself have a file box filled with Mom’s recipes. There was rarely an event that didn’t include dynamite sauce, or chop souey, home made rolls, and always peanut butter fudge. Of course those happen to be some of my favorites. Most of those gatherings were at Mom’s house, and even though she worried for days ahead, everything was always perfect, the food fabulous and the laughs endless. As the kids got older, Mom’s was still the place where we would gather. She loved her quiet time, but she thrived in the craziness of a house full of kids and grandkids. Especially during the holidays. You may have seen the pictures of Thanksgiving in our slideshow. Memere and the girls made all those Pilgrim outfits and made all the food as well. That was Mom. Any amount of work was worth the smile on the faces of her family. She was happy when our bellies were full and when people around her were laughing. She loved to laugh. Whenever I myself think of her, my fondest memories always include that giggle – that infectious laugh til you pee in your pants giggle. She was a big tease and a jokester. Our cousin Carolyn reminded us of how she and our Aunt Janette would scare her by rolling up their eyelids and her. She and the other kids would squeal out of fear and Mom and Janette would laugh til they cried!! Many of the grandkids including ours will tell you that they played that game with them too. We often took Mom and her sisters, to include Aunt Annette, out to dinner or for an adventure. We of course did it because being with them was such a treat. Even riding in the car was hysterical. Mom usually started the teasing and the laughing and giggling would start. She was just fun to be around. Even in the last few years, as her memory faded along with her eyesight, she continued to be funny, a tease, and always wanting still to do things for herself. At memory lane she was hard to hold down. If a nurse didn’t come soon enough – she’d get up and try to go walking by herself. It took almost an act of congress to get her to use her walker and then to get her to stay in her wheelchair. As time passed and her memories lessened, she was still herself during her moments of lucidity. She didn’t hesitate to give one of us hell and tell us to go home and leave her alone. Then she’d smile and ask when they’d we’d back. Though we sometimes prayed for peace to come to her, it is difficult to imagine life without her around. We take comfort in knowing she is at peace, able to enjoy a new life without pain or worry. We love you Mom – we will miss you beyond words – until we meet again – and FYI good luck with this angel God. The family invites to a reception immediately following here at the church hall.