Lenore C. Garvais

1923 - 2012

BORN

1923

DIED

2012

FUNERAL HOME

Pease and Gay Funeral Home

425 Prospect Street

Northampton, Massachusetts

Lenore Garvais Obituary

WILLIAMSBURG - Lenore C. Garvais, a long time resident of 7 Nash Hill Place, Williamsburg, was born Sep. 3, 1923, in Stafford Springs, Conn.

Due to complications of the heart and lungs, her long and active life came to an end early in the morning of Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

Prior to her brief hospitalization, Lenore received excellent attention and care from medical and all other staff members of Overlook of Northampton Nursing Home in Leeds.

At the start of World War II she joined the WAVES, serving in Perryville, Md. and at naval bases in Charleston, S.C. and Pensacola, Fla. Upon her return to civilian life, she registered as a day student at the University of Connecticut and was making good educational progress until wanderlust hit her.

She and a University of Connecticut friend bought a second hand van and visited every state in the lower 48. Returning from that journey, Lenore moved to Springfield and began working, first at the Johnson Book Store, followed by more than 20 years as a district manager of Nature Food Stores in Southern New England and Albany, N.Y. Occasionally she would be sent out as a trouble shooter or to coordinate the opening of a new store anywhere from Portland, Maine to Southern California.

In her daily trips to stores located in Southern New England and Eastern New York, Lenore was invariably accompanied by her treasured cross-breed Norwegian Elk Hound-German Shepard dog she had named "Gar". Following a few years in South Hadley she moved to Williamsburg where she served on the Commission on Aging and worked for successful results of annual book sales at the library. Her strong organizing skills led to coordination of a number of cultural programs performed in the Common Room of her Nash Hill residence for the benefit of the library.

She leaves her brother, L. Sidney Garvais of Seabury Retirement Community, Bloomfield, Conn.; her first cousin, John H. Rafftery, residing in a suburb of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and a number of second cousins, among whom is Cathy (Tamsin) Bland, a good and helpful friend in Willington, Conn.

On Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, at 12 p.m., Father Michael Twohig will officiate a memorial Mass in the Roman Catholic parish church of Our Lady of the Hills (formerly St. Mary's) on Rt. 9, Haydenville.

To sign a Guest Book, express condolences, share memories and read other obituaries, go to www.gazettenet.com/obituaries.

Published by Daily Hampshire Gazette on Dec. 13, 2012.
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4 Entries

December 25, 2012

Lenore moved in upstairs from me when I was about 12 years old and she was working at Johnson's Book Store. We had lots of fun times with her, Clara and Sid, playing the piano. She and my mother, Barbara Gluck became good friends and enjoyed many trips together. My children always called her "Aunt Lenore" and we all have very fond memories of her visits to us in California. Fortunately on a visit to Mass in early Nov. my husband and I were able to visit with her one last time. Rest in peace, my friend. Alicia Gluck Sarna

December 25, 2012

Hello. I'm Susan Drummey Hubbard. My mother was a very close friend of Leigh's for many years until the end. She is devastated at this time. They traveled together on many trips, cruises, the last I believe was the trip with the library group to Mexico. My mother, Caroline Drummey, was manager at Nature Food in Enfield and this is how they first met. My Mom kept in touch with her frequently until she couldn't drive anymore due to her own surgerys, then she called weekly. I'm sure she's at peace now and still traveling her blessed heart away! Rest in peace Leigh, you will be truly missed!

Susan Hubbard

December 14, 2012

Hi, Colleen Heuitson here. I am Liz Heuitson's daughter. Liz and Lenore were classmates at Stafford High School. When Lenore was 82, she came down to SHS and spoke at the graduation ceeremonies. Lenore wrote the SHS Alma Mater, and was a member of the SHS Class of 1941!!

Colleen Heuitson

December 13, 2012

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