Constance Ann (Hamblin) Nadeau

At 4 minutes past four p.m., 9 June 2024, Constance Ann Hamblin Nadeau passed away peacefully in the ICU, Room 302, Central Vermont Hospital, Berlin, Vermont, in the presence if her sisters Suzanne and Ali, and her “lifetime partner” John Buttolph.

Born 1 June 1953 in the old Copley Hospital, she was a member of the first class to enter the new Lamoille Union High School [LUHS], and the first class to graduate after all four years in the new unified school. Raised Catholic, she taught Catechism at the former St John’s Catholic Church in Johnson.

Trained as an accountant, “Suzie Hardware” was the manager of Stowe Hardware for many years, later a bookkeeper for Harvest Equipment, traveling between their stores in Williston, Newport, and Barre.

An indefatigable fund-raiser Connie auctioned off two Chevrolet Corvettes with the proceeds benefiting the LUHS Booster Club where daughter Amber was a star athlete.

A natural leader and organizer, Connie did most of the “Heavy Lifting” for John during the three years he was VFW Post 9653 Commander. She was the organizing founder of the Post 9653 Lifeline fund, and with John led the Lifeline Auction Dinner event for the first ten years, raising over $110,000 for the fund. Through her leadership, VFW Post 9653 participated in the Veterans History Project, through which DVD recordings were made of Veterans’ personal military experiences, to be filed permanently at the American Folklife Center, United States Library of Congress. Veterans whose war stories were thus recorded were: Leigh E. Tabor [Sr], Richard F. Abare, Everett W. Demerritt, William V. McDonnell, Anthony M. Rorick, Michael C. McCole, and John L. Buttolph, III. All but the last two mentioned are now deceased. Connie was very proud of this effort on behalf of our Veterans.

She took a leading part in the dedication of the new Veterans Memorial Park in Morrisville. A friend of hers had a son who was a Member of the United States Air Force Ceremonial Drill Team, and she arranged for the Team to come to Vermont and take part in the festivities. Drill Team demonstrations were held at both Peoples Academy and LUHS. The grand dedication featured speeches by state and local officials, and culminated in a stunning demonstration of Manual Arms at the Dedication Ceremony of the Memorial, 29 May 2012.

Connie was five-time Auxiliary President, VFW Post 9653. She was VFW Auxiliary President-of-the-Year for the entire state-wide Department of Vermont three years in a row—an unprecedented honor.

A natural leader, Connie was always willing to “say what’s on my mind”, a trait that occasionally got her into hot water. You always knew where Connie stood on any issue.

An avid genealogical researcher who completed the required research for Membership in the Mayflower and Jamestown Societies, NSCDA (Colonial Dames.) She was a Member of the Capt. Jedediah Hyde Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and served as Regent (president) for the Chapter as long as she was able.

An ambitious researcher, she worked very hard taking the online course at Boston University, earning the “Certification of Genealogical Research”, and was very proud to be a member of the Association of American Genealogists. In the course of her research she discovered she was John’s tenth cousin: common ancestor Nathaniel Foote (b ca 1593, Colchester, Essex, England; d 20
November 1644, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut.)

She was very close to her grandparents Harry Elmer and Marion Effie (Chapman) Rogers of Johnson. Connie helped to ease them through their final years. Last season, a “baseball trip of a lifetime” was organized by John’s brother Ken, and, though Connie was wheelchair-bound, the three of them luxuriated on the famous “Monster Seats” at Fenway Park in Boston. Previously a devoted Yankee fan, she made considerable progress towards joining her mother in citizenship in Red Sox Nation.

Connie was transported in the middle of the night of 29 May to the ICU in Berlin so as to receive emergency oxygen not available at Copley. While there she (and
John) received the blessing of the priest, Holy Cross Catholic Church in Morrisville. Beset in recent years by a series of health challenges, in the end Connie succumbed to a serious lung infection which made it impossible for her to breathe on her own. After more than a week in the ICU, with heroic “High-Flow” oxygen administered and no practical options, she was informed of her situation and allowed to slip away; her last words: “Bring it on. I love you tons.”

Connie is survived by her daughter Amber Jane Nadeau (Andy Lietz) [her Princess]; Amber’s father Armand Omer Nadeau, sisters Cindra Lee (Rick) Mueller, Susan (Suzanne) Jeanne Coté, Ali Martha Mayo (Cecil Earl Mayo, Jr), Penelope Jane Thomas (Rick) Keith; one brother Peter John Thomas, her Uncle Peter Rogers, her lifetime partner John Buttolph, her beloved kitties Calypso, Peach, Lumpy, Lucy, and Ethel, and a host of birds, raccoons, ducks, (and bears.)

She was predeceased by her mother Nancy Jane (Rogers) Thomas; loving step- father John Wesley Thomas; brother Clyde Adian Hamblin , and sister Jacqueline Marie Hamblin.

The family wishes to acknowledge the help of many friends, doctors, nurses, and especially her brother-in-law Cecil Earl “Butch” Mayo Jr. Contributions may be made in Connie’s name to the VFW Post 9653 Lifeline Fund.

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