Eugenia Ethel Philomena Bernier Creedon
June 26, 1933 – June 14, 2014
Eugenia (Jeanne) died on June 14, 2014 at her home in Stonington, CT after a long battle with lung disease. Jeanne was born in Herkimer, New York on June 26, 1933 to Ellen Rivenburg Bernier and Eugene Joseph Bernier. Jeanne had an older sister, Marion Bernier Shepard, and a younger brother, Gary Bernier, both of whom are deceased.
Jeanne loved to dance, and studied ballet before graduating from Herkimer High School in 1950. She left shortly thereafter to live and work in Boston with her Aunt Mae Walklett and cousin Patty Walklett. In Boston, Jeanne worked at John Hancock Insurance, where she met her future husband of 42 years, Gerald Michael Creedon (b. Apr.3, 1930) of Somerville. Jeanne and Jerry married on December 12, 1953 in New Hampshire. After they were married, Jean went to work at Atlantic Lumber Company and supported Jerry while he got his degree at Boston University.
Jeanne and Jerry welcomed their first daughter, Kathleen Jeanne on August 25, 1954 and their second, Colleen Ellen on August 14, 1958. They lived with Jerry’s parents at 32 Robinson Street in Somerville until the early 1960’s. When Jerry took a job as a Purchasing Agent at Electric Boat, General Dynamics in Groton, the family moved to Mystic, CT (forever after referred to as ‘God’s country’ in the Creedon home). The children of Mary Hopkins and Jack Creedon, Gerald’s older brother, spent a lot of time in Mystic and were considered part of the family. Karen, Tricia, Danny, Joey, Kevin and Jimmy meant a lot to their aunt and uncle.
In the 1970’s, Jeanne graduated from Eastern Connecticut State College with a B.S. in Education and an M.S. in History. Jeanne often told others that she went to college to ‘keep up with her children’, but in reality she was a passionate reader and a dedicated student (with the exception of French, she earned A’s consistently). After receiving her diploma, she began a long and successful career as an educator. Her first teaching job after graduation was the 6th grade at Gallup Hill School in Ledyard, which she taught from 1970 to 1982. She loved teaching this age group and introduced many innovative learning programs during her tenure. It was not uncommon for Jeanne to be stopped by former students and thanked for her contribution to their formative years.
In the early 1980’s, Jerry took a job in New York City, so the family rented their beloved home in Mystic and moved to Dix Hills, Long Island. The city life didn’t agree with them, so they returned to Mystic shortly thereafter. Jerry began work in Virginia and Jeanne returned to teaching at Ella T. Grasso Technical High School in Groton. While there, she wrote and published How to Succeed in High School, a manual for students that proved useful for many years to come. Although Jeanne swore she would never leave Mystic again, financial constraints forced them to sell their home in Mystic in the early 1990’s. They relocated to California to live with their daughter Kathleen and her family, bringing along their grandchildren, Justin and Chelsea. When Gerald died of lung cancer on January 8, 1995, Jeanne and her grandchildren moved back to the East Coast, buying a home in North Stonington reminiscent of their old house in Mystic. She spent the rest of her life raising Justin as her own and eventually moved with him to a smaller home in Stonington. She spent her time reading, playing Trivial Pursuits with her dear friend Opal Bovat, and enjoying her ever-growing family.
Jean is survived by her two daughters, Kathleen Monroe of Walnut Creek, CA and Colleen Creedon of Pawcatuck, CT, her grandchildren, Megan Monroe-Coleman, Briana Monroe Lenz, Justin Perkins, Chelsea Perkins, Brittany Creedon-Booth, Ian Booth, Caitlin Creedon-Booth and Benjamin Lenz, and her great-grandchildren Miles and Scarlett Coleman.
A memorial service will be held at Dinoto Funeral Home in Mystic, CT on Friday, June 20, from 4-6pm, followed by a reception at her home in Stonington. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Denison, Pequot-Sepos Nature Center (www.dpnc.org).
~Loving Grandmother, Avid Reader, Endless Source of Historical Trivia~
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