The Stonington Free Library

received a bequest of more than $1 million from the estate of the late Jean K. Blanchet, an avid reader and library patron.

Stonington — The Stonington Free Library has received a more than $ 1 million bequest from the estate of an Old Mystic woman who was an avid reader and user of the library before her death in August 2014.

The gift from the estate of Jean K. Blanchet is one of the largest in the more than 120- year history of the library and is more than twice as large as its annual budget.

It will boost the library’s endowment to $4 million.

“It was a complete surprise,” said Melissa Floyd, the library’s development coordinator. “She was a longtime patron who came in regularly and was very unassuming. No one knew she had two pennies to rub together, so we were shocked when we got the news.”

She said the library staff recalled that Blanchet “devoured” all genres of books and a longtime friend who is the co-executor of her estate said her home was filled with thousands of books.

She especially enjoyed reading Erma Bombeck novels and watching NASCAR races while rooting for Dale Earnhardt Jr., according to her obituary.

Even at age 90, she still drove and loved to shop at local thrift stores, the library said.

Blanchet, who earned a degree in education from Wellesley College and lived in Mystic most of her life, was predeceased by her husband, Rene, and her two sons, William and Bryan.

Floyd said the bequest, which the library only recently learned the size of and which it announced Tuesday, could grow even larger as the estate continues through the probate process.

It comes at a pivotal time for the library as it begins a strategic planning process.

“We’re looking at planning for the next five to 10 years and what the library needs to do to serve the community as technology changes,” Floyd said.

The month process involves focus groups and a survey of community members.

Floyd said the bequest will give the library added flexibility when it comes to implementing the plan’s recommendations.

She said the library is discussing a way to honor Blanchet. One thing it is doing is framing a 1938 pencil drawing of Blanchet as a teenage girl and hanging it in the library with a dedication.

Floyd said the library has a lot of older patrons who not only come for books, but enjoy the social interaction when they are there.

“We’re a small library but we take pride in greeting our patrons and taking care of them with personal attention,” she said. “But we never expected to be thanked in this way.”