Priscilla Janet Guilmette Baril

Priscilla Janet Guilmette Baril, 83, of Sunapee, NH, passed away on Monday, July 1, 2024 at Woodlawn Care Center where she was a resident for nineteen months. The quietness of her passing, shortly after midnight, was in contrast to her varied and adventurous life. Priscilla was intellectually curious, active, expressive, interested in many things, a voracious reader, a social butterfly and able to talk with anyone about anything. She would light up and exude charm when talking with those she loved or meeting new people. Priscilla met a lot of new people. 

Priscilla was born in Berlin, NH to Rose (Dinardi) and Paul Elzear Guilmette (both deceased) on June 1, 1941. She was the younger sister of Deanna Maravelle (deceased) and the older sister of Paul Leonard Guilmette, currently of Canton Center, CT. Her family moved to West Hartford, CT where she entered the workforce in the local tobacco fields at a young age and graduated Conard High School in 1959. 

Priscilla married James Gergler (deceased) in 1961 while living in Connecticut. They immediately made a move to the pacific northwest that started eighteen moves (James worked for the federal government). During this time they had Geoff Gergler (deceased), Laura (Gergler) Martino, currently of Escondido, CA and Kurt Gergler, currently of Sunapee, NH. 

They landed in Bow, NH in 1968 and remained there together until 1989. Priscilla had many friends. She helped develop and lead an aerobics program and was swept up in the running boom in the mid-1970s. She competed in road races, including the all-women Bonne Bell 10K race in Boston. After working for a greeting card company in Bow and an optometrist in Concord, she bought a tailor shop in the early 1980s and ran Priscilla’s Tailoring on Main Street, Concord, NH for nearly two decades. 

In 1991, Priscilla married the love of her life, Jean-Marc Baril (deceased). Together, they bought and improved a house in New Ipswich, NH. Their house had a long view into Massachusetts, flower gardens, a pool, a hot tub and a spacious deck. They took full advantage of the setting for themselves and for many friend and family gatherings. She briefly moved her tailor shop to neighboring Peterborough but ended up working out of her home. She and Jean-Marc lived a rich and loving life, which included a wonderful relationship with Jean-Marc’s daughter, Gisele Thibeault of Temple, NH. Priscilla loved her daughter Gisele and all the time they spent together. Priscilla, Jean-Marc, Gisele and her husband David Thibeault enjoyed countless visits, including yearly vacations in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Jean-Marc’s passing in 2014 left Priscilla heart-broken.

Priscilla moved to Punta Gorda, FL in 2015 where she quickly built a friend group. She joined her friends for water aerobics, lunches out, potlucks at the meeting hall and happy hours. She enjoyed her condo with a veranda overlooking the Peace River. Sadly, her physical abilities slowly eroded, impacting her balance. 

By early 2022 she relied on a few hours a week of in-home help and by mid-2022 she had full-time in-home care. Her son, Geoff, passed away in July. Her planned move back to NH was delayed as Punta Gorda was hit by Hurricane Ian in September. She rode out the storm in her condo that sustained substantial water damage. She broke her neck in November. In December, her daughter Laura was able to lovingly join Priscilla on her final trip back to New Hampshire, to Woodlawn Care Center in Newport. 2022 was a hard and pivotal year for Priscilla. 

Her final nineteen months included, again, building social connections with those around her. Many residents and staff members at her care facility developed a soft spot for Priscilla. She enjoyed reading, weekly outings with her son Kurt, visits from family, chatting out on the deck and a variety of activities available at her residence. Her latest fond memories included Easter dinner with Gisele and her family and a birthday dinner with her brother, Paul, cousin, Randy and their spouses, Chris and Joan. 

Priscilla leaves behind her brother Paul Guilmette (his wife, Chris), daughter Laura Martino (her husband, Gary and daughter, Marcella), her son Kurt (his wife, Elaine Arbour), her daughter Gisele (her husband, David and children Joshua Brundige, Jacob Thibeault with his wife Caeli, and Emilee Thibeault), Geoff’s children Kristopher Gergler and Akashia Sullivan (her husband, John), Jacob’s children Bodhi and Vivienne Thibeault, and many, many family and friends across the country. 

Priscilla ended quietly, but she made wonderful noise for 83 years.

There will not be a viewing or service, but please consider showing extra kindness to any older individual struggling to maintain independence and gratitude to any individual supporting them.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Priscilla Janet Guilmette Baril, please visit our floral store.