Joette Nan (Benjamin) Dudley

Joette Nan Dudley (Benjamin) passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Joette lived a life of love, caring, and service throughout her seventy years on Earth. She was a soul full of love, happiness and giving, which was evident in the way she lived her life. She spent twenty-five years as a Recreation Director for Westfield Care and Rehabilitation, before retiring in 2015.

Joette was born on May 18, 1952 in East Calais, VT to Merle and Beatrice Benjamin. While she spent most of her life in Connecticut, her heart would always have a special place in the Green Mountains of northern Vermont where she was born and raised. She was proud of where she came from and instilled the same values and virtues that she learned from the same area in both her children and her grandchildren.

Joette would meet and marry the love of her life, Bob Dudley, of Meriden, CT in Vermont, where they would marry on March 13, 1971. Joette and Bob would move to Connecticut and over the next fifty-two years, would raise two children (JoEllen & Jonathan) and eventually two grandchildren (Rhiannon & Grace), who were the apple of her eye.

Joette believed in living a simple life and was not a fan of excess, pretension, or fools. While she believed in living a simple life, she was not a simple woman. She was wise and caring; practical and sensible.  She loved to garden and was an expert tag sale buyer who could find whatever she might have been looking for in the moment. She also devoted her life to caring for those she loved the most; her family. This was evident in the little things that she would do for them, whether it was taking care of her beloved husband, dropping off a homemade apple pie, random groceries for both her adult children, and special outings with her beloved grandchildren. Joette was also a talented artist; a trait she passed on to both her daughter and granddaughter and loved to share art time with both JoEllen and Grace. She was a tireless spark of energy who touched many people in her life throughout the years.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Dudley, her children JoEllen Thrasher of Portland (Steven), Jonathan Dudley of Portland (Tracy), grandchildren Rhiannon and Grace, sisters Merlene Codling of Bath, NH, and Melissa Benjamin of South Barre, VT, as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and countless friends throughout her life. A service to celebrate her life will be held on Saturday February 25, 2023 at 12pm at Spencer Funeral Home 112 Main St.  East Hampton, CT. Friends and family may call at the funeral home from 10:00AM until the time of the service at 12 noon. To leave online condolences please visit www.spencerfuneralhomeinc.com.

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