Gilford-----Marcelle Livingston, 86, passed away March 5, 2015 at Lakes Region General Hospital after a short illness surrounded by her family.
Marcelle was born in Trevoux, France, February 3, 1929, the ninth and youngest child of Benoit and Jeanne Brenon.
At nine years old, her parents took her and her older sister on a “secret vacation”. They came to America shortly before France was invaded by Nazi Germany. The family brought with them diamond dies and the skill to make these dies. They first went to New York City, and eventually bought land in Edison, New Jersey and began making the dies that were used for wires and filaments. As the United States came into the War, USTesting built the family a factory on their property and employed them to make these diamond dies. These dies were state of the art and were instrumental to the war effort. Both parents, an older brother and the two sisters worked in the factory. Marcelle’s parents never learned English, so she was sent to school, and one of her jobs was to take phone calls and translate caller’s orders, questions, and specifications for her father.
In 1951, she married Robert Livingston, and they moved to Dunellen, New Jersey. In 1962, they sold their house and came to New Hampshire to buy a resort business. They purchased Hi-Spot Cottages located on the Weirs Boulevard. In 1970, they sold some of the cottages and built a motel in order to be open year round. In 1994, her husband Robert passed away, and she continued to operate Hi-Spot with the help of her family until she retired after 44 years in 2007.
Marcelle loved gardening and had many flowers and bushes at Hi-Spot and later at her condominium. She also loved to feed the ducks and many birds that visited her. She had a Dalmatian named Jasmine that was her companion for many years. She enjoyed travelling off season with her husband, and doing many family events at holidays and special occasions. She enjoyed playing games such as Pinochle and playing Scrabble with her son Dan.
Marcelle is survived by her daughter, Shirley Noyes and her husband Jeff of Laconia, her son Dan Livingston and his wife Peggy of Laconia, five grandchildren : Heidi Bourgeois and her husband Marc of Gilford, Chris Noyes and his wife Meghan of Laconia, Brian Livingston and his wife Amanda of Barnstead, Keith Noyes and his wife Katie of Laconia, Shawn Livingston and his wife Betsy of Belmont and 12 great grandchildren.
There will be no calling hours.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 3:00PM at St. Andre Bessette Parish - Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Avenue, Laconia.
Burial will be held in the spring in Bayside Cemetery, Laconia.
If anyone wishes to, in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to either St. Andre Bessette Parish-Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Avenue Laconia NH 03246 or to the Laconia Putnam Fund Advisory Board, 45 Beacon Street, Laconia NH 03246.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.