Nancy L. Gilbert, 88, passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
Nancy Daigneault was born in Burlington, Vt., on November 13, 1937, and raised by her mother, Cleo (Bessette) Gilbert, along with her sister, Andrée. She had a childhood filled with wisdom, stories, faith and love. She was considering religious life and was novice in a Roman Catholic sisterhood in Fall River, Mass., when a family emergency called her home and she met her future husband, Lee Gilbert. She and Lee married and bought a home in Burlington, Vt.’s New North End and raised their family there. She was a wonderful mother to us girls, an active parishioner at St. Mark’s Church, a kind and generous neighbor, and a partner with Lee in building the family and keeping the home.
She modeled for us how to be a good neighbor, keeping up with the needs of her neighbors and offering food or watching children, or just a loving, listening ear, when she saw someone required help.
She taught CCD classes at St. Mark’s for many years, and some of her best stories were about the students she had in her classes. She saw the good in everyone.
When her children were in school, she worked part time at Hill’s Department Store in the Ethan Allen Shopping Center; worked from home typing for Zacharie Clements; and then, when her girls were older, worked full time at UVM for many years in several departments, starting with Canadian Studies, transferring to the Office of Medical Education and finishing up with Orthopedic Surgery. After she and Lee retired, they traveled to Florida and other locales, and Nancy traveled with her sister, Andrée, and mother, Cleo, to Maine.
Nancy was an avid reader of all sorts of literature and kept a log of the books she had read. Over her life, her list showed 3,355 books. She was a poetess and wrote poetry throughout her life, was active in the Vermont Poetry Society, and gave readings at a bookstore in Burlington.
Nancy was a gifted crafter, sewing, knitting and crocheting many clothing items for her daughters, then grandchildren, then great-grandchildren. She crafted booties for babies and brought them up to the hospital when her grandchildren had grown. She also painted ceramics and created beautiful household items and gifts. And she was part of a Red Hat Society group that played out at farmers markets and other community gatherings during their “heyday,” and she continued to meet with the ladies for years.
As the years passed, she welcomed grandchildren, and many happy weekends were spent at Memere and Grampa’s (Bumpa’s) pool and eating her delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. (Cheese with dill pickles! Cheese with peanut butter! Try it!) She took trips with each grandchild individually to a playground or shopping or some other activity where she could have some special time with each one of them. She became Memere’s daycare for a period of time to support one of her daughters. She listened during long phone calls from her daughters about the challenges of raising a family and lovingly gave encouragement where she could.
When Lee was ill during 2018 and 2019, she cared for him at home. When he passed in January 2019, she had given him the gift of being able to stay at home during his final time on Earth and showed us all how to truly love your spouse.
She lived alone with Tigger, their dog, and took comfort from regular walks with him and his care until her daughter Janelle moved in with her in 2023 to help her. Janelle and Nancy had lots of meaningful talks and shared good food, and Janelle kept the gardens that Lee had started in the backyard, delighting Nancy that she could go back and grab some kale for her salad again. Janelle gave her good care and showed us all how to properly respect your mother and assist her with dignity.
Nancy attended the weddings of her grandchildren and welcomed great-grandchildren. She made crocheted or knitted items for each one of them, delighted in seeing and holding the babies, and said they were all beautiful, gorgeous and a gift from God.
She has kept us in her prayers all her life, and our blessings from God have been bountiful because of her prayers. She was a smart, beautiful woman who was kind, loving, and giving of herself and her resources to all who asked for help. She has gone now to be with her mother, her sister and Lee.
She is survived by her daughters, Renée (David Berteau), Janelle, Jacqueline (Kurt Provost) and Andrée. She is also survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Alexander Berteau (wife Mary, son Gabriel), Joseph Berteau, Micheline Berteau, Andrew Gilbert-Fuller, Noah Gilbert-Fuller, Daniel Hansen (wife Casey, children Oliver and Millie Jean), Evan Hansen, Sophie Currier (husband Nicholas, children Addie and Christopher), and Mitchell Provost (wife Gracie, daughter Stella Rose) And she is survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Lee Gilbert; mother, Cleo Daigneault; sister, Andrée Milizia; and nephews David and Steve Milizia.
Visitation is on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 6 to 8 p.m., at Elmwood-Meunier Funeral Home, 97 Elmwood Ave., Burlington, VT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:30 a.m., in St. Mark’s Church, North Ave., Burlington. A reception will follow in Holy Cross Church, Malletts Bay, Colchester. Later interment will be on Thursday, July 2, 2026, in New Mount Calvary Cemetery on Plattsburgh Avenue in Burlington.
Those wishing to may send memorial contributions to Humane Society of Chittenden County, 142 Kindness Ct., South Burlington, VT 05403.
This article appears in June 24 • 2026.
Renee and family sorry for your loss my condolences for you all