Woodstock, VT Vanessa, 88, passed away at the Woodstock Terrace on December 17th, supported through her last days by loving family and caregivers. She is survived by her daughters, Wendy Treash (and Steve Sullman) of Yarmouthport, Deborah (and Lee) Simpson of Winchester, and Linda (and Eben Farinas) Treash of Barnard, VT, eight grandchildren, Sam and Natalie Grandaw, Erica (and Megan), Christopher, and Lucy Simpson, and Adam, Django, and Marlena Farinas, and half-sister, Lisa Petrillo Samoylenko and daughter Seija of Bedford, and half-brother, Paul Petrillo, of Branford, CT.

She was born on September 13, 1933 in Branford, CT, to Martha and Sal Petrillo, weighing in at no more than 3 lbs. She was put in a dresser drawer for a bassinet and not expected to survive.  Instead, she thrived! And was still fighting to stay in this world until the day she left it.

Vanessa grew up in Branford and horses were her first great love. She described her teen years as "horse-crazy and then boy-crazy." She rode her horses well and even competed in Madison Square Garden. She was able to ride her horse, Penny, at Wheaton College where she graduated with a degree in Chemistry. She loved Wheaton and talked fondly of times playing bridge and smoking in the dorm basement—when not in the chem lab. She graduated Wheaton as valedictorian and Phi Beta Kappa. After college, she became a chemist at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY. There, she met her former husband Len Treash on a tennis court, and she loved her life in that community where she raised her daughters, heartily supporting their experiences in school, sports and music. She played tennis, skied and bowled, was active in the League of Women Voters and worked with the Perinton Volunteer Ambulance Corps as a first responder. She loved the Buffalo Bills! Her real passion, however, was Duplicate Bridge. She played at the tournament level and became a Life Master in 1986, a high goal successfully realized. She brought that passion with her when she retired to Yarmouthport on Cape Cod in 2000. She loved the Cape but left for Woodstock, VT, when no longer able to live on her own, choosing to be near her youngest grandchildren for the last five years of her life. In Vermont, she continued playing bridge, did swim therapy in a pool and was happy to attend her grandchildren's performances. Going out to lunch and dinner with family was her main pleasure in recent years, and it was badly missed when the pandemic and accompanying mobility challenges got in the way. She remained a vibrant part of family life until the end.

A private family service will be held on Christmas Eve. Vanessa was a devoted dog lover and donations can be made in her name to any humane society. On-line condolences are appreciated and available at cabotfh.com.