Obituary for Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Gadue (Lawrence)
Elizabeth “Betty” Ann (Lawrence) Gadue died on June 9, 2020 at the age of 90. She was surrounded by her loving and caring family. Betty was born in Burlington on July 30, 1929 to A. Mark Lawrence and Gertrude Bonnette Lawrence. She attended Nazareth (later St. Joseph’s) School and graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Academy in 1947. She graduated from UVM in 1951, a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Throughout her life, Betty maintained ties of friendship with her high school and college classmates as well as her sorority sisters.
After college, Betty worked at Lawrence and LeClair furniture store with her father in downtown Burlington and then taught home economics at Shelburne High School. She fondly remembered looking out of her classroom window to see the steamboat Ticonderoga being hauled over land from Lake Champlain to its present site at the Shelburne Museum.
On August 20, 1955 she married Robert A. Gadue of Winooski. They lived in Burlington throughout their married life and proudly welcomed five children. Mark, Anne, Patrice, Carol and Laurie were blessed with Mom’s unconditional love, her fine example of how to live with Christian values, and the ability to always see the good in each other and in our neighbors. For all those lessons we are eternally grateful.
In the tradition of her family, in particular her father Mark Lawrence, Betty was a true businesswoman in her own right. She and her husband Bob purchased a One Hour Martinizing company in 1975 that later became Gadue’s Dry Cleaning, which she sold to her son Mark in 1980. Betty also owned and managed Gadue's Day Care for more than a decade in conjunction with her daughter Anne. Betty was a well-known and respected property owner and manager for most of her adult life. Her legacy lives on in the third generation of ownership of Gadue's Dry Cleaning with her granddaughter, Aline Gadue Stirling.
Betty Gadue is, perhaps, the most recent longest living member of Spaldings West Shore in Colchester. Betty had been going out to SWS since she was an infant as her mother's family owned #14. In the 1930's, her parents rented camps there and the family would go out for weeks at a time. In 1940, Betty's parents bought their own camp (for $2000!) from Bond Davis. The entire Gadue Family formed life-long friendships and memories at Spaldings West Shore, and Betty enjoyed ninety summers there.
Betty was a woman of abiding faith who lived her Catholic values every day. She was happiest in the presence of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as many extended family members and dear friends. Her circle of friends grew by leaps and bounds as she became her children’s, grandchildren’s, and great grandchildren’s biggest fan, attending and supporting as many of their varied activities as possible. Her favorite place to be was at a baseball game that her son was catching or her grandsons were playing; or being in the stands or on the field at a soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball or ice hockey game; or in the audience at a music or dance performance, where she witnessed the growth and success of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her first question when making plans for the evening was, “Are we going to a game?” She created many family memories of times spent together at these events. She was truly the glue that bound us together.
She was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband Bob in 1979, her granddaughter Nora Hicks in 1992, as well as her dear brother Mark Lawrence, Jr. in 2004. Left to cherish her memory are: Mark and Marjorie Gadue; Anne and Steve Biafore, Patrice and Thomas Hicks, Carol and Nathan McHugh; Laurie and Robert Morgan. She is further survived by her grandchildren: Aline Gadue Stirling and her husband Lee; Matthew Gadue and his wife Maria; Melissa Biafore Roberts and her husband Dustin; Benjamin Hicks, Rachael Hicks, and Daniel Hicks; Dae Han McHugh, Aiden McHugh, and Fiona McHugh; Patrick Morgan, Christopher Morgan, and Emily Morgan. She also leaves six great-grandchildren: Greta, Eve and Rowan Stirling; Samara Martell and Matthew Gadue; Benjamin Roberts.
There will be no visiting hours. We are fortunate to hold her funeral at St. Michael's College Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel, with its very large seating capacity and where all are welcome, on Tuesday, June 16, at 11:00 a.m. There will be room for all who would like to attend and still maintain social distancing protocols. Please wear a face mask and refer to the following link regarding protocols for celebrating Mass issued by the Diocese: https://vermontcatholic.org/vermont/message-from-bishop-coyne-re-resuming-the-celebration-of-mass/
After college, Betty worked at Lawrence and LeClair furniture store with her father in downtown Burlington and then taught home economics at Shelburne High School. She fondly remembered looking out of her classroom window to see the steamboat Ticonderoga being hauled over land from Lake Champlain to its present site at the Shelburne Museum.
On August 20, 1955 she married Robert A. Gadue of Winooski. They lived in Burlington throughout their married life and proudly welcomed five children. Mark, Anne, Patrice, Carol and Laurie were blessed with Mom’s unconditional love, her fine example of how to live with Christian values, and the ability to always see the good in each other and in our neighbors. For all those lessons we are eternally grateful.
In the tradition of her family, in particular her father Mark Lawrence, Betty was a true businesswoman in her own right. She and her husband Bob purchased a One Hour Martinizing company in 1975 that later became Gadue’s Dry Cleaning, which she sold to her son Mark in 1980. Betty also owned and managed Gadue's Day Care for more than a decade in conjunction with her daughter Anne. Betty was a well-known and respected property owner and manager for most of her adult life. Her legacy lives on in the third generation of ownership of Gadue's Dry Cleaning with her granddaughter, Aline Gadue Stirling.
Betty Gadue is, perhaps, the most recent longest living member of Spaldings West Shore in Colchester. Betty had been going out to SWS since she was an infant as her mother's family owned #14. In the 1930's, her parents rented camps there and the family would go out for weeks at a time. In 1940, Betty's parents bought their own camp (for $2000!) from Bond Davis. The entire Gadue Family formed life-long friendships and memories at Spaldings West Shore, and Betty enjoyed ninety summers there.
Betty was a woman of abiding faith who lived her Catholic values every day. She was happiest in the presence of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as many extended family members and dear friends. Her circle of friends grew by leaps and bounds as she became her children’s, grandchildren’s, and great grandchildren’s biggest fan, attending and supporting as many of their varied activities as possible. Her favorite place to be was at a baseball game that her son was catching or her grandsons were playing; or being in the stands or on the field at a soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, basketball or ice hockey game; or in the audience at a music or dance performance, where she witnessed the growth and success of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her first question when making plans for the evening was, “Are we going to a game?” She created many family memories of times spent together at these events. She was truly the glue that bound us together.
She was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband Bob in 1979, her granddaughter Nora Hicks in 1992, as well as her dear brother Mark Lawrence, Jr. in 2004. Left to cherish her memory are: Mark and Marjorie Gadue; Anne and Steve Biafore, Patrice and Thomas Hicks, Carol and Nathan McHugh; Laurie and Robert Morgan. She is further survived by her grandchildren: Aline Gadue Stirling and her husband Lee; Matthew Gadue and his wife Maria; Melissa Biafore Roberts and her husband Dustin; Benjamin Hicks, Rachael Hicks, and Daniel Hicks; Dae Han McHugh, Aiden McHugh, and Fiona McHugh; Patrick Morgan, Christopher Morgan, and Emily Morgan. She also leaves six great-grandchildren: Greta, Eve and Rowan Stirling; Samara Martell and Matthew Gadue; Benjamin Roberts.
There will be no visiting hours. We are fortunate to hold her funeral at St. Michael's College Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel, with its very large seating capacity and where all are welcome, on Tuesday, June 16, at 11:00 a.m. There will be room for all who would like to attend and still maintain social distancing protocols. Please wear a face mask and refer to the following link regarding protocols for celebrating Mass issued by the Diocese: https://vermontcatholic.org/vermont/message-from-bishop-coyne-re-resuming-the-celebration-of-mass/