Patricia (Horton) Rouille passed away peacefully at home on September 29, 2026.
Patty was born on October 8, 1935, in Burlington, Vt., to Edward E. Horton Sr. and Irene (Miville) Horton. She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1953. She attended Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing in Manchester, N.H., and graduated from Fanny Allen Hospital School of Nursing in 1974. She was employed at Fanny Allen Hospital, Green Mountain Nursing Home and IBM. She retired from IBM in 1996.
Patty was an energetic, fun-loving, social and caring person. She loved shopping, Christmas and decorating for it, sunsets, birthdays, and home decorating, including moving furniture, by herself if necessary. Later in life she developed a love of jigsaw and crossword puzzles. Most of all Patty cherished her relationships with her siblings, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and large extended family, including many nieces and nephews and their children. She had the birthdays of all of them committed to memory.
Patty is survived by her children, Robert Murphy Jr. and wife Sally Gottlieb, Shawn Murphy, Kristine Magnant and husband Philip, and David Perkins and wife Kristen; grandchildren, Crystal Murphy and partner Corey Austin, Amy Zarwell and husband Eric, Ryan Lefebvre and wife Rachael, Nicholas Magnant and wife Ariel Carter, and Alysha Magnant; and her great-grandchildren, Regan Lefebvre, Everly Lefebvre and Kai Zarwell.
Patty was predeceased by her daughter Nancy Murphy Lefebvre (2017); husband, Leo Rouille (2024); parents, Edward (1937) and Irene (1982) Horton; siblings, Edward Horton Jr. (2000) and wife Nancy (2023), Jane Horton (2013), Elizabeth Yates (2014) and husband Richard (1999), Paul Horton (2021), and Eleanor Clavelle (2026) and husband Raymond (2015); and her former husbands, Robert Murphy Sr. (1960) and Clifton Perkins Jr. (2010).
Patty’s family would like to express their deepest gratitude to her entire University of Vermont hospice team for their dedicated and caring support.
There will be no visiting hours. There will be a celebration of Patty’s life at a later date. For memorial donations, please consider giving to Hope Lodge McClure-Tabakin Building or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are in the care of LaVigne Funeral & Cremation Services. To send condolences to her family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.