Dr Gilbert Suitor

Dr, Gilbert Suitor died January 26, 2022 surrounded by his loving wife Alice and the family who loved him. Gib was born March 27, 1945 to Martha and John Suitor in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Gib attended the Cardigan Mountain School where he was president of his class and graduated from Deerfield Academy where he was a senior proctor and president of the Glee Club which won national recognition. He spent many years at Camp Timanous in Raymond, Maine where he won the highest honor as a camper and as a beloved counselor and trip leader, guided children in the wilderness of northern Maine. This left him with a lifelong love of fishing which provided him with many happy hours particularly in the Vermont and Maine rivers, lakes and ponds with his brothers and first cousins Doug and Bobby.

A gifted athlete and soccer player, he entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which awarded him letters beginning his sophomore year. While at UNC Gib mastered the guitar having Iris Dement and Bob Dylan as his mentors. His excellence earned him gigs in college and it became a lifelong passion playing not only for family but for friends, parties, and other special occasions. After graduating from UNC Gib did a year as a VISTA volunteer in Minnesota. Because of his grandfather's founding of an optometry practice in Burlington, Vermont he decided to spend four additional years earning his doctorate at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry before joining his uncle Dr. Gilbert Rist continuing the family practice for an additional forty-five years on Cherry Street in Burlington. He was a dedicated medical professional who insisted on the highest quality of care. He always aimed to remove the mysteries of sight, gladly spending extra time explaining his procedure and making his patients feel at ease. His patients rewarded his charm and care in abundance with people driving to see Dr. Suitor from all over New England as well as Vermont. With four generations of his family as graduates of UVM and both his father's family and mother's generational Vermonters, Gib adopted Vermont as his own with pride. He spent many fulfilling days working on his homes in Burlington and Jeffersonville. Gib's character is summed up in the poem by E A Robinson, who wrote:

His words were magic, and his heart was true And everywhere he wandered he was blessed Of all the men my childhood knew I choose him and mark him as the best.

This would be echoed by his adult patients over four decades of practice and his loving family. With loving memory, he leaves his wife Alice, Daughters Tracie Needham with her husband Larry, Tammy Brousseau with husband Travis, Granddaughters Kayla Brousseau, Jessica Blair with fiance' Dr. Ryan Grell, Tiffany Louko with husand Dylan, Grandson Keith Booska, and Great Grandchildren Grayson Louko and Hailey Lockwood, his brother Jack of Stuart, Florida, his brother David of Raymond, Maine, sisters-in-law Beth and Linda, nephews Erich of Aspen, Colorado, John of Boulder, Colorado, nieces Kasey of Gray, Maine, Abigail of Virginia Beach, Virginia and great nieces Elizabeth, Maddie, and Catherine.

Goodbye Gib, we shall treasure our memories always.

A service of remembrance and celebration of his life will be held in the spring.