Marceline St. Louis
Groton — Marceline Doris Marie (Pion) St. Louis, 88, passed peacefully from this world on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, at the Fairview nursing facility in Groton. Marceline had made Groton her home for over 60 years.
Marceline was born on Nov. 19, 1929, in Central Falls, R.I., to Valmore N. Pion and Loretta (Noiseux) Pion, the sole girl in a family of seven children. She learned early how to be tough and hold her own in a crowd, a skill that served her well in her future life as the mother of eight children. She married her longtime classmate and sweetheart Roland R. St. Louis, also of Central Falls, on Sept. 1, 1952, at St. Matthew’s Church in Central Falls.
Marceline began her secondary education at Central Falls High School. She left school after three years to begin working to help send her brothers on to college. Her husband and children were very proud to see her graduate from Fitch High School in Groton, on June 20, 1975, at the age of 45. Marceline was a woman of many talents. Her ability to feed many people with no warning but with complete composure and wonderful food was legendary. She hit a mean alley shot in tennis even into her 50s, frustrating many younger and more skilled players with her accuracy. We were never sure if her carpal tunnel syndrome should be attributed to the thousands of wiffle balls she pitched in the backyard or to her addiction to Super Mario Brothers. She directed a large and raucous household with the skill of a quartermaster, managing to attend almost all of her children’s events, and provided cookies and drinks for innumerable friends and teammates. She cared for her own parents and her in-laws, Ernest E. St. Louis and Yvonne (Bergeron) St. Louis, with loving dedication for many years, even while raising her own family.
Once her children were launched, Marceline joined the working world again, using cheerful banter to brighten the lives of first her customers at ShopRite, and then the people she cared for as a home health aide. She took care of her clients and helped with household work they could no longer do, but she also made them feel loved — a specialty of hers. Marceline was loving, but could be tough as well — as could be attested to by the occasional teacher, administrator, church official and city council member who had the misfortune to cross her. Her greatest gifts were her honesty, her sense of humor, her huge and loving heart, and her dedication to God, family and community.
Marceline is survived by Roland, her beloved husband of 66 years; her children and their spouses, Stephen (Donna), Michael (Donna), Roland (Alina), Ronald (Beth), Susan (Khoi Le), Thomas (Mary), Jennifer (Scott Baroun) and Matthew (Rebecca); daughters-in-law, Heather (Steele) St. Louis and Tracey (Clarke) St. Louis-Harris; and grandchildren, Jeffrey, Kara (Trottier) and Michael St. Louis, Robert and Jess St. Louis, Stephanie, Roland (III) and Daniel St. Louis, Jeremy and Christopher St. Louis, Anh, Mai and Lien Le, Evan, Drew and Carson St. Louis, Benjamin and Grace Baroun, and Tyler, Corey and Colton St. Louis; and many great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers, Lawrence Pion of Hollidaysburg, Pa., Harvey Pion and Richard Pion; and many nieces and nephews.
Her parents, Valmore and Loretta Pion; her brothers, Russell, Edward and Nelson; and her grandson, Mark St. Louis, preceded her in death.
The memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Sacred Heart Church in Groton, and will be followed by a reception in the Sacred Heart parish hall immediately afterward. Interment will be at a later date in Colonel Ledyard Cemetery in Groton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sacred Heart Parish, 56 Sacred Heart Drive, Groton, CT 06340.