Jeanie Margaret MacDonough, 85, of Charlotte, Vt., passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., following a brief illness.
Born on January 4, 1940, in Burlington, Jeanie was the daughter of Reginald and Margaret (Poole) MacDonough. She spent her childhood in Charlotte, attending local public schools through eighth grade, before graduating from Burlington High School in 1958. Jeanie pursued higher education at the University of Vermont, earning both her bachelor of science in home economics in 1962 and her master’s in teaching in 1970. She later received a PhD in childhood psychology from Cornell University in 1986. She married Bruce Ladeau of South Burlington in 1985.
Jeanie dedicated her career to Vermont’s public school system as an educator, administrator, guidance counselor and grant writer. She was proud to have developed the first statewide teaching curriculum for the Vermont Department of Health and to have secured grants that introduced some of the first computers and technology education to the Milton School District. She aspired to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students and teachers. In retirement, Jeanie and Bruce restored her family farmhouse in Charlotte, continued to make elaborate costumes for their grandchildren each Halloween, and spent winters in Florida, where they pursued their passion for nature and art. Jeanie cared for her brother John during his battle with cancer in 2004 and then again for her husband Bruce in 2011. Jeanie’s determination was evident when, at the age of 72, she climbed Mount Abraham with her family to scatter Bruce’s ashes.
Jeanie remained vibrant and active throughout her later years. She designed costumes for local theater productions, maintained a flourishing vegetable garden (most of which she donated to the food shelf) and enthusiastically supported youth programs at her church. She spent countless hours at her sewing machine mending winter clothing for children, which she donated to those in need. She continued to make her legendary mac and cheese for the Salvation Army kitchen in Burlington, where she and Bruce had volunteered for decades. Jeanie was a lifelong member of the Charlotte Congregational Church, where her mother and grandmother were also members. In 2024, she was honored as a deacon for life. She will be remembered for her kindness, playful joy and quiet generosity.
Jeanie is survived by a large extended family, including her cousin, Patricia Horsford of South Burlington, Vt.; sister-in-law, Christine MacDonough of Sunnyvale, Calif.; nieces Stacey MacDonough Wolfe and husband Greg of Sunnyvale, Calif., and Marcie MacDonough of Sisters, Ore.; step-niece, Mary Baker of Bristol, Vt.; eight grandnieces and grandnephews; three great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews; stepchildren, Rob Ladeau and wife Marsha of New Hampshire, Debbie Ladeau of Bristol, Vt., Jim Ladeau and wife Noriko of Japan, and Leslie O’Halloran of Florida; son-in-law, Thomas O’Halloran of Brandon, Vt.; and step-grandchildren Alex and Thomas Ladeau, Bennett and Sean Webb, and Eric and Jamie Cannizzaro. She was predeceased by her husband, Bruce Ladeau; her brothers, John and Reginald MacDonough; and her niece Deborah MacDonough.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2025, 2 p.m., at the Charlotte Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Charlotte Congregational Church, PO Box 12, 403 Church Hill Rd., Charlotte, VT 05445.
This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2025.