Obituary for Brenda Gagne
Brenda Nichols-Gagne, of Friendship, Maine, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, departed
this life for the next on March 9, 2022. Brenda was 81 when she finally succumbed to
complications from Alzheimer’s disease. It should be noted that, as ever, she went down
swinging.
Brenda will be always loved and deeply missed by her daughter, Debra Gagne Jeffers and her
husband, Lee Jeffers, of Manchester, Connecticut; her daughter-in-law Becca Gagne, of
Scotland, Connecticut, and grandsons Harry and Steven; her son, Douglas Gagne and his wife,
Courtney Desautell, of East Haddam, Connecticut, and their sons James and Miles; and her son,
Mark Gagne and his wife Michele, of Willimantic, Connecticut, and their sons Daniel, Nathan,
and D.J. Hettinger. Brenda was predeceased by her beloved husband of 64 years, Harold (Hap)
Gagne, and by her oldest son, Mitchell. Brenda will also be missed by her extended family and
friends in Maine and Connecticut.
Brenda was born in Willimantic, Connecticut on September 26, 1940, the only child of Claude
Jean Joseph Duchesneau and Ruth Helen (Nichols) Duchesneau. Brenda met Hap when they
were in high school; they married shortly thereafter and went on to raise their four children in
Mansfield, Connecticut. A housewife while her children were young, Brenda eventually followed her interest in history and established herself as an antiques dealer, specializing in early American folk art. She went on to become a successful real estate agent in eastern Connecticut.
Later in life, Hap and Brenda retired to Friendship, Maine, where she earned her certification as
a Master Gardener specializing in roses—no mean feat on the rugged Maine coast. Brenda was
a marvelously clever woman and a wonderful artist who designed the home that she and Hap
retired to in 1999, surrounding it with a lush oasis of interconnected gardens of her design.
Brenda was also the most loving mom and compassionate friend anyone could hope to find. Shewill be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved her.
Brenda’s family sends our love and thanks to all of the wonderful, kind, compassionate, and
brave healthcare workers at the Knox Center for Memory Care in Rockland, Maine, where
Brenda spent her last years. We are forever in your debt.
As we could not safely commemorate Hap’s passing last July, a celebration of Hap and Brenda’s
life together will be held this summer.
Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, light a candle for Brenda, or to share a story or picture, visit their Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com
this life for the next on March 9, 2022. Brenda was 81 when she finally succumbed to
complications from Alzheimer’s disease. It should be noted that, as ever, she went down
swinging.
Brenda will be always loved and deeply missed by her daughter, Debra Gagne Jeffers and her
husband, Lee Jeffers, of Manchester, Connecticut; her daughter-in-law Becca Gagne, of
Scotland, Connecticut, and grandsons Harry and Steven; her son, Douglas Gagne and his wife,
Courtney Desautell, of East Haddam, Connecticut, and their sons James and Miles; and her son,
Mark Gagne and his wife Michele, of Willimantic, Connecticut, and their sons Daniel, Nathan,
and D.J. Hettinger. Brenda was predeceased by her beloved husband of 64 years, Harold (Hap)
Gagne, and by her oldest son, Mitchell. Brenda will also be missed by her extended family and
friends in Maine and Connecticut.
Brenda was born in Willimantic, Connecticut on September 26, 1940, the only child of Claude
Jean Joseph Duchesneau and Ruth Helen (Nichols) Duchesneau. Brenda met Hap when they
were in high school; they married shortly thereafter and went on to raise their four children in
Mansfield, Connecticut. A housewife while her children were young, Brenda eventually followed her interest in history and established herself as an antiques dealer, specializing in early American folk art. She went on to become a successful real estate agent in eastern Connecticut.
Later in life, Hap and Brenda retired to Friendship, Maine, where she earned her certification as
a Master Gardener specializing in roses—no mean feat on the rugged Maine coast. Brenda was
a marvelously clever woman and a wonderful artist who designed the home that she and Hap
retired to in 1999, surrounding it with a lush oasis of interconnected gardens of her design.
Brenda was also the most loving mom and compassionate friend anyone could hope to find. Shewill be deeply missed by all those who knew and loved her.
Brenda’s family sends our love and thanks to all of the wonderful, kind, compassionate, and
brave healthcare workers at the Knox Center for Memory Care in Rockland, Maine, where
Brenda spent her last years. We are forever in your debt.
As we could not safely commemorate Hap’s passing last July, a celebration of Hap and Brenda’s
life together will be held this summer.
Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, light a candle for Brenda, or to share a story or picture, visit their Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com