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Obituary for Michele Henderson Ovitt
Michele Henderson Ovitt, 75, of St. Albans, VT passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends, on Wednesday, April 27th, 2022. She is the beloved mother of Heather and Lynn and grandmother to Aidan, Ian, Mack and AJ. She was born in Sebastopol, California on December 16th, 1946, daughter to the late Leonard and Peggy Henderson.
While raising her family in Vermont, she was always a California girl at heart. She loved to recall memories of growing up “cruising the strip” with her best friends, trips to Santa Cruz, and being spoiled by her older brothers and parents as the youngest child and only girl in the family. Michele, aka Micki and Mimi, loved to travel, she ventured across the country with her two girls nearly every summer to California, driving them through every state in the continental US while playing games and singing songs. Michele loved to host; her door was always open to her girls’ friends who became her surrogate children. And more than anything she loved being a “Mimi” to her grandchildren. She would travel far and wide to visit them, watch their sports, make them play cards, and dedicate time to being together as a family. Family was always first and she instilled this value in her girls.
Michele loved and was committed to her community. She worked at St. Albans Hospital, Kerbs, from 1976-1979 and St. Albans City Elementary School from 1979 – 1995, embracing her coworkers, many who became like family, and being the head and heart of the school with her dear friend, Helene Biggie. She loved to dance and sing and brought this love to participating and then co-chairing and co-developing Cardiac Capers. She adored this show and all that it did for the St. Albans Hospital Auxiliary and bringing the community together. Michele worked for EF, Educational Foundation for Foreign Study from 1981-1991, what started as a small side job, ending up leaving a forever mark by introducing students from so many different cultures into our schools and homes. In her later years, after a move to Connecticut, she returned to the place she considered home, St. Albans. She worked at the Tyler Place from 2007 - 2020, loving the new friends and guests she met along the way.
Michele is survived by her daughters Heather Hawkins (Tony) of Berkshire, VT and Lynn Nicholson (Gordon) of Darien, CT. Her grandsons Aidan Kelly, AJ Hawkins, Ian Nicholson, and Mack Nicholson. Her step granddaughters Moriah Hawkins and Shelby Hawkins and great-grandson Oliver. Her brother Joe Henderson, her beloved sisters-in-law; Carol Henderson, Margaret Henderson, Marilyn Toof, Sandra Yessian, Elizabeth Ovitt, Patricia Toth, and her brother-in-law John Ovitt. Numerous cousins, nieces and nephews who adored her and she them. She is also survived by the cherished father of her children, Robert M. Ovitt, her very special friend, Ken Raymond, and so many close friends from throughout her life.
In addition to her parents, Michele is predeceased her brothers James Henderson, Leonard Henderson Jr. and sister-in-law Shirley Henderson. Her in-laws Wyman and Beatrice Ovitt, Wyman Ovitt Jr., Thomas and Susan Ovitt, Ron Toof, Charlie Yessian and special friend, Carol McFeeters.
We would like to thank the nurses and staff of Northwestern Medical Center for their amazing care. And to Gige Gaskill-Hill, we cannot put in words our appreciation of all you are and all you did for our mom.
Michele ‘s family will receive friends on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, from 3:00PM to 6:00PM at the Heald Funeral Home, 87 South Main Street.
A celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, May 1st, 2022, at 2:00PM at the Champlain Country Club, 581 St. Albans Road, Swanton, Vermont.
Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Bellows Free Academy, Drama Club, 71 South Main Street, St. Albans, VT, 05478.
Honored to serve Michele’s family is the Heald Funeral Home, where message of condolence are welcome at www.healdfuneralhome.com.
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