Marie L. Roy

Marie L. Roy, 95, died on May 30, 2024, at UVM Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont. She spent her last day by Lake Champlain in the house that her beloved late husband Louis Roy built with friends, surrounded by her family. She was able to welcome her grandson's new fiancé, and her granddaughter's partner. She remained as sharp as ever, vindicating her belief in the power of a daily crossword puzzle to ward off senility.
Marie was born in New York City on June 5, 1928. She was raised by her mother Frances and her step-father John Ennis. During the Great Depression, she saw their kindness and generosity to others in hard times, which made an indelible mark upon her character. Guided by their example, and her deep Catholic faith, she would become an important part of many lives in her nearly a century of life.
She was actively involved in her community with causes and activities such as serving as Girl Scout Troop Leader for ten years, and instilled a belief in the importance of environmentalism to her Scouts, with her troop taking part in the inaugural Green Up Day. She was always concerned with the political situation of the day, frequently volunteering on Election Days, and always making a concerted effort to encourage her community to engage as active citizens by getting out the vote.
She was proud to have graduated from Albany Business College when many women could not attend college, and she would retain a lifelong love of learning. To further this passion for learning new things, she enjoyed traveling to New York City to see shows, to Ireland to investigate her family history, to national parks to see the beauty of our country, and to museums and historical sites across Europe. After graduating, she worked for General Electric. She and her husband Louis later owned and operated a wholesale beverage distributor, an accomplishment from their humble origins that both took great pride in.
Marie was a lifelong gardener, from her Victory Garden in World War II to the tomato plants that still grow on her patio. This was a passion she shared with her husband, and that she passed on to her children. Her grandchildren spent many a day in their childhood weeding the garden beside her and harvesting everything from pumpkins to rhubarb. No summer could pass without an overabundance of zucchini, tomatoes, and green beans mysteriously appearing in the back of visitors' cars.
Marie was a great lover of Lake Champlain, with friends remembering her often up in the early morning for a swim, and even on her ninety-fourth birthday, she was thrilled to go on a boat ride out on the lake. Her family will always think of her when they visit the lake.
She is survived by her three daughters, Julie Ladue, Ann Marie McKay (and her husband David McKay), and Christine Mitchell (and her husband Dominick Mitchell), as well as seven grandchildren Jeffrey Ladue, Jake Ladue, Jacob Simms, Donald McKay, Matthew McKay (and his wife Camilla McKay), Dominick Mitchell (and his fiancé Jessica Sinotte), and Heather Mitchell (and her partner Sean Gilhooley), who all called her "Grammy", and one great-granddaughter, Saoirse McKay, who called her "Gigi". She is predeceased by her sister Jeanne Lowery, her beloved husband Louis Roy, and her son-in-law Jeffrey Ladue.
If you wish to honor her memory, you may make a donation in her name to the American Lung Association, When We All Vote, The League of Women Voters, or the American Civil Liberties Union.
A Memorial Mass will be held later this year at St. John Vianney at the convenience of the family.