LACONIA ----- Blanche E. (Lightfoot) Ilmonen, 99, of Laconia, NH, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 2, 2024, just six days shy of her 100th birthday.
Born in 1924 to Harry and Annie Lightfoot, she was the fifth of seven children. Raised in North Attleboro, MA, she graduated from North Attleboro High School in 1943.
Her first job out of high school was at Mason Box in North Attleboro, but the remaining 29 years of her working life were spent at North Attleboro Electric Light Company. Blanche married Bruno Ilmonen in 1977 and together they enjoyed traveling to Finland and many US destinations. Upon retiring in 1983 they became Florida snowbirds. After Bruno’s passing, she moved from North Attleboro to Laconia, NH to be near her sister.
She loved bowling with her co-workers at the Electric Light Company where she said, “We had so much fun!” She also enjoyed traveling to Europe, Israel, Canada, Hawaii, and many of the National Parks in the 1960s and 1970s, and she took great pleasure in crocheting, knitting, and needlepoint, having made baby blankets and sweaters for the children of her many nieces and nephews.
Blanche was a life-long member of the Methodist Church, having served in various church roles. She loved music, and lent her lovely alto voice to the choir for many years. For 24 years, she served as clerk of the Paine Cemetery in North Attleboro, the resting place for most of her family.
She is predeceased by her husband Bruno; stepdaughter, Trudy Lavallee; six siblings, Donald Lightfoot, Lloyd Lightfoot, Harry Lightfoot, Jr., Austin Lightfoot, Helen Wild and Elsie Smith; three nephews, William Wild, Jr., Kenneth Wild and Richard Wild.
She is survived by her two stepchildren Bruno Pierce Ilmonen and his wife Janet and James Ilmonen and his wife Roung. Blanche is also survived by her ten nieces and nephews, who meant so much to her: Sandy Brallier and her husband Stan, of Laconia, NH, Cathy Gowen and her husband Burt, of Keene, NH, Bud Lightfoot, of Hatfield, MA, Beth Stacey and her husband Dale, of Virginia Beach, VA, Beverly Wild, of Attleboro, MA, Sharon Almonte and her husband Donald, of North Providence, RI, Susan Iannoni and her husband Joe, of Walpole, MA, Donald Wild and his wife Lydia, of Seekonk, MA, David Wild and his wife Cathi, of Rehoboth, MA, Paul Lightfoot, of West Bridgewater, MA, and many great and great-great nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 11:00am, at the Arnold Mills United Methodist Church, 690 Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland, RI.
Burial will follow at Paine Cemetery, Paine Road, in North Attleboro, MA.
For those who wish, memorial donations in Blanche’s name may be made to the Memorial Fund at the Arnold Mills Methodist Church, 690 Nate Whipple Highway, Cumberland, RI 02864.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to wilkinsonbeane.com.