Renée Beaulieu

New London — Renée Laurette Beaulieu, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, died Feb. 14, 2024, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London. Our bright, talented, generous and loving mother, writer, horticulturist and Master Gardener leaves family, friends and coworkers saddened by her sudden and profound illness and the loss of her brilliance.

Friends and family will remember Renée for her kindness, her inquisitive mind, her love for plants and pets and her ability to bring people together. Just like the plants she tended, the unforgettable food she cooked, and the gatherings she threw with her husband Ed Hellenbrecht, everything Renée touched thrived.

Renée married Ed Hellenbrecht in 1979, and the couple had a vibrant and mutually supportive relationship for 44 years. They had a lot in common, including a love of sailing. They bought a boat named “Hellion,” sailing with the Thames River Yacht Club, Off Soundings and the Baldwin Yacht Club. Crewed by their friends and children, Hellion won many races from the 1970s to 1990s. One of Hellion’s secrets to success was Renée’s cooking.

Renée poured her creativity and energy into being a great mom as stepmother to Ed’s daughter, Rhona Hellenbrecht Heyl, and mother of Michael and Renée “R2” Hellenbrecht. From Renée, the kids learned to be kind, loving and dedicated.

Professionally, Renée started her career in journalism at Catholic High in Waterbury, where she became editor of the school newspaper. After earning a degree in anthropology from UConn, Renée wrote for the Hartford Courant. When she moved to Mystic, Renée worked as the evening editor for the New London Day. She later wrote a column called “Green and Growing” in the Waterbury Republican-American. She then became the copywriter for White Flower Farm in Litchfield. When Renée and Ed moved to Cincinnati for Ed’s work, she designed landscapes and oversaw landscaping crews. She wrote a cooking blog called Chez Renée, and a blog about garden makeovers. Upon Ed’s retirement, the couple moved back to their beloved New London. Renée worked on and blogged for the New London Beautification Committee from 2007 to 2012. She worked as produce buyer at Fiddleheads Food Co-op. She loved her coworkers.

Renée was born Feb 9, 1950, in Waterbury. She is survived by her son Michael Hellenbrecht of Ossining, N.Y.; daughter Renée Hellenbrecht; and son-in-law Mark Donohue of Cambridge, Mass.; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Donald and Dorothy Beaulieu of Old Saybrook, and James and Kris Beaulieu of Davis, Calif.; her sisters and brothersin-law, Irene and Keith Kobryn of DeLand, Fla., and Elaine and Tom Welch of Putnam; and her in-laws, Rich and Mary Ann Hellenbrecht of Queens, N.Y.

The family held a private memorial gathering for close family and friends and will hold a Celebration of Life and burial at sea this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to the New London Beautification Committee, New London Finance Department, 13 Masonic Street, New London, CT 06420, Memo: For the Beautification Committee in memory of Renée Beaulieu.

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