Jeanne I. Harlow

EAST THETFORD-On July 19, 2023, Jeanne Irene Harlow passed away from complications of lupus. She was at home, surrounded by people who loved her. Jeanne was born on March 4, 1951, at Alice Peck Day Hospital in Lebanon, NH. Her loving parents were Claude Robie Foote, who grew up in Piermont, NH, and Leone (Paige) Foote, who grew up in Thetford Center, VT. She joined her big brother Charlie making their family complete. Soon after, her parents bought the Foote Farm in Warren, NH, which would remain her home and the center of all gatherings until her parents died in 2010 and 2014. She had an idyllic childhood surrounded by kittens, dogs, and horses, riding and exploring her family farm's forests, brooks, rivers, and fields. Her childhood included frequent visits and celebrations with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Jeanne attended Warren Village School with her life-long dear friend, Donna (Heath) Bagley. Jeanne attended Thetford Academy (TA), her mother and grandmother’s alma mater, and graduated in 1969. During high school, she had the good fortune of living with her uncle and aunt, Edwin and Lois Paige of Thetford Center. Lois became her second mother, and they remained close for the rest of her life, with Lois holding her hand in Jeanne’s last hours. The Paige family stayed her second family, with Jeanne participating in Sunday dinners and Paige celebrations until the end. Logan, Ellis, Morgan, and Patti were more like siblings than cousins, and it was a comfort to have Patti there with her as she left this world. She loved her years at TA and made many of her closest friends there, including Cathy (Race) Fifield, Connie (Day) Bowdin, Beth (Jamieson) Tilden, Bernie Sawyer, and Fred Adams. Jeanne met Ralph Harlow at a dance at Echo Valley in Post Mills, and they married on October 24, 1970. They began their life in Thetford Center, where they welcomed their first daughter, Wanda. Nine months later, their nephew Jonathan Foote came to live for many years and remained close forever. Soon after, they moved to Warren, NH, to live next door to her parents, where Christine joined the family, making it complete. Jeanne enjoyed being a mother. She and her close friend, Judy Whitcher of Warren, enjoyed taking their children on adventures such as visits to Story Land, Fantasy Farm, skiing, and ice skating. If Jeanne was on the phone for a long time, she was visiting with Judy, a practice they kept up until the end. Jeanne began working at Campions in Hanover, NH. during this time in 1984, Ralph and Jeanne moved to Fairlee, VT, until 1989, when they moved to the home, they built on Tyler Farm Road in West Newbury. She became close friends with Lynn Dunnack of Fairlee, another vital friendship that lasted until her final days. She also worked at Bank East in Orford, NH, and Perry’s Oil in Bradford, VT. In 1991 Jeanne was diagnosed with lupus after several years of poor health. Jeanne retired from Perry’s Oil in the mid-90s as her health declined. Ralph died suddenly in 1999, and a few years later, she moved to East Thetford to be closer to her daughters. She designed a perfect cottage that allowed her to live at home while managing lupus. One of the best days of her life was June 19, 2000, when Kate arrived, finally making her a grandmother. That was quickly followed up by her three other best days, on November 21, 2001, with the arrival of Morgan, October 5, 2002, with the arrival of Emi, and August 2, 2003, with the arrival of Kayla. No other joy in her life could compare to being “Grammie Jean” to her four granddaughters. She was with them as much as possible and attended every school and sporting event she could, enjoying porch parties and Christmas cookie decorating parties. She was her granddaughters’ biggest supporter and cheerleader. Being a grandmother was the highlight of her life. She enjoyed “co-grandparenting” and celebrations with Jeff’s parents, Russell and Beverly Vaughan, who lived next door, and Paul’s parents, Robert and Louise Busby of Merrimack, NH. Sadly, Louise predeceased her by two years. On Father’s Day weekend, 2004, during another family’s worst days, she received a donor kidney transplant allowing her to watch her granddaughters grow up. Jeanne never took for granted that another family’s sacrifice