Obituary: Joan Lamere, 1944-2022 

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• Courtesy
• Joan Lamere

Joan Lamere, 78, of Waterbury Center, Vt., died on October 2, 2022, at her home surrounded by several relatives and friends. She was born in St. Albans, Vt., to G. Wayne Cross and Madeline (Ouimet) Cross.

She graduated as valedictorian from Swanton High School, class of 1962, and was its class president for all four years. In 1966, she graduated from the University of Vermont, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and met her husband, Richard “Skip” Lamere. She subsequently taught at the elementary school level for several years before going to work for the State of Vermont's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Joan later earned a master's degree in counseling and guidance from UVM and was the casework supervisor of the DVR Barre Region, which included St. Johnsbury, Newport and Morrisville. Joan also coordinated services for people who are deaf and worked in the Agency of Human Services Training Unit.

After retiring from state government, she opened her own employee assistance service and had contracts with several major companies in central Vermont. She later joined Skip in his retirement business, Vermont Strings (producer of strings for folk harps), where she did everything except make the strings until she became ill.

Among other community activities, she served on the board of directors of Project Independence in Barre and was its chair for several years, seeing it through a tough time. She also served on the board of directors of Washington County Mental Health and was its chair for several years.

Joan enjoyed all animals, cooking, being with grand-nephews and -nieces, travel, painting in oil, photography, and spending time with family and friends, especially at the camper on Lake Champlain.

Joan is survived by her husband, Skip Lamere, of Waterbury Center; sister, Jean (Michael) LaMoy, of Menifee, Calif.; brother, Mark (Gloria) Cross; son-in-law, Eric Stallings, of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.; brother-in-law, Walter Lamere, of West Burke, Vt.; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Robinson of Mount Laguna, Calif., and Jeannine Kneeland of Burlington, Vt.; and dear nephews and nieces, Brent LaMoy, Jason Kneeland, Torrey Gallagher and Jared Lamere, and their families. Joan was predeceased by her parents and her beloved daughter, Kelly Stallings.

Services will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022, 11 a.m., at the St. Andrews Catholic Church, 109 S. Main St., Waterbury, VT, with a reception following at the Parish Hall, under the arrangement of Perkins-Parker Funeral Home. Interment will follow at the Maple Street Cemetery in Waterbury Center.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the following fund established for small animal care and adoption needs in memory of Joan Lamere, Kelly’s mother: The Kelly Rae Stallings Fund (nhspca.org/special-giving), New Hampshire SPCA, 104 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, NH 03885, 603-772-2921, or the Kelly Stallings Special Medical Needs Fund (secure.northeastanimalshelter.org/donations/kelly_fund), Northeast Animal Shelter, 347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970, 978-745-9888.