Caribou and Pocasset, Ma. - Patricia D. Thibodeau passed away peacefully in her home on April 14, 2018 at the age of 90. Patricia was born in Hamlin Me. on August 21, 1927 to Joachim and Lottie (Paradis) Parent. She is survived by her children Michael LaPlante of Harpswell, Patrick LaPlante of Caribou, John LaPlante of Wiscasset, Margaret Corriveau of No. Falmouth MA, Marie Vara of Canandaigua, NY, and Steve LaPlante of Cape Elizabeth, 8 grandchildren 4 great grandchildren. Her son Mark LaPlante passed away in 2015 and her former husband Gerard LaPlante of Van Buren passed away in 1988. Her sister Rose Marie Santarcangelo of Bennington, Vt. is the only remaining sibling. Patricia is predeceased by her parents, siblings Florine, Artheline, Lucille, Rita, Angela, and Carolyn, Lawrence, Gerard, Harold and Edwin. Patricia had fond memories of her younger years in Hamlin. She remembered the time spent with her mother in the kitchen and the fun and games she played with her siblings and the other children from Hamlin. Her grade 1 to 8 schooling was in a one-room school house and her teacher boarded with her family. She loved school and did so well that she graduated a year early. Her high school years were completed at the Lady of Wisdom High School in St. Agatha after which she attended the Eastern Academy of Beauty School in Bangor. She worked as a beautician for a short period of time and married Gerard LaPlante and they started a family. She helped manage the family farm. The potato harvest was a hectic 3 weeks. In addition to helping to bring in the crop, she would take care of her children, some of whom were in the field with her picking potatoes. She would prepare meals for the family and crew. She honed her cooking and baking skills during this time and for the remainder of her life she was known for her Graham cracker pie, potato donuts, chicken stew, and many other family favorites. As some of her children left the family farm, Patricia returned to her love of learning and the possibility of teaching. The Federal Head Start program had just been launched and Van Buren was organizing its school and selecting the teaching staff. She was asked to be a Teacher’s Aid and started with the program its very first year in 1967. Patricia became a teacher, and in the last years of her career, she served as the Regional Education Coordinator. Patricia supervised the curriculum and counseled teachers throughout northern Maine. While still a teacher, she began her studies at the University of Southern Maine and in 1978 received a BA degree in Early Education. She was at the very top of her class and graduated Cum Laude. She stayed with the Head Start program for 27 years until her retirement in 1989. Many of the children she taught over the years would often recognize her and greet her warmly when they met her years later. This was a source of joy for her and she took immense pride in having made a difference in their lives at a young age. Patricia continued to pursue her passion for learning. She frequently took classes that fueled her interests and hobbies. She enjoyed quilting and made a quilt for each child as well as numerous beautiful wall hangings. She enjoyed painting in watercolor and acrylics. Her walls are decorated with her paintings and she gave many away as gifts. Patricia became interested in computers and received her first on her 70th birthday. After taking a class, she dove in and spent time researching topics of interest, emailing friends and family, taking digital photos, and spending time on Facebook well into her 80’s. A lover of word games, she often completed multiple cross-word puzzles daily and played Scrabble with neighbors and friends. Until recently, she played Scrabble on-line nightly with her daughter Marie. Shortly before retiring from the Head Start Program, she met Conday Thibodeau, a potato grower from Caribou. Once again, a farmer’s wife, she willingly jumped in and helped run the farm, especially during the harvest. Despite the hard work, she enjoyed these years and her time in Caribou. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Hamlin on April 27, 2018 at 11 AM. Funeral arrangements are by Mockler Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the VNA Hospice of Cape Cod, 67 Ter Heun Dr., Falmouth, MA 02540.
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