Dr.
Michelle Leigh Perron, “Michelle,” age 56, beloved daughter,
wife, sister, aunt, friend and dedicated medical provider, passed
away unexpectedly on May 17, 2024, at home in Waterbury, Vt. Michelle
embodied how to live a life grounded in caring, compassion and love.

Michelle
was born on March 23, 1968, in Northfield, Vt. She was the beloved
daughter of Winston “Win” and Marylou Perron. Michelle grew up in
Montpelier and graduated from Montpelier High School in 1986. She
also graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and later
from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Michelle’s
greatest passion in life was being a pediatrician. Michelle was a
dedicated partner in the Timberlane Pediatrics Group, providing care
for many families in the community. She exemplified her passion for
her work and care for others through her focus, commitment and
tireless dedication.

Michelle
was always driving herself to improve and succeed. In school, she
stayed focused on learning; the result was good grades, the reward
was knowledge. She pushed herself and her teammates, whether on the
basketball court or the softball diamond. She was inspired to follow
her Grandmother Clark, “Ginn,” who lived with the family, to
pursue a career in the medical field. Ginn spent her life as a nurse,
serving others and baking for the family, two passions Michelle
carried on in her life. She would take care of all of her patients,
get home late, and still find the time to make homemade birthday
cakes for her nieces and nephews or that famous Christmas tree bread
for Christmas morning. These behaviors were core to who she was, both
growing up and as an adult. Who she was at heart never changed for
Michelle.

On
August 21, 2010, Michelle married James “Jim” Percy, and they
made their home in Waterbury. Michelle and Jim shared their home with
Michelle’s parents and many canine and feline “children.”
Michelle and Jim graciously offered their home as the gathering place
for Thanksgiving and other family events. Michelle was the consummate
homemaker, aka Superwoman, too. Over the years, many nieces, nephews
and cousins from all parts of the family attended her cookie-making
sessions, while elders enjoyed her rum balls. Other hobbies and
interests included gardening along with her adoring pets, Booker,
Brise, Bruce and Baxter.

Survivors
include her parents, Win and Marylou Perron; husband, Jim Percy;
brother, Kevin Perron, and his wife, Christine; and many uncles,
aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Calling
hours will be held on Thursday, May 30, 5 to 8 p.m., at Guare &
Sons Funeral Home, 30 School St., Montpelier, VT 05602.

The
family will have a private interment ceremony at a future date. In
lieu of flowers, please consider supporting local charities that were
important to Michelle. You can make memorial contributions in memory
of Michelle Leigh Perron, MD, to the UVM Children’s Hospital, 111
Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, or to Central Vermont Humane Society, 1589 VT Route 14 S, E. Montpelier, VT 05651.

CASTLETON, Vt. (WCAX) – 50 years of organized sports at the Division III level may not seem that long, but each minute means the world to those who play the games. While Middlebury and Norwich have racked up the hardware in recent decades, neither school was part of the original D-III back in 1973.

Three state colleges were: Castleton, Lyndon, and Johnson, three key cogs of the newly formed Vermont State University. Middlebury has grown into one of the benchmark athletic departments in Division III since their entry into championship competition in the mid-90′s.

Current women’s lacrosse head coach Kate Livesay played on both the field hockey and lacrosse team at the turn of the Millenium.

“It’s really changed,” Livesay said. “In fact, when I was a player was when we first got boundaries. And then after I graduated, googles came into the mix. So it’s really adapted and evolved over the last 20-25 years.”

And they’re not alone. The eleven schools of the NESCAC have made the league a powerhouse across the scale of D-III sports

“When I started here, it was kind of the first NESCAC tournament,” LIvesay said. “When we talk about preparation for the NCAA tournament, I think you know you’ve been tested like that every week of your season. You were really prepared in a different way going into NCAA’s.”

But success isn’t just defined on the turf, ice, or hardwood for college athletes in Vermont. Many devote their time to improving the student athlete experience for everyone. The Student Athlete Advisory Committee was created in 1989, and Castelton sprinter Zackary Durr is the national representative for the Little East Conference.

“It’s realy nice to be able to meet different athletes from different schools,” Durr said. “And it’s just really good, especially for this university, just to be able to have us showcased at the national level.”

Durr says the goal of the committee is to encourage student athletes to give back to their communities and help build friendly relationships between on-field rivals.

“Get more student ahtletes involved and wanting to do more community service,” Durr explained of the organization’s goals. “Do more social events to have student athletes from different teams get to know each other better. I think its really important to have all of our student athletes backing each other.”

“After whistle blows, you’ll se the teams intermix, you’ll see best friends catching up, who went to high school together or played club,” Livesay added. “You’ll see coaches shaking hands and catching up about their families. So for me, what this experince is about, demanding so much of ourselves and our players, and going out and just playing hard and being really proud of what we put on the field but being collegial and respectful of our opponents all along the way.”

Castleton just had an athlete earn All-American honors at the D-III Track and Field Championships, with Harrison Leombruno-Nicholson finishing 11th nationally in javelin, while Middlebury’s women’s lacrosse team will look to claim a 4th straight national championship on Sunday afternoon.

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Marion Elizabeth (Provost) Blanchette, 95, of South Burlington died on May 21, 2024.

She was born to the late Edith (Ellwood) Provost and Daniel Provost on February 13, 1929, in Burlington. She married William George Blanchette in 1946, shortly after he returned from the war.

William and Marion spent their married lives in several towns in Chittenden County: Winooski, Burlington, Colchester and South Burlington. They wintered for many years in Palm Bay, Fla.

Marion attended Cathedral High School and worked for 35 years for the Catholic Diocese of Vermont, primarily at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Saint John Vianney Church.

She was predeceased by her husband, William, and her three siblings: Danny Provost, Bob Provost and Peggy (Provost) Bostock.

Marion is survived by her son, Bradley Napoleon Blanchette, and his spouse, J. Timothy Bourne, of North Hero; and her daughter, Laurie Edith Blanchette, and her companion, Stephen Daily, of South Burlington. She is also survived by her three grandchildren: Bradley Stevens, Mason Stevens and Cole Stevens. Additionally, she is survived by many nephews, nieces, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-great nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the McClure Miller Respite House of Colchester, Vt.

A
mass of Christian burial will be held on June
3, 2024, 11 a.m., at Saint John Vianney’s in South
Burlington, where Marion and William were long-standing parishioners.
The family has chosen not to have a viewing. Immediately following
the funeral, Marion will be buried at Resurrection Park, adjacent to
the church.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To send online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.