Judith Ann (Pillsbury) Hebert was a caring mother and grandmother, devoted wife and passionate gardener who will be dearly missed. She died peacefully with family by her side, at age 85, on October 19, 2025.
Born on July 15, 1940, in Montpelier, Vt., to Adrienne C. (Letourneau) and C. Richard Pillsbury, Judith grew up in Montpelier, attending Saint Michael’s High School. Although an only child, she enjoyed a full family life, surrounded by many aunts, uncles and cousins.
She held precious childhood memories of times spent with her Pillsbury relatives at Lake Groton and of visiting Burlington’s North End with the Letourneau family, who lived on Archibald Street. She enjoyed recounting stories of those early days, like learning from her uncle Russell how to drive a car and trying to understand her French-speaking aunts and uncles at family gatherings.
Judith was valedictorian of her high school class and earned a full academic scholarship to college. She attended the University of Vermont and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in speech and English. While at UVM, she ran the radio station, WRUV, becoming one of the first women in Vermont radio. She fondly remembered interviewing musical groups performing in Burlington, including folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary and jazz pianist Erroll Garner.
While in Burlington, Judith met Peter J. Hebert, who grew up on North Street — just one block away from the Letourneau family where Judith spent much of her childhood. They married on May 29, 1965, and began their family a year later with the birth of their son Jeremy, followed by son Kyle and daughter Jocelyn.
They moved their young family from Prospect Street in Montpelier to a beautiful, newly constructed home in Berlin, Vt. As a young family, they explored the neighboring fields and forests on cross-country skis, returning home to warm up by the fieldstone fireplace — built with stones handpicked by Judith and Peter from land they owned in Westford, Vt. That fireplace brought warmth, light and comfort to Judith throughout her 52 years in the family home.
An avid tennis player, Judith competed in leagues and traveled with friends to tournaments. Each year, you could be sure that when Wimbledon or the U.S., French or Australian Open was on, Judith would be on the edge of her seat, cheering for the greats. Attending the Australian Open was one of the highlights of her life.
In the 1970s Judith took up running and often brought her children along to local fun runs, inspiring in them a lifelong love of fitness and the outdoors. She may not have known then that she was setting herself up for years of attending her children’s high school sporting events to come.
Camping trips to Maine, Prince Edward Island and Grand Isle were among the family’s most memorable getaways. Judith was pleased to be able to surprise her family one year with a choice of visiting St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Yellowstone; to Judith’s delight they chose the beach and left right after Christmas that year.
Judith began her professional career as a writer and photographer for the Burlington Free Press and later edited its women’s section. She then joined National Life of Vermont, starting in communications and publishing the company magazine, Contact. Over 28 years, she advanced to second vice president and was elected president of the Life Communicators Association, a national organization that took her across the country to plan and lead conferences. After retiring from National Life, she continued to do consulting for several years.
Judith had a brilliant mind. Strong-willed, exceptionally capable and fiercely independent, she overcame many challenges as a woman in a male-dominated industry. She broke the mold that was cast for her and earned the respect of colleagues and friends alike with her talent and perseverance.
Judith and Peter traveled to Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Martinique, Hawaii, Alaska and many other U.S. states. After Peter’s passing, Judith traveled to France with her daughter, Jocelyn, staying with her dear friend Catherine Taylor and her husband, Malcolm, before fulfilling her dream of seeing Paris.
In their later years, Judith and Peter spent much of each summer at their camp on Nelson Pond in Calais, where Judith passed the time reading, canoeing, listening to the loons and watching thunderstorms roll in from the porch swing. She loved her daily swims along the shoreline and long walks around the lake with Peter.
Endlessly thoughtful, Judith looked forward to special occasions and enjoyed trying to find the perfect gifts for loved ones. She made Christmastime in her home magical — her kitchen counters overflowed with homemade candies and holiday treats.
A lifelong learner, she spent the last 35 years studying plants and soil, becoming both a master gardener and master composter who knew the Latin names of every flower, shrub and tree. She took pride in her exotic grasses, white fringe tree and silver birch. Calling herself a “collector,” she created a garden that was less about order and more about discovery. It sprawled with purpose — wild yet artfully composed — a sanctuary of rare and interesting species. She tended her beloved plants as if they were her children, calling her favorites her “babies,” and was elated each spring as they emerged from the soil. They were her cherished companions — and they took care of each other until her final days. Most recently she enjoyed quiet moments on the porch, looking out at the maple and pine trees that had grown so tall since she and Peter built the house in 1973.
Judith adored and was very proud of her two grandsons, Zachary and Nikolaos, who grew up in Alaska. Although distance kept them apart, she was grateful to have recently seen them and witness firsthand the fine young men they have become. Very recently, she learned she was to become a great-grandmother.
Judith lovingly cared for her husband through his 10-year struggle living with Parkinson’s disease, until his passing in 2010. From then on, she took solace in her gardens and from her family.
She is survived by her children, Jeremy (Nancy), Kyle (Michelle) and Jocelyn (Doug); grandsons, Zachary (Joyce) and Nikolaos; sister-in-law, Ruth (Hebert) Boivin; many cousins, nieces and nephews from the Letourneau, Pillsbury and Hebert families; and many good friends, particularly Eric Proudfoot, who was a kindred spirit, both in and out of the garden, and Deb Brown, whom she cherished like a second daughter.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring at her home among the gardens she built and tended, honoring her memory and the love and wisdom she shared with those fortunate to know her. An announcement with details about a celebration of her life will follow in early spring.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4 2025.