Artist and pianist left an indelible mark on the lives of her students
Janet "Jann" LaBelle-Prince passed away at the Respite House in Colchester, Vt., on June2, 2022, after a long illness. Jann was the daughter of Ramon J. "Ray" and Marjorie LaBelle. She was born on June 18, 1947, in Burlington, Vt. Jann was a generous, compassionate and incredibly strong woman. She tragically and suddenly lost her beloved son Martin “Marty” when he was 19 years old in 2004. It was a loss she never really recovered from. Jann was loved by many and had many dear friends, including her adopted daughter, Katharine “Katie” Monje, and her close friend Mary Lou Marsh. She is also survived by her sister Joan LaBelle Creasia; her nieces Karen and Tracy; her great-nieces and nephews Christina M. and Michael A. Yarrish and Cameron B. and Christopher T. Hohenschutz, for whom she cared deeply. As a child, Jann was sexually abused once at age 4 and then again by a Catholic priest between the ages of 12 and 18. She lived dual lives: a life of abuse and deep pain; and a life of success, many talents and survivorship. Jann took classes at Johnson State College and Northeastern College. She graduated from theNew England School of Art in Boston, Mass., in 1966 and was a prolific artist throughout her life. Always wanting to grow and learn as an artist, she was drawn to and studied Asian art and was tireless in her pursuit to capture landscapes using different mediums, such as watercolors, oils and charcoal. Jann was passionate about capturing on paper what she was inspired by in the world. She was so proud of her eight solo art shows and 70 group art shows. She has shown her work in Vermont, Pennsylvania and California, and her art can be found all over the East Coast. Like her “daddy,” Ray LaBelle, whom she admired, loved and missed dearly, Jann was a very talented musician with a great sense of humor. Jann was an accomplished pianist, performing publicly and teaching piano for decades. She was a businesswoman and lifelong teacher of art and music. Her love and respect of children shined throughout her life. She established an art program at the Essex Junction Technical School. She taught art in Essex Junction, summer school at the Week School in Vergennes, and private and group art and piano lessons in her home for over 50 years. Jann also created…
Artist and pianist left an indelible mark on the lives of her students
Janet "Jann" LaBelle-Prince passed away at the Respite House in Colchester, Vt., on June2, 2022, after a long illness. Jann was the daughter of Ramon J. "Ray" and Marjorie LaBelle. She was born on June 18, 1947, in Burlington, Vt. Jann was a generous, compassionate and incredibly strong woman. She tragically and suddenly lost her beloved son Martin “Marty” when he was 19 years old in 2004. It was a loss she never really recovered from. Jann was loved by many and had many dear friends, including her adopted daughter, Katharine “Katie” Monje, and her close friend Mary Lou Marsh. She is also survived by her sister Joan LaBelle Creasia; her nieces Karen and Tracy; her great-nieces and nephews Christina M. and Michael A. Yarrish and Cameron B. and Christopher T. Hohenschutz, for whom she cared deeply. As a child, Jann was sexually abused once at age 4 and then again by a Catholic priest between the ages of 12 and 18. She lived dual lives: a life of abuse and deep pain; and a life of success, many talents and survivorship. Jann took classes at Johnson State College and Northeastern College. She graduated from theNew England School of Art in Boston, Mass., in 1966 and was a prolific artist throughout her life. Always wanting to grow and learn as an artist, she was drawn to and studied Asian art and was tireless in her pursuit to capture landscapes using different mediums, such as watercolors, oils and charcoal. Jann was passionate about capturing on paper what she was inspired by in the world. She was so proud of her eight solo art shows and 70 group art shows. She has shown her work in Vermont, Pennsylvania and California, and her art can be found all over the East Coast. Like her “daddy,” Ray LaBelle, whom she admired, loved and missed dearly, Jann was a very talented musician with a great sense of humor. Jann was an accomplished pianist, performing publicly and teaching piano for decades. She was a businesswoman and lifelong teacher of art and music. Her love and respect of children shined throughout her life. She established an art program at the Essex Junction Technical School. She taught art in Essex Junction, summer school at the Week School in Vergennes, and private and group art and piano lessons in her home for over 50 years. Jann also created…