Patricia Ann Dupuis

BARRINGTON ; Patricia Ann (Laramie) Dupuis, 59, passed away Thursday, May 15, 2008, at her home, following a long, but optimistic battle with leukemia.

Born Nov. 20, 1948, in Exeter, N.H., Patricia was the daughter of the late Eugene and Eleanor Laramie.

She graduated from Exeter High School, received her bachelor of education from Keene State College and her master's from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Patricia, a grade school teacher, was truly devoted to her students and greatly inspired by her work with them. She spent her entire 37-year career teaching elementary and middle school in the Somersworth, N.H. school district, retiring in 2007.

During her career as an educator, she touched the lives of hundreds of children, spent time as head teacher and was an active negotiator for the rights of her colleagues.

Family was paramount for Patricia. She found a great deal of joy in hosting large family gatherings such as barbecues and holiday dinners. A genuinely giving person, she was rewarded in her life by being constantly surrounded and supported by true friends.

Patricia was a passionate woman whose continuous thirst for knowledge and avid pursuit of adventure inspired and influenced those around her. She enjoyed the excitement of traveling near and far. Motivated and drawn toward things that would connect her to the earth, she reveled in the opportunity to relax on a warm beach, appreciated the vigor of a hike in the mountains and discoveries made while on a bicycle ride. An ideal afternoon would be comprised of listening to the Beatles while gardening in the sun, diving into a good book or sharing a margarita with friends on the deck. Patricia Dupuis was an amazing woman and friend and will be greatly missed by many.

Her immediate family members include her husband, Ivan; her beloved son, David; her brother and sister-in-law, Carl and June Laramie; her sister, Joyce Wheet; her niece, Jennifer Wheet; her nephew and niece, Michael and Kitty Wheet; her mother-in-law, Alexina Dupuis; her brother-in-law, Bill Wheet, and her dog and constant companion, "Raynee."

Patricia's family members would like to express their gratitude and thanks to all her loving friends and co-workers, too numerous to mention, who gave their time, support and love in Pat's time of need, and always kept her spirits up.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 8 at First Parish United Church of Christ, 176 West High St., Somersworth, at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, follow Patricia's lead and donate to the Jimmy Fund, Attn: Contribution Services, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home, 655 Central Ave., Dover, N.H.

To sign the online guest book, please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com.

Visit the online guest book at www.fosters.com