Theresa Duffy

 Theresa Isabel Duffy passed away peacefully on October 25, 2024, in Burlington, Vermont, surrounded by loved ones. She was 81. She was a bright light whose generosity, kindness, and creativity will shine on through her loved ones. She took joy in being a Vermonter, a dairy farmer, an Irishman, a Duffy girl, a teacher, and an artist.

Theresa was born on September 18, 1943 in Burlington, Vermont to Vernon P. Duffy and Elizabeth R Duffy. A lifelong Vermonter, she was raised on the Duffy Family Farm in Milton. She graduated high school in 1961. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. degree in Home Economics in 1965. She began her teaching career in Middlebury, Vermont. She went on to teach at Milton High School and Bellows Free Academy – St Albans. She did all this while being married and raising three boys. She retired in 2009.

 Theresa cultivated several interests throughout the seasons of her life. As a child, she was an avid basketball player, providing tenacious defense for the Milton Yellow Jackets in high school. She was selected for the All State Team an incredible four years . As she came of age, her interest in basketball mysteriously gave way to a fascination with the Beatles.

John F Kennedy stoked her idealism. His presidential campaign instilled in her a sense of civic responsibility. One of her fondest and most talked-about memories was attending the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City working on the convention floor with other fellow Vermonters in her age group. She became a lifetime member of the Democratic Party and participated in local politics and campaigns throughout her life. Wherever she was, no matter what she was doing, she had to tune into Marselis Parsons on the WCAX news at 6:00.

In her adult years, she cultivated her childhood interest in art. She dedicated her free time to painting, arts and crafts. Family members were fond of receiving her special homemade cards. She was an active participant in the local arts community. Her work was featured at farmer’s markets and establishments in St. Albans and Williston, Vermont.

Theresa is survived by her sons John William (Bill) Paeplow, Patrick C. Paeplow, and Martin Paeplow and his fiancée, Dez-Ann Sutherland; her grandchildren Julien Paeplow and Lesly Zapata; her sisters Mary Ann Godin (Reginald), Katherine Cadreact and Shanley Triggs (Daniel), as well as Elizabeth Circharo, Jessica Melgarejo, and scores of loving nieces, nephews and other extended family members. 

She was pre-deceased by her parents, Vernon P. and Elizabeth R. Duffy; her siblings, Ellen D. Manley, Patrick R. Duffy, and V. Michael Duffy; her brother in-law, David Cadreact, and her nephew V. Michael Duffy, II. 

Calling hours will be held in the Minor Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Milton, Vermont on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on October 31, 2024 at at 11:00 am at the Ascension Church on Route 7 in Georgia, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Vermont Arts Council online here.