Liette M. (Morin) Fregeau

Liette M. (Morin) Fregeau of Brockton former School Teacher in Vermont, Walpole, and West Bridgewater passed away on Tuesday July 25, 2017 at the age of 98.  Daughter of Robert R.  and Barbara (Shaw) Fredette.   Sister of William Fredette, Theresa Champagne, Dean Fredette,  Alana Stone , Chrispian Fredette, Corey Nortan, Gary Dernier,  Lisa Fredette , and the late Robert Fredette. 

Liette is predeceased by her husband Lawrence and survived by her two daughters and their husbands, Liana and Michael Dancey and Laureen Fregeau and Robert Leier; three grandchildren, Michael Lis, Kristin Rovner and Matthew Lis; and, two great-grandchildren, Leah and Odin. She is also survived by 6 step grandchildren, 13 step great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
 
Our mom lived a long and complex life fulfilling many roles in her 98 years: teacher, friend, pianist, daughter to Memere and Pepere Morin, wife to Lawrence, mother/mom to Laureen and I, mémère to Michael, Kristin and Matthew and grandmémère to Leah and Odin. She was born in Brockton, Massachusetts on May 22, 1919 was an only child. However, she was very gregarious and often told stories of adventures she had with her friends. There was never any shortage of family to visit or entertain since she had almost forty aunts and uncles and nearly fifty first cousins! But with all her family to love she was always her daddy’s girl. Over the years she gathered many friends including Jane Walsh who she met while teaching in Walpole, her Hillcrest Ave neighbors Cheryl Grenning, Dini Donovan and the Coolidge family. Dini remembers her many hours watching baseball and Cheryl the Fun New Year’s Eve parties and the help my mother provided with her children Neil, Kort and Hans.

Our mother worked from her teens on. One of Liette’s first jobs was marcelling hair in her mother’s beauty parlor. She often told the story of her summer waitressing on Swift’s Beach and the ring a customer gave her as a tip. She started her teaching career in a two-room school in Rochester, Vermont. That year of her life was a great adventure: she boarded on a nearby farm with an outhouse; she fulfilled her desire to climb a mountain; and she learned that you do not turn off the water drip in the winter or the pipes will freeze! Her favorite teaching experience was at Plimpton School in Walpole, Mass where she made many friends. Later she taught at Mater Dei Academy in Brockton and finished her career at West Bridgewater High School where she taught French and Spanish.

Growing up in a French family, in the French section of Brockton, she spoke Quebecois French as her first language. She maintained her cultural roots speaking French to us at home and on visits with relatives, visits to French Canada and French holiday traditions. It is not surprising that she became a French teacher. Sacred Heart Church and school were an important part of her life.  She met her husband Larry while working on the Sacred Heart new church building committee. Their first meeting, however, was when she was an adolescent and Larry saved her from being run over when her sled accidentally slid into the street.

Our parents married at Sacred Heart Church in 1954. During their marriage of forty-eight years they formed a lasting and loving partnership. Liette assisted Larry on summer jobs in his auto and boat upholstery business from time to time. She worked diligently with Larry to provide a comfortable and loving home. She did many little things to make our lives happy: making bunny and Mickey Mouse pancakes to order, serving as a 4-H leader for our club and venturing to all the Massachusetts fairs to enter our craft, sewing and cooking achievements into competition.

Having lived through the Great Depression Mom learned to be frugal, however, she maintained a generous spirit which will not be forgotten. Family members knew they could come to her when they were in need and she would be there to help. After her husband Larry passed she was fortunate to find a second love. Her courtship of seven years with Michael Tumonis was a joy of her later years. She loved eating out with Michael, especially lobster rolls at D’Angelos! She spoke of her love for him until shortly before her passing.

Mom loved the beach. Her early summer vacations were spent on the beach at Crescent Park in Riverside, later in Cromesett Park in Wareham. Shortly after she began her teaching career she purchased a small cottage on Cromesett in Wareham where she and her family spent summers for much of her adult life. She loved water activities: swimming, rowing, crabbing and shell fishing.

She was highly educated in a time when many women were not given such opportunities. After graduating from Brockton High School she earned her Bachelor’s degree in education from Bridgewater State College in 1941 and then earned a Master’s plus 30 there in later years.

In her youth and adulthood Mother often traveled with her parents to French Canada where her family had settled in the early days of the colony. She became a world traveler in her early retirement years, venturing with her husband to China when it was first opened to Westerners, to Australia and New Zealand, Tahiti, Alaska, Honduras and Europe. She also traveled with Laureen and her husband Bob to the southwest, Grand Canyon, California and the northwest. One of her favorite places to visit was Crater Lake. Until recently she traveled to Alabama twice per year to visit Laureen and Bob.

Visiting hours will be held in the Sampson-Hickey-Grenier Funeral Home 309 Main St., Brockton Friday  from 5-8 PM. Funeral Mass in St. Michael’s Church, Avon Saturday at 10 AM.

Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend.  A graveside service will be announced  soon.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Liette Fregeau Memorial Scholarship established at her alma mater Bridgewater State University. Donations can be sent to Bridgewater State University Foundation (checks made to this), P.O. Box 42, Bridgewater, MA 02324. Those who wish to donate online can call Tiffany MacAuley, Asst. Director of Development for instructions at 508-531-6148.

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