Georgene,
more affectionally known as Georgie, passed away peacefully
surrounded by family on April 21, 2025, in her home in Milton, Vt.
Georgie
was born on March 18, 1937, to George and Florence Bridgeman on a
farm in Elmira, N.Y. She met her husband, Thomas J Raub, in high
school, and they began their 69-year marriage on June 23, 1956. After
moving into their first “shoebox” apartment in Endicott, N.Y.,
they welcomed their daughter and two sons.
In
1966 the family moved to Essex Junction, Vt. While her first passion
was always her family, Georgie lived a full and adventurous life. She
worked in administrative roles at Sears, Saint Michael’s College,
the Burlington Business Association and the Downtown Burlington
Development Association. Alongside her husband, Georgie was a
founding member of Essex Rescue, a valued member of the Madonna
Mountain (now Smuggs) Ski Patrol, a member and board member of the
Colchester Community Chorus, and a member of the Colchester
Historical Society. She spent many happy years competitively sailing
with her family at the Malletts Bay Boat Club and was an avid flower
gardener and bird lover. She also enjoyed many years of retirement
travel with Tom in their RV. Listing her accomplishments and
accolades only describes a fraction of who Georgie was as a person.
Georgie always bragged about her family, particularly her “weird”
grandchildren (which she would say with a smile and was her highest
compliment). This is really just a testament to the close
relationships she shared with each of them. The absolute definition
of “grandma,” she truly was the epicenter of the Raub family. She
was the “magic” behind every holiday — be it texting a
typed-out “Happy Birthday” song every birthday, providing
everyone with a year’s worth of socks in their stockings on
Christmas or forgetting the corn in the microwave after chefing the
holiday meal. Losing Georgie is a deep and significant loss to all
who knew her.
Georgie
is survived by her husband, Thomas (Tom) J. Raub; daughter, Linda
(Raub) Noyes, and husband Scott Noyes; and son Thomas (Tommy) Raub
and late wife Cheryl (Bouchard) Raub. Georgie was predeceased by son
William (Bill) T. Raub on July 30, 1993. She is also survived by her
grandchildren: Kristin Raub and her husband, Dylan Scholz; Kelley
Raub and partner Steve Crispino; Cali (Noyes) Tremblay, her partner,
Travis Cooper, and great-grandson Brody Tremblay; Alex Raub; and
Nikki (Raub) Centerbar and husband Zach Centerbar. She is also
survived by her siblings, Arlene (Bridgeman) Cosgrove and Ronald
Bridgeman and his spouse, Linda Fuller.
During
her last few months, Georgie spent much time with both outpatient and
in-house medical staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
Both she and her family want to express their deepest gratitude for
their kindness and compassion.
A
service will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, 11 a.m., at Holy
Cross Catholic Church in Colchester, Vt. A reception will follow in
the church hall from noon to 2 p.m.
In
lieu of flowers, you might consider donating to one of Georgie’s
favorite charities: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Sail Beyond Cancer Vermont, Rotary Foundation or the University of Vermont Cancer Center Fund.
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2025.