Laurie J. Duclos departed unexpectedly in her home on January 15th, 2023, at age 71, surrounded by her art and beloved Christmas tree containing family pictures, holiday and birthday cards, ornaments and treasured mementos. She was a beautiful soul, mother, Nana, sister and artist.
Born in Rhode Island, Laurie was a lifelong New Bedford resident. She was a successful business owner, running her consignment shop, Kids Stop, on Union Street for many years. She eventually joined Kmart as a pharmacy assistant and then later, Rite Aid on Mill Street and on Dartmouth Street. She greatly enjoyed interacting with customers and her colleagues, and it was her mission to put a smile on everyone’s face.
In the last 10 years, Laurie rediscovered her love of painting. She specialized in oil on wood and canvas and in her early 20’s, had painted numerous seascapes, ships and boats, displaying her work at the Whaling City Festival. Laurie set up a dedicated studio when she moved to her condo on Braley Road and produced hundreds of beach, sunset and lighthouse scenes on wood, which she sold at various local festivals.
Painting was a true passion but more than anything, Laurie was most proud of her children, Matthew, 40, Michael, 44, his wife Jessica Burns-Duclos, 37, and Danielle, 46. Nothing brought her more joy than spending time with her kids, whether enjoying dinners out with her family at Jade Garden, Blue Point and Me & Ed’s, or attending family events at her son Michael’s house with his daughters and her beloved granddaughters, Isabella, 11, and Charlotte, 9. Proudly, both granddaughters display an enormous artistic talent, just like their Nana.
In addition to being a dedicated mother, Laurie was also a loving sister to Jacqueline Blossom, 73, of New Bedford, and Susan Marques, 69, of Nantucket. She adored her niece, Ashley Blossom, 37, Jackie’s daughter, for the beautiful light and love she shows the entire family – whether her mother, Laurie’s sister, her own children or Isabella and Charlotte.
Laurie was an intuitive, gentle soul and a lifelong dog lover. Next to painting and her family, nothing brought her more joy than her dogs, including her Papillion, Lola, who passed in 2021, or her surviving rescue chihuahua, Figment.
Laurie’s family will hold a celebration of life at the Saunders Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford on Friday January 20th, from 4-6 pm. All are welcome to stop by and pay their respects and at 5:30, family and friends will share their favorite stories and memories. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in Laurie’s name. The website for honor donations is https://secure.aspca.org/donate/honor. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.