24 entries
The Guest Book is expired.
|
 MARGUERITE (MARMETE) CORLISS HAYES - BURLINGTON - Marmete Corliss Hayes died on June 17, 2012, after a courageous three-year battle with cancer, at her home in Burlington, with family and her close friend and caregiver, Sister of Mercy Miriam Ward, by her side. She was 87 years young. Marmete was born Nov. 8, 1924, in St. Albans, the daughter of Bruce R. and Allene Corliss. She will be remembered by many from the religious community, the peace and justice movement, and those who, like her, cherish the days and nights on Butler Island on Lake Champlain. As a child, Marmete delighted in wandering the beaches of Butler Island and sleeping under the stars. She spent three unforgettable years living in Old Bennington, before returning to St. Albans and graduating from Bellows Free Academy. Upon graduation, she worked in a defense plant in Guilford, Conn., during World War II. Marmete attended Middlebury College for two years, changed course, and went to New York City to study voice (a "mistake," in her words, but a delight). She later graduated from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston. During that time, she entered into a wonderful one-year courtship with Jack Hayes. They married July 23, 1949, which she said was the best decision she ever made. They were married for 47 years until Jack's death in 1996. After studying at the Paulist Center in Boston, Marmete entered the Catholic Church in 1949, which was the launch of a religious journey. She was very active in St. Mark's Parish, including serving as a member of the Ladies of St. Mark's Parish, and teaching religious education. She was a speaker at three Confraternity of Christian Doctrine conferences in New England. Marmete spoke at parishes across the state about religious customs in the home. Inspired by Dorothy Day, The Catholic Worker and the Berrigan Brothers, Marmete embarked upon a lifelong journey working for peace and justice. In 1981, Marmete cofounded a new chapter of Pax Christi in Burlington, with Kay Lavoie, Janet Rogan, Mary McGinley, Isabel Schumacher and Sister Miriam Ward. Thirty years later, Pax Christi Burlington, founded at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, continues to promote peace and justice addressing issues such as violence, nuclear weapons, oppression in Central America, the U.S.-led wars in Iraq, and the School of the Americas. She and many others stood for years in nightly silent vigil at the top of Church Street in Burlington as a steward of peace during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2006, the Vermont Dismas House honored Marmete and Sister Miriam Ward with the Jack Hickey Award for their peace activism. In 2009, the Peace and Justice Center awarded Marmete with the Ed Everts Award for Peace and Social Justice. Following Jack's death and in his memory, Marmete began collecting stones on Gravelly Point on Butler Island and created stone mosaics of early Christian symbols and scenes from the life of Christ. She leaves her five children, Corliss Pratt of St. Albans; Liza Bray and her husband, David, of Swanton; Matthew Hayes and his wife, Joanna, of Georgia; Joseph Hayes and his wife, Julie, of St. Albans; and Maggie Adair and her husband, Stephen, of Bloomfield, Conn. She leaves her grandchildren, Erin Gibson, Ashley Bray, Elizabeth Hansen, Carson Pratt, Sullivan and Jackson Hayes; and several nieces and nephews. She leaves her dear sister, Jane LaRock; and is predeceased by her husband, Jack Hayes; her brother, Allen B. Corliss; and two nephews, Stephen and Ralph LaRock. Marmete leaves many friends, including Sister of Mercy Miriam Ward, Peter and Jane Carney, Kay Lavoie, Marianne Ward, Sister Marie Feeley, Nancy Earley, and Martha Cooper. The family is grateful to Dr. Zail Barry, M.D., Mary Looney, R.N., and the caring staff of the VNA who provided compassionate services. Calling hours will be held Thursday, June 21, 2012, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ready Funeral and Cremation Service, 261 Shelburne Rd., in Burlington. A Mass of Christian burial to celebrate Marmete's life will be held Friday, June 22, 2012, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Mark Catholic Church in Burlington. Interment will be at the convenience of the family. Online condolences may be sent to www.readyfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, please purchase, read, reflect, and share one or both books, Howard Zinn On War and You Can't Stay Neutral on a Moving Train, also by Howard Zinn. Copies should be purchased at the Crow Book Store in Burlington; or contributions can be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, 1110 Prim Rd., Colchester, VT 05446.
Published in The Burlington Free Press on June 19, 2012
![]() |
|
Bookmark this memorial on Facebook with the My Memorials™ application. My Memorials™ helps you honor departed family members, friends, and even favorite celebrities – all on your Facebook page.
|
Thank you. You have now memorialized on Facebook.
 |
The My Memorials Facebook app allows you to:
- Connect with memorials that are important to you.
- Get updates on your memorials in your Facebook News Feed.
- Share your memories with your Facebook friends.
|
|
|
Burlington, VT (802) 862-0991
|
|
