Barnard, Vermont

Joan Hull Lessard, 91, was born on February 17, 1933 and passed peacefully on September 4, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.
Joan was born in Barnard, VT, the only child of Harry and Naoma Hull, also Barnard natives. Joan was a precocious child and spent a lot of time with her fraternal grandmother who–recognizing her granddaughter's talents–taught Joan to read, write and understand basic arithmetic prior to beginning first grade. As a result, Joan skipped second grade and later graduated from Woodstock Union High School near the top of her class. Joan excelled in athletics as well; she played basketball and softball and helped lead her basketball team to the State Finals her senior year.
After high school, Joan enrolled in nursing school in Fitchburg, MA. There she met the love of her life, Ralph. They married in 1955 and soon welcomed their firstborn, Pam. It didn't take long for them to decide that Vermont was the place for them to raise a family. They lived on their Barnard Farm with her parents while she worked at Gifford Memorial Hospital and Mary Hitchcock Hospital. She enjoyed and excelled at nursing, quickly being promoted to Head Nurse.

In 1960, Ralph and Joan partnered with her parents, Harry and Naoma, and purchased the Barnard General Store. They lived above the store, and over time, their three sons Brian, Kevin, and Kurt were born. Although the business required a true commitment, everyone pitched in and did their share. In many ways, the store provided an ideal environment for raising a family and taught them all how to work together as a team. The Lessard family and the store were both staples in the Barnard community. In 1972, they sold the General Store and built a house on the North Road, overlooking Silver Lake State Park.

Even with such a busy schedule, Joan found time to give back to her community. She was a member of Saint Anne's Church Society, a strong contributor to the Barnard Progressive Club and the Barnard Historical Society, and she served as the Town of Barnard's Health Officer.
Joan enjoyed both cross-country and downhill skiing. She never missed her children's events, whether it was a sports game or helping her kids prepare for school exams. Joan was also a loyal Boston sports follower, and a HUGE Red Sox fan. Up to her final months, Joan could list out the entire Red Sox starting lineup by memory and offer some blunt player critiques to boot.

Joan had a wonderful, loving, and productive life. She touched the hearts and souls of many people. She is predeceased by her husband Ralph, of 62 years, who died in 2017. Joan leaves behind a family that she was very proud of: Pamela Moffat (Bruce) of New London, NH; Brian (Kristen) of Quechee, VT; Kevin (Pam) of Bozeman, MT; and Kurt (Anne) of Barnard, VT. Also, not to be overlooked are her nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff at the Woodstock Terrace and the staff at Bayada Hospice.

Memorial hours will be held at The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock, VT on Thursday, September 12th from 5:00-7:00 PM.

A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, September 13th at 1:00 PM at Our Lady of The Snows, Catholic Church in Woodstock.
In Lieu of flowers, please send donations to: Bayada Hospice, 316 Main Street Unit EH-6, Norwich, VT 05055