On a cool spring afternoon in Vermont, Georgette Rosa Belisle, age 96, left this earth as independently as she lived her life. Never quite sure how she managed to live so long, questioning if she had been awfully good or awfully bad as to why she was still here on earth, she may now have her answer.

Born on August 7, 1929, in Sainte Edwidge, Quebec to parents, George Emile Raboin and Marie-Ange Scalabrini, Georgie, or Jo as she was known by her family, was the eldest of 11 siblings, a title of which she was quite proud. She was equally as proud of her Canadian heritage and did not hesitate to brag to others that she was the only child of her parents born in Canada. It wasn't too long after Georgie's birth that she moved with her parents to Vermont on November 4, 1929, where they resided in Graniteville, Orleans-Barton and Websterville for a short time before finally settling on a farm in Orange with a round barn. As the oldest child in an ever-growing family, Georgie played a prominent role in the raising of many of her five sisters and five brothers who followed over the next 20 years, sometimes finding peace at the end of the day in making and eating ice cream next to the woodstove after all of the younger kids were in bed.

Georgie left Vermont in 1951 to move to New Britain, Connecticut where she lived with her sister Pauline and two cousins. It was in Connecticut where she eventually met the love of her life, Gordon Donald Belisle. They eloped on July 18, 1953, in Connecticut unbeknownst to her parents. Georgie would chuckle when she told the story of how she kept it a secret from her parents, devout Catholics, because Gordon was not a Catholic and was also divorced. After a month of marriage, Georgie made the call home and let the Operator tell her mother that there was an incoming call from a Georgette Belisle.

On August 19, 1955, Georgie and Gordon left Connecticut and moved to California residing in Burbank where their son Donald George was born on January 25, 1956. Georgie loved California and the warm weather and shared stories of trips to TJ (Tijuana, Mexico) during her time there. Sadly, after just eight years of marriage, Gordon died on April 22, 1961, leaving Georgie alone to raise their son in California. Stubborn and fiercely independent, she went to work as a Production Planning Associate at Lockheed Martin to support her and Donald over the next 10 years before returning to Vermont in 1971 to be closer to her parents and family. She spent the next 22 years working for Gladstone, Fishmans, Newberry’s and FW Woolworth before retiring in 1993. One of her greatest achievements was on July 17, 1995, when she became a citizen of the United States.

During her time in Vermont, Georgie was a constant presence at birthdays, Communions, graduations, weddings and baby showers for her 29 nieces and nephews. She enjoyed her visits to Canada where she could reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins. She would love to tell you about her “tante Fernande” in Canada who is just six weeks older than her. Visits with her sister Pauline, who lived in Connecticut, often resulted in many late-night talks that went well into the early morning hours. She created a warm and loving home for her son adorning the house with her beautiful hand-made afghans and photos of the family. Trips to the Christmas Tree Shop in Williston and tag sales were some of her favorite pastimes.

On October 25, 2019, Donald unexpectedly died in their home, a devastating loss for her. She often talked with anticipation about being reunited with Donald and Gordon and we have no doubt that reunion was a joyous one.

In July 2023, Georgie’s home in Barre was significantly impacted by the flood and she lost most everything. Grateful for having a roof over her head, she spent the next 9 months living with her “baby” sister, Mariette, before transitioning to an Assisted Living Facility in March 2024 and then finally Woodridge Nursing Home in March 2025. She was quite proud of the fact that she was still relatively independent and didn’t hesitate to give you the side eye when she saw younger residents unable to do what she could. Georgie’s last few years were filled with books, sweets – lots of sweets, visits from Tina and Laurie and road trips. Trips which often involved ice cream, maple of course, or hot coffee and drives through Orange and Websterville where she would point out familiar sites or tell stories of how she once walked from school in Websterville to the movie theater in Barre with the nuns. While her day-to-day memory was failing, she could still remember wedding dates and birthdates of her son, siblings and many of her nieces and nephews as well as tell stories from long ago. Every visit resulted in questions about the current date, after which she would do the calculation of her age and state “Sons-a-gun, I’m how old?”

Georgie leaves behind sisters Carmen “Peggy” Chaloux (Norm), Mariette Beede and brother Michael Raboin (Bonnie), brothers-in-law Roger Moreau and Paul Dunham and sister-in-law Shirley Raboin. She also leaves behind 13 nieces, Theresa Cyr, Claire McFetridge, Patty Raboin, Marie McQueeney, Jeanette Tellier, Tina Thurston, Monica Cazzetta, Paula Stonecipher, Lisa Raboin, Laurie Raboin Trombly, Melissa Penrod-Catron, Lynn Whitcomb and Cherie Yaeger; and 13 nephews, Peter Cazzetta, Patrick Raboin, Robert Raboin, John Cazzetta, George Paul Gagne, Steve Sayers, Paul Dunham, Russell Beede, Scott Sayers, Michael Raboin, Roland Chaloux, Jay Beede and Ronnie Beede. She leaves behind many great nieces and nephews as well as many cousins in Vermont and Canada as well as her very special Tante Fernande.

Georgie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Gordon and son Donald, as well as brothers George “Butchie” Raboin, Ronald Romeo Raboin, Andre Raboin and Paul Raboin and sisters Angele Moreau, Pauline Cazzetta, Jeannine Dunham, brothers-in-law Jesse Beede and John Cazzetta, sister-in-law Marie Mae Raboin, nephews Ronald and Paul Raboin and niece Rosann Sayers.

Our deepest appreciation and thanks to the nurses at Woodridge Nursing Home (Joanne, Sarah and Trish to name a few) for loving Georgie, making her laugh and taking such good care of her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Monica Catholic Church on Friday, June 19, 2026, at 12:00 PM, with burial to follow at St. Sylvester Cemetery in Lower Websterville.

Family and friends are also invited to attend a luncheon at 2:00 PM at the Country Club of Barre, located at 142 Drake Road, East Montpelier.

In Lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to St. Monica Catholic Church, 79 Summer Street, Barre VT, 05641 https://stmonica.vermontcatholic.org/donate