We’d say this was a life well lived… our condolences go out to family, friends & colleagues
ALICE VAUTRAIN OBITUARY
VAUTRAIN, Alice A. She Read To Us Beloved wife of the late Arthur Philip Vautrain and mother of five daughters, died peacefully on August 8, 2022, in Duxbury, MA. Alice was born on February 16, 1933, in St. Paul, MN, daughter of the late Richard Edmund and Mary Florence Walsh née Marriott. Spontaneous and fun, Alice radiated joy and warmth, enchanting a generation of pupils as a storyteller and a Children’s Librarian for the Alden School in Duxbury. Alice derived happiness in celebrating others; as a Librarian, she adored the students and always was interested in what they had to say. As any gardener from Minnesota, Alice was an optimist. Granddaughter of a pony express rider in the frontier, Alice inherited his thirst for adventure and independence. Alice graduated from Convent of the Visitation High School and the College of St. Catherine in St.Paul. During summers, Alice waitressed at the Many Glacier Hotel in Montana, where she embraced the outdoors. She pursued Master’s Degree studies at the University of Minnesota before joining Loyola University in Chicago as a Law Librarian. Wanderlust spurred Alice to move to Long Beach, CA, where she discovered her calling as Children’s Librarian and was introduced to a rakish Bostonian, Arthur (Art) Vautrain, Lieutenant JG in the U.S. Navy, who always made her laugh. Alice was appointed Head Children’s Librarian for the new library in the Los Altos neighborhood. Alice and Art’s romance blossomed around devotion to reading, classical music, gardening, and gourmet cooking. Their passion for learning infused their life together with thoughtfulness. In 1957, Alice and Art married at the Cathedral of St. Paul, MN. Alice served as School Librarian for the Driscoll School in Brookline, MA, while Art attended Harvard Business School. In 1960, the couple and two toddlers settled in Stonington Borough, CT; three more daughters were born. In 1966, Art was transferred to General Dynamics, and Alice, Art, and their five daughters relocated to Duxbury, MA. Alice treated her children to idyllic summers on Duxbury Beach; her favorite pastime was strolling there with her husband. Alice and Art loved sailing Duxbury Bay in their catboat, Breezing Up. Alice planted dahlias all over and taught gourmet cooking. In 1972, Alice accepted a position as Children’s Librarian at the Duxbury Free Library. She transferred to the Alden School where she encouraged a generation of pupils to become lifelong readers over a 20-year career. Alice always knew just the right book to appeal to a child, and how to bring storytelling, and her library, alive. Alice’s library was playful, where children went to engage new interests, boisterous with enthusiasm, flopping on the floor, mesmerized by that perfect book. Alice and Art traveled throughout world, admiring marvels of the Uffizi and constellations over the Great Karoo, as Art visited the Princip Bridge, Alice sought out the historic library of Sarajevo and children’s rooms around the world. Alice volunteered for the Duxbury Cultural Council and served 18 years as Trustee for the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society. Alice became President of Duxbury Friends of Cerebral Palsy. She read to the blind. Alice belonged to Delta Kappa Gamma Society for women educators promoting excellence. Alice aspired for her daughters to become independent. Her legacy was to inspire young people to explore all possibilities, unfettered by convention or limited expectations, she steered a girl interested in service to country to biographies of heroines who surmounted herculean obstacles to achieve goals. By highlighting the travails of pioneers who came before, she instilled perseverance and confidence in our capabilities. She gave the gift of independence. In her final days, Alice wanted her daughters, grandchildren, and all dear friends to know how much she loved them and how they had enriched her life and brought her immeasurable happiness. In addition to her beloved late husband, Art, Alice leaves a sister, Mary Walsh Hoffmann of Sister Bay, Wisconsin; one late sister, Marriott Anderson; and late brothers: Richard Charles Walsh, J. James Walsh, and Lorence Lynd Walsh. Alice leaves five daughters: Michèle Vautrain Halsted (David) of Bradford, NH, Nicole Vautrain of Osterville, MA, Denise Vautrain Fitzgerald (the late Michael) of Bolton, MA, Annette Vautrain Madden (Stephen) of Weston and Osterville, MA, and Gabrielle Vautrain of NYC. She leaves seven cherished grandchildren: Annaliese, Eliza and Zachary Heussler; Paige (Eric), Cicely and Natalie Madden, and Thaddeus Rutkowski; and nieces and nephews. Visiting Hours will be 09:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 29, 2022, at Holy Family Church, 601 Tremont St., Duxbury, MA 02332. A Celebratory Mass will follow at 11:00 a.m. on August 29, also at Holy Family Church. Burial will follow at Mayflower cemetery. Suggested contributions may be made to the Alice Vautrain Children’s Library Memorial Fund, Duxbury Free Library, Inc., 77 Alden Street, Duxbury, MA 02332 or Duxbury Rural & Historical Society, PO Box 2865, Duxbury, MA 02331. To offer condolences, please visit www.shepherdfuneralhome.com Shepherd Funeral Home, Kingston.
View the online memorial for Alice A. VAUTRAIN
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/alice-vautrain-obituary?id=36264212
