Obituary – Elaine (Laberge) Place

Elaine (Laberge) Place

Elaine L. Place, 83, loving wife, mother and grandmother, died peacefully at home on Nov. 20, 2020, surrounded by her family after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Hilton F. Place, their children, Louise and Bill Gregorek, Suzanne and Jim Sitek, Lynn and Leigh, Jr. Lacaillade, Michael and Mary Place, and Allison Place Adams; her grandchildren, Kari, Heather, Eric, Veronica, Evan, Chad, Victoria, Sarah, Valerie, Amanda, Rachel, Brittany, Matthew, John, Julia; and 14 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are Elaine’s siblings, Albert and Donna Laberge, Jeanne and Norman Leduc, Paul and Diane Laberge, Maurice and Mindy Laberge, Lucille and Art Desilets, Peter and Lori Laberge, Gerald Laberge, Amie Laberge, Mark and Terri Laberge, Denis Laberge, and sister-in-law Judy Laberge, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her brother Louis Laberge and sister-in-law Yvonne Laberge.

Elaine, the oldest of 12 children, was born in Burlington to Raymond and Marie (Aube) Laberge. She grew up on the family farm in Charlotte. She graduated from Mt. St. Mary’s Academy and attended Becker College in Worcester, MA.

Elaine’s family was her pride and joy. Each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as her nieces and nephews held a special place in her heart.

Shortly after entering college, she met the love of her life, Hilton, while working at a summer home at Thompson’s Point in 1956. They were married soon thereafter in Charlotte and lived in Hinesburg where they raised their family.

Elaine started her career in bookkeeping with McGraw Edison in Burlington and continued working at several local companies including the Hinesburg Town Clerk’s Office and Ethan Allen Furniture, as well as her husband’s excavating business. She was also a seamstress for many years at College Formals and Bridal Lane.

Mom enjoyed sewing, cake decorating, reading, crafting, crossword puzzles, and cooking. She baked and decorated wedding cakes for each of her children and was famous for the diaper bags she made for expectant mothers, as well as for her homemade cheese ball and caramel for the holidays. Whenever something needed hemming or patching, Mom was there to fix it. She provided rides to or from school to many of her grandchildren and was always available without hesitation whenever she was called upon. She was affectionately known as “Grandma Next Door” by many.

To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Mom and Dad went on an Alaskan cruise, a trip they thoroughly enjoyed and shared many memories of with family and friends.

From planning and cooking family meals, making birthdays special for every member of the family, and decorating for the holidays, Mom was the glue that tied our family together.

We would like to extend special thanks to “Mum’s” caregivers, Holly, Gloria, and Susan, among others. Your loving care of our mother during the past year did not go unnoticed and was so appreciated. Special thanks also to the Newport Ambulance crew for transporting Mom home to be with her family during her final hours.

Due to COVID restrictions, a memorial service will be held at a later date. An announcement will appear in the Burlington Free Press.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Elaine’s memory to the Hinesburg Fireman’s Association, P.O. Box 12, Hinesburg, VT 05461 to benefit the new Hinesburg Ambulance Service.