Teacher’s passion for literacy and knowledge was inspirational to all who knew her
Patricia “Pat” Gallant, EdD, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2024, at home in Fairfax, Vt., with loved ones at her side. Pat was born on September 19, 1950, in Hardwick, Vt., to Florence (Couture) and Clarence Gallant. She treasured her childhood. Almost anyone who met her had the experience of learning about Hardwick and finding a connection. While there were many challenges during her childhood, she strongly loved her family, friends and community. Pat was proud of her Hardwick identity. She enjoyed returning there for visits with family and friends, including high school reunions with the Hardwick Academy Class of ’68. She had the fondest memories of her school days and maintained her friendships throughout her lifetime. Classmates affectionately remember Pat as “the glue that held the class of ’68 together.” Pat never wanted the day to end. Through her last days, she enjoyed life to its fullest. Pat was engaged to Dean Johnson from Craftsbury, Vt., who died in Vietnam. Dean’s tragic death set Pat on the path to becoming a classroom teacher, college educator and lifelong student. She lovingly kept the Johnsons as part of her own family for the rest of her years. While completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont, Pat’s summers were spent working at the Highland Lodge on Caspian Lake. She spoke frequently of those being the best summers of her life. During this time, Pat met and then married Alfred “Chum” Daniels from East Albany, Vt. She became lifelong friends with his Orleans buddies and his Johnson State College friends (and their families) and was beloved Aunt Pat to the Daniels, Sinon, and Ferguson families. Pat and Chum honeymooned in their Volkswagen bus, traveling across the country and into Mexico. They settled in Fairfax, Vt., as elementary school teachers. While restoring and renovating a centuries-old farmhouse with views of Mount Mansfield, they raised three children (James “Jim,” Sara and Amy) to be curious, empathetic, independent, frugal and peace-seeking. Pat practiced homesteading, made many in-town friends, enjoyed gardening and kept a beautiful home. The dust from the dirt road outside the front door never settled on her tastefully curated antiques. While her children were young, Pat provided loving care to them and others in her home daycare before returning to teaching at the Maple School, a local Montessori school, which her daughters attended at the time. She soon returned to…
Teacher’s passion for literacy and knowledge was inspirational to all who knew her
Patricia “Pat” Gallant, EdD, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2024, at home in Fairfax, Vt., with loved ones at her side. Pat was born on September 19, 1950, in Hardwick, Vt., to Florence (Couture) and Clarence Gallant. She treasured her childhood. Almost anyone who met her had the experience of learning about Hardwick and finding a connection. While there were many challenges during her childhood, she strongly loved her family, friends and community. Pat was proud of her Hardwick identity. She enjoyed returning there for visits with family and friends, including high school reunions with the Hardwick Academy Class of ’68. She had the fondest memories of her school days and maintained her friendships throughout her lifetime. Classmates affectionately remember Pat as “the glue that held the class of ’68 together.” Pat never wanted the day to end. Through her last days, she enjoyed life to its fullest. Pat was engaged to Dean Johnson from Craftsbury, Vt., who died in Vietnam. Dean’s tragic death set Pat on the path to becoming a classroom teacher, college educator and lifelong student. She lovingly kept the Johnsons as part of her own family for the rest of her years. While completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont, Pat’s summers were spent working at the Highland Lodge on Caspian Lake. She spoke frequently of those being the best summers of her life. During this time, Pat met and then married Alfred “Chum” Daniels from East Albany, Vt. She became lifelong friends with his Orleans buddies and his Johnson State College friends (and their families) and was beloved Aunt Pat to the Daniels, Sinon, and Ferguson families. Pat and Chum honeymooned in their Volkswagen bus, traveling across the country and into Mexico. They settled in Fairfax, Vt., as elementary school teachers. While restoring and renovating a centuries-old farmhouse with views of Mount Mansfield, they raised three children (James “Jim,” Sara and Amy) to be curious, empathetic, independent, frugal and peace-seeking. Pat practiced homesteading, made many in-town friends, enjoyed gardening and kept a beautiful home. The dust from the dirt road outside the front door never settled on her tastefully curated antiques. While her children were young, Pat provided loving care to them and others in her home daycare before returning to teaching at the Maple School, a local Montessori school, which her daughters attended at the time. She soon returned to…