Laura S. Gouillart

1953 - 2018

Laura Schall Gouillart was called home on November 15, 2018 from her home in Concord, Massachusetts at the age of 64. She was the beloved wife of Francis J. Gouillart; mother of Emily F. Gouillart of Washington DC and Gregory D. Gouillart of Boston MA; sister of Kathy Jarvis of Palo Alto, CA; of Vicki Escalera of South Kingstown, Rhode Island and her husband Dwight; and of Martha Czaczkes of Madison, CT and her husband Murray; and cousin of Katherine Clark, John Clark, Rodney Dowell, Addison Dowell, Jared Dowell and Nate Dowell. She was pre-deceased by her brother-in-law J. Pitts Jarvis, and her parents Susanne Southerton Schall and Ned Schall. She was a proud aunt to Benjamin Jarvis, Verity Jarvis, Kate White Lewis, David Escalera, Elizabeth Escalera, Josh Czaczkes, Emmanuelle Gouillart, Marc-Antoine Gouillart, Vincent Gouillart, Nicolas Gouillart, Juliette Luquet, Clara Luquet, Louise Luquet, Virginie Bdrune, and Marielle Bdrune. Laura loved to sing. She was very active in local community theater, playing countless leading ladies with booming alto voices, and was especially associated with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. She cherished her friendship with other performers, musicians and back-stage people. Favorite roles included Katisha in The Mikado, The Duchess of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers, and the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe, in which she shared the stage with her daughter Emily who played the title role of Iolanthe. During the climactic scene where the Fairy Queen holds a sword over Iolanthes head to kill her, the normally even-keeled Laura stormed off the stage, shouting Im not decapitating my daughter!. As her health weakened, she found a new home with the costume ladies of local theater | aptly called the divas for their talent, not their egos, and always found new energy to go sow with the divas, even on gloomy winter nights. She also sang with the Trinitarian Congregational Church choir where she was a member and an occasional soloist, loving both the spirituality of the place and the friendship from her colleague choir members. As a professional art historian, she was also a docent for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and gave tours to visitors, including French dignitaries, allowing her to utilize her outstanding French ability. Earlier in her life, she also ran an original print business, researching, buying and selling old master prints from her home in Wisconsin before running into early health challenges. Her greatest pride, though, was her two great children, Emily and Gregory, who both had their own challenges along the way. Both are successful in their careers, which gave Laura great solace as her health was declining. Emily is the head of Communication and Public Affairs for the National Endowment for Democracy and Gregory works in the accounting department of the American Program Bureau in Newton. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley College (BA) and the University of Chicago (MA in Art History). Upon starting graduate school, she met a French business school student named Francis; they were married for forty-one wonderful years. She will be forever remembered; through the recordings of her beautiful mezzo soprano voice, the smell of meatloaf at a family gathering, and in the hearts of all who crossed her path. Her greatest talent may have been to mobilize around her a crowd of angels accompanying her all the way from the visual arts the musical, the spiritual, the medical and the family worlds. Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Laura on Saturday, November 24 at 11:00 am in the Trinitarian Congregational Church, 54 Walden St., Concord. Interment will be private. Donations in her memory may be made to 51 Walden, Inc., 51 Walden St., Concord, MA 01742 or Trinitarian Congregational Church, Concord, MA 01742. Arrangements under the care of Glenn D. Burlamachi, Concord Funeral Home, A Life Celebration Home, Concord. To share a memory or offer a condolence visit: www.concordfuneral.com