Jeannette L. “Jan” Dupre, 93, formerly of Chateau Clare, Greene St. Woonsocket passed away peacefully Tuesday morning November 19, 2024 at Hope Hospice Care Center in Providence. Jan had been a recent patient of the Friendly Home in Woonsocket.
Jeannette was born in Woonsocket on October 25, 1931 a daughter of the late Albert and Blanche (Girardeau) Deziel. She remained a proud lifelong resident of the city. Jeannette was a graduate of St. Clare Girls High School class of 1948 (the nuns let her skip a grade!). She grew up on Paradis Ave. and lived most of her life at the family homestead.
Known to all as Jan, in her earlier years she worked in the office of the Mayor of Woonsocket in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Jan was married to the late J. Paul Dupre (son of the late Dr. Guyon and Cecile (Forest) Dupre) in 1955 and she was a dedicated homemaker while raising her young family.
Jan retuned to work before her children were grown. She worked at the former Vermette’s Restaurant for twenty plus years. She was employed at the Woonsocket Public Works Department in the Water Department office for many years before retiring in 1994.
Jan never really retired – she kept right on going and keeping busy. She put her administrative and organizational skills to use for the organizations she participated in and supported.
Jan was a lifelong dedicated and active communicant of Precious Blood Parish. She served and volunteered for many ministries and activities at the parish including as a member of the parish council, finance council, parish office and as a lector for the Masses in English and French. Jan’s heart was truly at Precious Blood as she received all her sacraments at her home parish. Her life would come full circle in her later years as she resided at Chateau Clare apartments where she had attended school so many years before. Jan could still feel the spirit of the Sisters of Religious of Jesus and Mary (the RJMs) as she lived in her former classrooms.
Jan was a member of the Kappa Beta Gamma club (KBG) of Woonsocket serving as the board secretary. Her service to the city continued as the secretary of the Woonsocket Zoning Board. She was also the secretary of the Mercy Hospital Guild (a hospital founded in part by her late father-in-law, Dr. Guyon Dupre). Jan was proud of her Quebecois heritage and was a member of the American- French Genealogical Society.
Some of Jan’s favorite activities were compiling photos and memories of family and friends by scrapbooking as well as researching family trees. Jan was a voracious reader. She read her newspapers daily without fail and would tackle books on many varied subjects, Jan relished few things more than some quiet time with a good book and a cup of coffee.
Jan will be remembered for her love and devotion to her family. She was a woman who faced adversity with deep faith and trademark commitment to strong family connections. Underneath Jan’s quiet and sometimes formal demeanor (Jan was a lady from an earlier era, think 1950s and 60s “Mad Men”) was a lady with a heart of gold who put her trust in her Lord and in turn was the bedrock of her family. Jan knew what really mattered in life, Faith, Family and Friends.
Jan is survived by her four daughters, who she would proudly declare to be her best accomplishments in life. Jocelyn Paquette and her husband Bud of Maine, JoAnn Yozura and her husband George of Woonsocket, Jacqueline Boucher and her husband Mark of Coventry and Jeanne Bissonette and her husband Edward of Terryville, CT. Jan was the loving “GrandMa” to her grandchildren Jessica (Paquette) Yamaguchi and her late husband Hideki, Justine Boucher and her husband Jonathan, Jody (Bissonette) Waterhouse, Miles Boucher, Janelle (Boucher) Seerden and her husband George, Nicholas Bissonette and his wife Bree-Anna and Julia Yozura and great-grandchildren Haiji and Conan Yamaguchi, Charlie Waterhouse, Dexter DiMartino and Henry Boucher. Jan was the sister of Maurice Deziel of Bellingham, Jacqueline Baglini of Narragansett and Constance Levasseur of North Smithfield and is also survived by many nieces and nephews and their families. Jan will be remembered for her many treats prepared for her family and friends ranging from pecan and lemon meringue pie, red velvet cake, dynamite and her special holiday treat homemade Chex mix.
Everyone is welcome to gather to honor, remember and pray for Jan at her funeral Saturday November 23, 2024 from the Menard-Lacouture Funeral Home, 127 Carrington Ave. Woonsocket followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am in Precious Blood Church, Carrington Ave. Woonsocket. Jan will be laid to rest in the family lot at St. Jean Baptist Cemetery in Bellingham at a later date.
Visiting hours are Friday Nov. 22nd from 4:00-7:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of the wonderful care Jan received, the family suggests that memorial donations may be made to Hope Hospice Center, 1085 North Main St. Providence, RI. 02904 or www.hopehealthco.org.
www.menardfuneralhome.com