Laconia---Priscilla Champagne, 78, died on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. Just a short seven months after losing her husband of 55 years to cancer, Priscilla decided that she didn’t want to be without him any longer and joined him in Heaven.
Priscilla grew up on a farm and apple orchard in Belmont and was proud to be a “farm girl.” She was a hard worker, incredibly talented, and always willing to help anyone who needed it.
Priscilla was many things to many people. She was a hair dresser at the Vogue Beauty Salon, a day care provider, a phenomenal seamstress and a member of the Congregational Church of Laconia.
Priscialla was the daughter to the late Chester and Eugenia ( Kolosky) Randlett. A sister to the late Phyl and a wife to Frank.
She was a mother to Francine of Bethlehem who’s favorite memory was of Priscilla baking pies with her mother every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They would spend the whole day making several pies from scratch (yes, even the crust was from scratch); Colleen of Gilford who will miss spending every Saturday in the Summer going to yardsales with her and a mother-in-law to Aaron who provided her with endless stains to remove from his clothes and will miss her picking on him; she was a sister to Rodion of Merrimack who will remember her as “the most generous person” he ever knew and a sister-in-law to Linda who “loved that you could drop in on her anytime unannounced”. She was a cousin to Marcia of Florida who will remember her like a sister because as kids they grew up together and that because she lived away as an adult Priscilla “always stepped in for me to help my mother with whatever she needed help with and she never let me feel that my living away took me away from being part of the family. She always did special things for me.” She was an aunt to Julia of Newton Center, MA who will remember that “you never left her house empty handed. From cakes, pickled eggs, or a hand sewn apron or totebage-she was incredibly generous”; Ben of Brookline, MA who will remember her good cooking; Shayne of Manchester who will remember her as “one of the kindest, most generous, wonderfully spirited person” he has ever known; Lindsay of Merrimack will remember her generosity because “She just gave everything. She gave things. She gave time. She gave attention. She gave food. She gave skills. She never hesitated to give of herself and never got frustratedif I dropped in for dinner as a teenager and didn’t call. She just gave me a seat and food. Her house was my second home as a teen”.
Priscilla was a grandmother to Charlotte of North Dakota whose favorite memory would be of bedtime when Priscilla would “tuck us (grandkids) all in and ask if we wanted to say the Lord’s Prayer and sing a song. We would say the Lord’s Prayer and bless everyone one by one. I would always pick “My Darling Clementine” to sing and to this day I know all of the words. Even though Grammy couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket I would love to hear it just one more time.”; Zach of Portsmouth who will remember her always teaching him things even at a young age and attribute his successes in life to the countless lessons he learned from her and to Spencer of Bethlehem. She was a great grandmother to Lily and Brantley and a great aunt to Soleil, Clio, Lorelai, Cora, Erin and Liam.
Above all else Priscilla was a caretaker who never said no when it came to helping someone. When dementia left her unable to care for herself, much less others, this amazing woman who always said she was going to live forever decided to move on to a place where she could, once again, look after & care for her family.
May she rest in peace.
Per her wishes there will be no services.
In lieu of flowers donations in Priscilla’s name can be made to the American Heart Association, 2 Wall St, Manchester, NH 03101 or to the American Cancer Society, 2 Commerce Dr Ste 210, Bedford, NH 03110, both organizations that Priscilla contributed to every year.
“If I only had five minutes the day you passed away.
I would have had time to tell you, all the things I needed to say.
I never got to tell you how much you meant to me.
Or that you were the best that anyone could be.
The last time I talked to you, I wish I would have known.
I would have said I love you, and kept you on the phone.
If I only had five minutes the day you passed away
I’d hold on to you with real tight hugs, I wouldn’t want you to go.
I would tell you that I’ll miss you, more than you’ll ever know.
Now God has called upon you, it’s time to get your wings,
To leave this life behind you and enjoy all of Heaven’s beautiful things.
So wait for me in heaven, don’t let me come alone.
The day the angels come for me, please be there to bring me home.”
-Annmarie Campbell
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.