Jeannette "Jeanne" Briere

1928 - 2022

WOONSOCKET - Jeannette "Jeanne" Briere, 94, widow of Henry R. Briere, passed away peacefully in her sleep with family present, on Saturday April 30, 2022, after a long illness while in residence at The Friendly Home, Woonsocket.

Born in Woonsocket on Valentines Day 1928, she was the daughter of the late Armand and Elise (Lizotte) Grenon of Woonsocket. Jeannette and Henry made their home in Saint Ann's Parish.

In her youth she worked making pea coats for military personnel and was assigned to help with repairs to life rafts during WWII. She spent many Sundays at Joyland Roller Rink, where she loved to dance on skates to the popular tunes of the time. She was active in the PTA, the Elks Club of Woonsocket and the Rhode Island Red Hat Society. She was particularly active in the Emblem Club, being a past President of the Woonsocket Chapter, as well as, the state association. She was an accomplished seamstress, working for Finkelstein's in Woonsocket, and took pride in making many clothing items for her family. She displayed her creative talents in a fashion show sponsored by a local fabric manufacturer.

Jeannettte is pre-deceased by her brothers Alfred and Robert and her sister Muriel. She is survived by her brother Arthur "Lefty" of Cumberland, and sister Constance "Connie" Roy of Smithfield.

She is pre-deceased by her eldest son Roger, husband of Elaine (Guilbault) of W. Greenwich, parents to Brian, Michael, and Christopher, all of Rhode Island. Her surviving sons: Michael Briere of Arizona; Marc Briere and his wife, Rebecca, and their daughters, Isabelle and Chloe, of Maryland, and Shannon of New York. Jeannette is survived by her daughters: Diane and her husband, George Harris, and their son, Jeffrey, of Rhode Island; Claudette and her husband, Stephen Weir, of Oregon, and their daughters, Charlotte and Heather of Texas, as well as their son, Tristan of Oregon; Suzanne and her husband, Barry Genereux, of Rhode Island, and their daughters, Angela of California, and Krista of Rhode Island; Lorraine and her husband, Frank Rezendes, of Maine and their sons, Matthew of N. Carolina, and James of Maine. She had nine great grandchildren.

Her funeral will be held Saturday, May 7, 2022 beginning at 9AM from the Holt Funeral Home, 510 South Main St., Woonsocket, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10AM in St. Joseph's Church, 1200 Mendon Rd., Woonsocket. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, West Wrentham Rd., Cumberland. Calling hours will be Friday from 4 - 7PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Henry and Jeannette Briere Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Woonsocket Lodge of Elks #850, Attn: Lodge Secretary, PO Box 879, Woonsocket, RI 02895.

www.holtfuneralhome.com