Florence J. Croteau

 Florence J. (Leclerc) Croteau passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on January 14, 2025. She was born in Berlin, NH to Aime Leclerc and Joanita (Bedard) Leclerc on April 21, 1931. She is survived by her children: son Marc Croteau and wife Christine Rogers of Ivoryton, CT; son Michael Croteau of Berlin, NH; and daughter Jocelyn and husband Maurice Fournier of Hermon, ME and her grandchildren: Stephanie and husband Christopher Norton; Melanie Croteau; Genevieve Croteau; Jon Croteau; Lauren and husband Christopher Blanchette; Christopher Fournier; and Stacey Croteau and her great-grandchildren: Hayley, Casey, Pearl, Grant, Evelyn, and Alexander and her sisters: Yvette Drapeau of Manchester, NH and Jacqueline Elias of Katy, TX, brother-in-law Roland Croteau and his wife Cecile and several nephews, nieces, cousins.

 She was pre-deceased by her husband Norman L. Croteau, daughter-in-law Rita Croteau, and infant granddaughter Little Stacey; and brothers: Romeo "Chuck", Roger, and infant Rene Leclerc; and sisters: Coulombe "Connie" Piper, Stella Amero, and Doris Christensen.

 Florence was a devout Catholic. Her faith shaped her life and was a source of great strength. She valued work and a job well done. Anyone who met her never forgot her. She loved her family unconditionally and immeasurably. She was always happy to help others, providing much support, wisdom, and guidance as well as actual work. 

 She was a talented artist, creating paintings with different media and subject matter. In her latter years she gave her greatest attention to studies of flowers, especially roses. Her craftsmanship extended to a creative process in which she used found objects to create three-dimensional folk art pieces. Giving away her art creations to others provided her with great joy. She loved spending time creating art pieces jointly with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a seamstress and made clothing, curtains, and upholstered furniture for herself and her children. Her grandchildren were the recipients of many “made to order” Halloween costumes. She loved the outdoors and remembered fondly the hours she spent helping her father in the wooded acres they owned. She played the violin, and in younger years was part of the orchestra in Berlin. She also sang in the women's choir at St. Joseph's Church in Berlin.

 Florence lived in Berlin for most of her life. One of her proudest accomplishments was building a new house in 1957 on Western Avenue across the street from her childhood home. Her husband, father, brother-in-law, and sisters all helped to build it. She and her husband continued to make home improvements over the course of 30+ years. In 2002, Florence moved near her daughter's family in Hermon, ME.

 Florence graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1949. She was employed by various entities in the Berlin area at different points during her working years, among these were Reisner's Dry Cleaning, The Granite State Division of Converse, St. Louis Hospital, AVH, and Coos County Nursing Home.

 A Funeral Mass at Good Shepherd Parish in Berlin, NH and burial will take place on Thursday January 23, 2025 at 10 AM. Family and friends are asked to meet directly at the church for the Mass. There will be no calling hours. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Marie Rivier Pantry and Ministries, 153 Grafton St., Berlin, NH, 03570 or to a local charity of one’s choice. The Bryant Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Online guestbook at www.bryantfuneralhome.net.