gave her the precious gift of life. Jeanne’s parents, husband, and several special aunts, uncles, and cousins predeceased her. Survivors include her daughters, Wanda Vaughan and Christine Busby of East Thetford; her devoted sons-in-law, Jeffrey Vaughan, and Paul Busby; her four granddaughters, Katherine Vaughan and Jordan Eastman, Morgan Busby and Christian Robinson, Emily Vaughan and Eli Dunnet, and Kayla Busby, as well as her nephew, Jonathan Foote and his wife Wanda of Piermont, NH. Other survivors include her brother Charles Foote and his wife Nancy of Glencliff, NH; her beloved aunt, Lois Paige of Thetford Center; her sisters-in-law, Sheila Foote of Warren, and Sharon (Harlow) Hall, in addition to her brother- and sister-in-law, Allen and Connie Harlow, who were with her when she passed, and provided years of friendship and support. Other surviving brothers- and sisters-in-law include John and Sherry Harlow of North Carolina, Ellis (Jim) and Debra Harlow of Thetford Center, Kenneth and Dianne Harlow of Claremont, NH, Laureen (Harlow) and Warren Blum of Nevada, and Robert and Sharon Harlow of Florida. Close cousins that survive Jeanne include Logan and Roxanna Paige and Ellis Paige of Thetford Center, Morgan Paige of North Haverhill, Patti (Paige) and Robert Vaughan of Woodstock, VT, Pam (Paige) and Vern Stone of Vershire, Paula (Paige) Guyer of Thetford Center, and Kim (Paige) Cole of Newbury, VT, Butch and Marie Spencer of Warren, NH, Bruce Scruton of Pennsylvania, Karen (Scruton) and Paul Douglas of Dover, NH, Gary and Janice Scruton of Woodsville, NH, Donald and Carolyn Kimball of North Haverhill, Mary (Kimball) Brooks of North Haverhill, and Eileen (Robie) and Roy Belyea of Piermont. She and Carol Robie, who predeceased her, became close as they shared a bond working to overcome lupus and get the best care possible for Jeanne and Melanie. In addition to Jon, many nieces and nephews survive Jeanne, including Heather (Foote) and Chuck Sackett of Warren, Drew Foote of Warren, Buck and Jen Foote of Ashland, NH, Jamie, Shannon, Jeffrey, Jean, Deanna, John (Jay), April, Chris, Melinda, Matthew, Tim, Elisa, Shawn, Shelby, Skyler, Daniel, Robbie, Katie, and Curtis and their children and grandchildren. Over the past thirty years, Jeanne has required a large team of medical professionals and caregivers. Of particular note is Dr. Christopher Burns, a rheumatologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock. Dr. Burns joined her team in the early years of her diagnosis and remained until the end, something unusual for long-term illness in modern times. He was warm, caring, and a patient listener that she trusted. Dr. Cathleen Morrow, her primary care doctor for many years, was also a favorite of Jeanne’s. Jeanne was Dr. Morrow’s first patient visit when she began at DHMC and she saw Jeanne for an appointment on Dr. Morrow’s final day before retirement. She was blessed with many other caring doctors, nurses, and support staff, too numerous to mention. In addition, she had several caregivers as part of her Bayada team that made her last year easier, including Adam Cataldo, Michaela, Nicole, Laura, Gene, Shayne, Liz, Deanna, and Sheila. They were a comfort to Jeanne and a godsend to Wanda and Chris. A service and reception will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, July 31st, at the United Church of Thetford in North Thetford, with Rev. Brigid Farrell officiating. The burial will be private at the West Newbury Cemetery. If people would like to make a memorial donation in her memory, some charities near and dear to Jeanne’s heart were the Lupus Foundation of America, 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20037-1830, Donate Life America, 5516 Falmouth Street, Suite 302, Richmond, VA 23230, The Upper Valley Humane Society, PO Box 789, Lebanon, NH 03766, and Bayada Hospice, 316 Main St., Unit Eh-6, Norwich, VT 05055-4428. If one feels so moved, taking a moment to become an organ donor by registering online or through the Department of Motor Vehicles would be a wonderful tribute to Jeanne and a gift to others who also want more time with their families. Arrangements are in the care of Hale Funeral Home in Bradford, VT.

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Jeanne I. Harlow

March 4, 1951 - July 19, 2023