2017 -- H 5105

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF ROSE M. LAVOIE

     Introduced By: Representatives Chippendale, Winfield, and Keable

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2017

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Rose M. LaVoie, beloved wife of Kenneth F. "Skip" LaVoie, passed away

on Monday, January 9, 2017. She was born in Burrillville, Rhode Island, a daughter of the late

Ernest J. and Eleanor Lange. She was also the devoted mother of Kevin A. LaVoie and his wife

Reena, Keith A. Lavoie, and the late Kenneth F. LaVoie, Jr.; and

     WHEREAS, Rose and her husband, Skip, moved to Chepachet in 1946. In 1964, she and

her husband took over the management of the Purple Cat Restaurant, an establishment that had

been run since 1929 by her husband's parents. Together, they owned and operated the Purple Cat

for forty-three years, providing their delicious and wholesome food and becoming a beloved

fixture within the community. For her outstanding service in the restaurant industry, Rose was

awarded the lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism

Association in 2001. In 1984, she received the "Women of the Year" award from the North

Providence Business and Professional Women's Club; and

     WHEREAS, Rose was very active in community affairs and worked tirelessly to make

Rhode Island a better place to live. In 1980, she was named the "Volunteer of the Year" by the

NCNHS for Outstanding Community Service. Rose was also a longtime preservation activist,

serving on many boards and commissions. As president of the Glocester Heritage Society, she

played a critical role in achieving funds to restore the Reuben Mason House. For her efforts in

this regard, she received the Antoinette Downing Award from the Rhode Island Historic

Preservation Commission and the Governor's Regional Tourism Award; and

     WHEREAS, Rose also received many additional awards honoring of her distinguished

professional career. She was a member of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and in 2004,

was the recipient of the William Blackstone Society Award from the Council. She was a founding

member and Past President of the Glocester Business Association and was given the Joan M.

Scarpio Award for Dedicated Service to Club and Community. She was also the recipient of the

GBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, and received the Thomas Wilson Dorr Award in

2009 from the Glocester Heritage Society as Citizen Extraordinaire. In 2012, she was named the

Citizen of the Year by the Chepachet Grange, and co-chaired the Glocester Bicentennial

Celebration Committee, and was chairwoman of the 4th of July Ancients and Horribles Parade

from 1986 to 1991; and

     WHEREAS, In her spare time, Rose enjoyed spending summers at her home in Boothbay

Harbor, Maine. She also enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles, attending Glocester Town

Council meetings, and doting on her grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and

     WHEREAS, In addition to her husband and sons, Rose leaves behind her brother Edward

F. Lange, and sisters Doris A. Hill and Norma M. O'Leary. She was predeceased by her siblings

Ernest F. Lange, Jr., and the late Mary F. Gallagher. She also leaves behind her grandchildren

Kenneth F. LaVoie III, Tara N. Kruzewski, and Kelsea Rose LaVoie, and her great-

grandchildren, Elissa Rose LaVoie, Joseph Kruzewski, Johanna Kruzewski, and Landon LaVoie;

now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby expresses its condolences to the LaVoie Family on the passing of

Rose M. LaVoie; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Kenneth F. LaVoie.

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