J. Dearold Bresette

Barre – J. Dearold Bressette, 85, loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, passed away on December 29, 2022, at Central Vermont Hospital.  He was surrounded by his family, including his canine companion, Thatcher.

A lifelong Vermonter, Dearold was born in Montgomery on January 25, 1937, to Joseph and Lena (Wright) Bressette.  He attended school in Montgomery Center and Enosburg.  As a young adult he moved to Central Vermont, where he spent the rest of his life.

Dearold was a member of the Barre Congregational Church.  He was in the restaurant business for over 30 years, having worked at and managed Howard Johnson’s, including at its prime, as the largest restaurant chain in the United States throughout the 1960s and 1970s.  Many people have fond memories of him serving them ice cream cones there.  He rounded out the working phase of life in regional sales at Capital Candy, Inc. for nearly 15 years.

Dearold was known for his unbending dedication to his family, his strong work ethic, unwavering patience, respect for all humankind, and deep love for all things flora and fauna.  He was a beacon of unconditional love, never had a negative word to say about anyone, and would always point out the silver lining to any situation (sometimes slightly annoying to those who may have been less inclined to “look at the bright side” in the moment).  He shared his gift of baking with friends and family for years with deliveries of pies, bread, and other baked goods for all occasions and often “just because.”  His carefully tended vegetable and flower gardens were a treasure, but the real gift is that he imparted that love for gardening on his children and grandchildren who will carry that love forward.  He cared for and raised countless pets and animals throughout his life, including but not necessarily limited to dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, goats, and many more too numerous to list.  He loved to scour the classified ads regularly and delighted in connecting friends and family members with the pets he thought they should have.  Family and friends came together to surprise Dearold on his 75 ^th birthday and gifted him his life-long dream pet – an English Bulldog (the previously referred to Thatcher).

Dearold leaves behind a large and loving family, including his wife of forty years, Becky Barnett Bressette; son Troy Bressette, his wife Meg, and their son Chase; daughter Amy Bressette and her daughter Madelyn Maxwell; sisters Mary Brown and Barbara Coolidge.  Dearold and his first wife Catherine had five children: Scott and Eric survive him, and he was predeceased by Anisha, Randall, and Carlene West.  His sisters Eleanor Bressette and Gloria Ames also predeceased him.  He is survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, whom he loved dearly, especially granddaughter, Kimberly Humphrey, and granddaughter, Madelyn Maxwell, who was the light of his life.

Slowing him down and limiting his ability to do the things he loved to do, pain claimed his later years, and we are all comforted to know that he is now free of that burden.

In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of Dearold’s care and love for all living things, donations may be made to Central Vermont Humane Society at 1589 VT-14, East Montpelier, VT 05651; or, in recognition of the tender care he and so many others have received in the later phase of life, to Home Health and Hospice of Central Vermont at 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. A service to honor and celebrate Dearold’s life will follow at 1:30 p.m.  Both the calling hours and the service will be held at Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street, Barre.