Jean O. Peare

MILLBURY- Jean O. Peare died on March 16th aged 93 years, as she continued to live life on her own terms, in the house she called home for nearly 60 years.

Born and raised on Grafton Hill in Worcester Massachusetts to Joseph F. Carbonneau and Anna Maria (Poitras) Carbonneau, she was their sixth of eight children and second of their three daughters, who remained very close throughout their lives.

Except for a brief sojourn in New York City, where she worked for Trans World Airlines, she was always rooted to the Worcester area and to her family. At the early age of eight, she began her lifelong role of caretaker, ministering to her mother in her final illness. She then looked after her father until she herself married in 1968 (Ray L. Peare) and moved to Millbury, where she took care of her children, Ray P. and Kristina, and then, in turn, helped care for her grandchildren as their doting Memere.

Never one to sit still for long, Jean was always busy taking care of her house and yard, which she kept immaculate. She was an avid cook, who took pride in preparing meals from scratch, and looked forward to hosting family gatherings around the holidays. She was also an enthusiastic craftsperson, whose talents ranged from painting and stained glass to crochet, cross-stitch, and cake decoration, to name but a few. She was a member of the Millbury Women’s Club for over 55 years; was an active user of the Millbury Public Library; a volunteer at both at the Millbury Town Hall and at the elementary schools her grandchildren attended; and, later, she was an active participant at both the Millbury and Sutton Senior Centers.

Jean was predeceased by her parents, her ex-husband, and all seven of her siblings: Ernest, Herve, Homer, Theresa (Maillet), Joseph Jr., Lionel, and Lorraine (Bourassa). She is survived by her son Ray and his children, Anthony and Julia; her daughter Kristina (Matthew); dozens of nieces and nephews; and many friends. Jean was grateful to have been able to meet again with many family and friends in February, at the funeral of her older sister Terry.

In keeping with her wishes, there will be no service for Jean. Come spring, she will be laid to rest with her parents, her sister, and her brother-in-law, in a private ceremony at Notre Dame Cemetery.