Jacqueline VEILLEUX

LITTLETON, N.H. Sister Jacqueline Veilleux, FCSCJ (S. Robert de Jésus), a Daughter of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, passed away on Nov. 4, 2005, at Mount Sacred Heart Provincial House and Infirmary in Littleton, N.H. Jacqueline Veilleux was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on Nov. 17, 1920. She was the daughter of André Veilleux and Léontine Boucher. Jacqueline Veilleux professed her vows with her religious congregation on Aug. 9, 1938. During her 67 years of religious life, Sister Jacqueline served in various missions in Newport, Vt., Champlain, N.Y., Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Littleton, N.H.From 1938 to 1985, Sister Jacqueline worked in the field of education in two high schools operated by her religious community Sacred Heart High School in Newport and St. Marys Academy in Champlain. She was passionate about English grammar and literature and was especially known for the debate and drama clubs, which she founded and coached to highly successful achievements. The senior plays which Sister Jacqueline directed made of practically every high school senior (few exceptions) a veteran actor before the annual project was over. In the mid-1980s, Sister Jacqueline began to experience debilitating memory loss and was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimers. Throughout her illness, Sister Jacqueline continued to connect with former students and family, as well as her many friends from all those years spent in primarily two places of teaching ministry. She loved to reminisce with friends, former students and her sisters in community about the good old days.From 1995 to 2005, Sister Jacqueline joined the community at the Provincial House and Retirement Home of the United States Province of the Daughters of the Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She assisted with various services within the community, until her illness prevented her from participating in the activities she enjoyed, Prior to that and for several different occasions, Sister Jacqueline functioned as translator for various intentional meetings at the Congregations Motherhouse in France or in Canada.Sister Jacqueline treasured her teaching years and loved to relate funny stories from those times. She enjoyed cross-country skiing and summer traveling with her family. She was an avid reader and could recite poetry as if she herself had written it. Sisters greatest pastime was to visit with members of her family and other sisters from her community. She treasured her experiences in her various missions and readily shared her stories. She was fond of word puzzles, scrabble and card games and would engage anyone who was willing to sit with her for the challenge.Sister Jacqueline was predeceased by her parents; and six brothers and sisters, Lucille Bisson, Robert, Jules, Paul and Liliane and her twin, who died as an infant. Besides her sisters in the religious community, she is survived by two sisters and a brother: Sister Juliette, FCSCJ; Victor and Marguerite; as well as many nieces and nephews who were very special to her.Visiting hours were held at Mount Sacred Heart, 226 Grove St., on Saturday at 3 p.m., followed by a Memorial Mass at 4:30 p.m. Visiting hours also at Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, Darling Hill Road (formerly Sias Avenue) in Newport, Vt., on Sunday, Nov. 6 from 2 to 4 and 7 to 8:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church on Monday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. Interment will take place in St. Mary Cemetery.Local arrangements by Ross Funeral Home, Littleton Chapel and Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, Newport, Vt.