Christine Ann Douglas, 66, of St. Johnsbury peacefully passed away on
Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, after a yearlong battle with HLH.
She was born in St. Johnsbury on Oct. 12, 1949, the eldest of four
children to Raymond and Germaine (Hebert) Desilets. Chris graduated
from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1967, and worked briefly at St. Johnsbury
Trucking before pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse. Christine
married Michael Douglas, the love of her life, on Sept. 15, 1973.
Chris graduated from Fanny Allen Memorial School for Practical
Nursing earning her LPN in 1970, and starting her nursing
career at St. Johnsbury Hospital, where she was born. In 1972,
the St. Johnsbury Hospital and Brightlook Hospital merged,
forming Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Chris began
working in the Special Care Unit at NVRH, and was the first
NVRH employee to admit a patient to the new hospital on Feb. 14, 1972.
Always one to continue learning, Chris returned to school and
graduated from the New Hampshire Technical College in 1995,
becoming a Registered Nurse. She became the Cardiac
Rehabilitation Coordinator at NVRH in June 1995 until her
retirement in November 2015. Chris touched the lives of many
who enrolled in this program as well as her coworkers,
colleagues and volunteers by explaining heart disease,
promoting a healthy lifestyle, and encouraging exercise.
Chris led by example when it came to wellness. She absolutely
loved hiking mountains across New England with her friends,
the Mountain Mamas, and climbed over 20 local peaks in the
year before she took ill. She was active in the St. Johnsbury
Town Band and made many great friends there.
The greatest joy in Chris's life, however, was always her
children and grandchildren. She was a devoted and loving
mother and grandmother. She raised two Eagle Scouts, and
was heavily involved in scouting with her boys. She attended
nearly all of her children's sporting events, band concerts,
plays, and performances. Recently, she was at her happiest
spending time with her grandchildren, reading them bedtime
stories and heaping affection on them.
She is survived by her husband Michael; her parents: Ray and
Gerry Desilets of St. Johnsbury; her mother-in-law Patricia
Douglas of St. Johnsbury; two sons Brian Douglas and wife
Sarah of Fairport, New York, and Joshua Douglas of
Washington, D.C.; three grandchildren: Jack, Lilah, and
Brandon Douglas; sister Mary Reinhardt and husband Bill of
Gilmanton, New Hampshire; two brothers: Raymond Desilets
and wife Jeana of Danville, and Russell Desilets and wife Beth
of Houston, Texas; sister-in-law Deborah Smith and husband
Dennis; nieces and nephews: Cindy Bugnacki and husband
Mike, William Reinhardt and wife Nicole, Rebecca McGregor and
husband Andrew, Jordan Cota and husband Drew, Nicquelle
Timson and husband Shawn, Gage Desilets, Shae Desilets;
many grandnieces and grandnephews; extended family; and
her fellow Mountain Mamas.
Visiting hours will be held at the Sayles Funeral Home this
Friday evening from 6-8 p.m.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Johnsbury this
Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m., at St. John the Evangelist Church
with Fr. Christopher Micale officiating.
Burial will be in the springtime at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations in be
made to either: NVRH Cardiac Rehab Program, NVRH
Development Office, P.O. Box 905, St. Johnsbury Vermont, 05819;
or Norris Cotton Cancer Center: DHMC Development
Office, Attn: Michelle Clark, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, 03756.
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