BLANCHETTE, Anita Marie Theresa (Robichaud), 89, Houlton, July 3, 2016. Services will be celebrated at the St. Mary’s of the Visitation Church in Houlton on Wed., July 6, at 10 a.m. Arrangements by Bowers Funeral Home, Houlton.
HOULTON — Anita Marie Theresa (Robichaud) Blanchette, 89, died July 3, 2016. She was born May 23, 1927, in Van Buren.
When she was an infant, her family moved to Houlton where she met her husband of 67 years, Armand Blanchette. She was a lifelong member of St. Mary of the Visitation Roman Catholic Church. Anita sang in the church choir and for many years was a member of the Maine Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and helped with many St. Patrick’s Day Bazaars. Anita was a registered nurse, having received her training in Providence, Rhode Island. She returned to Maine to work at the Madigan Memorial Hospital with the Sisters of Mercy and was part of the first team of nurses to work at Houlton Regional Hospital. While her family was still very young, she would walk to Madigan Hospital in the evenings to help put patients to bed. She also on occasion served as a private duty nurse. Her life’s work was spent caring for her family, the sick and the infirm.
She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Armand; six children, Marc Blanchette, Timothy Blanchette and his wife, Kathy, Louis Blanchette and his wife, Phyllis, all of Houlton, Mary Brown of Hampden, Patricia Sloat and husband, Andrew, of Houlton and Barbara Lambert and husband, Stuart, of Presque Isle. She was predeceased by two daughters, Bernadette Howe and Christine Loiselle, as well as two great-grandchildren. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren whom she rocked to sleep as infants in the rocking chair in her kitchen. They are Peter, Brian, Kristine, Steven, Christopher, Bethany, Breanne, Andrea, Ryan, Joseph, Joshua, Gregory, Michael, Kevin, Andrew, Collette, Justine, Chelsea, Matthew, Kaitlin and Alexandra, as well as 21 great-grandchildren, Daniel, Patrick, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sarah, Emma, Leah, Armand, Frances, Ethan, Madylin, Nicholas, Evelyn, Zachary, Noah, Abbigayle, Isaiah, Elijah, Tate, Layah and Cecilia. Anita was also predeceased by her parents, Louis and Ozithé (Bourgoin) Robichaud; six sisters, Marguerite Stone, Cecile Murphy, Bernadette London, Lauretta Nadeau, Armelina Gravel and Patricia Cornwal; and one brother, Alberic Robichaud.
Friends called from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at Bowers Funeral Home, 10 Water Street, Houlton. A Rosary was prayed at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s of the Visitation Church, Military Street, Houlton with Father David Raymond, celebrant, on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, at 10 a.m. Interment will follow the funeral at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery. For online condolences, please visit www.bowersfuneral.com.
