Jean Millicent Briggs died surrounded by her family on August 21, 2026, in Shelburne, Vt., after a period of declining health.
Jean was born in Greenfield, Mass., in 1927 to Charlotte (Amsden) and Kenneth Sloan. She was raised in Bristol, Conn., and Reading, Vt., and graduated from Middlebury College in 1949. At Middlebury, Jean majored in French, enabling her to seek assistance from fellow student and native French speaker Philip Briggs. They wed a month after her graduation and were married for the next 77 years. Together, they raised three children, moving periodically between the New York City area and Ottawa, Canada, for Phil’s work. Throughout, the family returned to Lake Dunmore in Vermont in the summers, a place they all held dear. After Phil’s retirement, the couple split their time between Arizona and Shelburne. This allowed Jean to continue playing golf on a near-daily basis into her nineties – that is, except when Jean and Phil weren’t traveling the globe. Golf was, in fact, Jean’s passion. She was club champion at numerous clubs, including Vermont National, and scored a hole in one a remarkable six times over the years.
Jean is survived by her husband, Philip, and their three children and their spouses: Karen and Tony Ng (Brunswick, Ohio); Heather Briggs and Peter Erly (Shelburne, Vt.); and Peter and Peggy Briggs (Cornwall, Vt.). She was also the beloved Nana to eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all.
A private memorial will be held at a later date. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Wake Robin for the great care they provided to Jean in her final days and throughout Jean and Phil’s nearly 20 years there. Her family greatly appreciates their generous compassion.