Obituary: Jessica Anne Pomerleau-Halnon 

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• Jessica Anne Pomerleau-Halnon

Jessica Anne Pomerleau-Halnon passed away on August 21, 2020, after courageously battling breast cancer for two years. Her last days were spent with her adoring husband, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins by her side. Jessica’s light shone brightly for 36 years; even throughout her illness, her loving spirit never dimmed. And that light will live on in everyone who loved her.

On September 17, 1983, Jessica was born to Ernie and Dee Pomerleau in Burlington, Vt. Jessica was an exuberant child who loved art and performance. Jessica inherited her mother’s artistic sensibility and blazed her own path toward creative fulfillment, starting with a passion for drawing that would eventually lead her to computer animation.

Jessica grew up in Burlington, surrounded by a tight-knit extended family. Living steps from each other, Jessica and her 12 cousins were like siblings. The cousins would all gather regularly for game nights, dinners and holiday parties. Her circle of family was made bigger by her wonderful friends. From grade school, high school and college through to her professional years in Burlington, she formed many special and lasting friendships. These friendships never wavered, and she loved her friends deeply.

Jessica attended Rice Memorial High School and graduated from the Vermont Commons School in 2002. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor of arts in 2006, and then went on to study computer animation at the Ringling College of Art and Design, earning a bachelor of fine arts in 2010.

After the completion of two degrees, Jessica returned to Burlington and decided that, loving her hometown as much as she did, she wanted to live and work here. In 2011, Jessica opened Jess Boutique on Church Street, a stylish women’s clothing boutique. Jessica’s own style was subtle and elegant. She also had a natural flair for seeing the style of others and buying clothing she thought they would love. Her big, bright smile welcomed a steady stream of customers who trusted Jessica to make them look and feel great. In January of 2019, she expanded her business by acquiring her second women’s clothing boutique, Expressions, which was right next door. Jessica was so very grateful for the never-ending support of her loyal staff: Erin Brennan, Samantha Sleeper, Shannon Kamnik, Alexis Pomerleau and all the other wonderful staff who worked so tirelessly and kept everything running every day during these very difficult times.

There was so much love in Jessica’s life. Her family and her beloved St. Croix Island rescue dog, Willard, were the loves of her life until the day she met Jameson Halnon. It was quickly obvious that he was “the one.” Jameson opened Jessica up to so many new adventures; his love for the outdoors rubbed off on her, and the two embraced hiking and being in the great outdoors together. And Jessica opened Jameson up. Her sense of humor and mischievousness brought so much joy to his life.

Jameson and Jessica were married in August of 2018, surrounded by friends and family who gathered at a beautiful historic home on the edge of Lake Champlain. Jameson was Jessica’s rock throughout her two-year battle against breast cancer, which was discovered not long after their wedding. Their strong love kept each other going through the most difficult of times.

Jessica will be remembered as a loving wife, daughter, cousin, niece, friend and dog mom, who made every single person in her life feel appreciated. She will be remembered for her smile, her parties, her pranks, her costumes, her beautiful photography, her artistic talents, the ease with which she laughed, her selflessness, her generosity and her abundant kindness. Her life was cut short, but she lived and loved every minute of it. The love she gave and the love she received were truly limitless.

Jessica is survived by her husband, Jameson Halnon; parents, Ernie and Dee Pomerleau; maternal grandmother Rita Pomerleau; aunts and uncles Joe Nameche, Patricia Pomerleau, Elizabeth Pomerleau Mays and Tom, Susan Pomerleau Corkery and Dan, Dennis Pomerleau, Rosemary Pomerleau, Alice Pomerleau Waxler and Brian, and Grace Pomerleau; cousins Alexis Pomerleau Bryant and Jeff, Caroline Mays, Lauren Mays and fiancé Christos Tsentas, Ellen McGinnis and Ryan, Terrence Pomerleau and Natalie, Frank Corkery, Drew Waxler, Catherine Corkery, Alexandra Mays, Madeline Waxler, Charlotte Mays, and Olivia Waxler and fiancé Jud Waite; father-in-law, Steve Halnon; and sister-in-law, Emily Halnon. She also leaves her baby cousins, whom she adored and called “nuggets”: Spencer Bryant, Olly and Sully McGinnis, and Arden Pomerleau.

And Jessica leaves behind many, many wonderful friends who have promised to celebrate Halloween this year in honor of Jessica, the “Queen of Costumes.”

Jessica is predeceased and will be embraced with loving arms by her paternal grandfather, Antonio Pomerleau; her maternal grandmother, Bertha Nameche; her aunts, Ellen Pomerleau and Anne Marie Pomerleau; and her mother-in law, Andrea Halnon.

Loving gratitude to the nurses and doctors at the University of Vermont Medical Center, who provided such special care through these last two years. Special thanks to Emma Wagner and Kate Yantz for their kindness and love to our beautiful Jessica.

There will be a private family service at this time, with arrangements by Ready Funeral and Cremation (readyfuneral.com). An outdoor celebration of Jessica’s life will be announced in the near future.

In lieu of flowers, Jessica would love for you to donate to a charity that will rescue more of her beloved dogs throughout the world and the Burlington humane society: Humane Society of Chittenden County (hsccvt.org) and Rescue Me VT (rescuemevt.com).