SOUTHINGTON, Conn. — On Wednesday, July 17, Elsie (Rossignol) Bernaiche Anctil was reunited in heaven with her devoted and loving husband of 29 years, Laurier “Larry” Anctil, following a very brief illness due to complications from surgery.

Born in Frenchville on June 17, 1928, Elsie was one of 20 children of the late Joseph and Edith (Derossier) Rossignol. At age 13, she moved to Lewiston.

Elsie married Richard Bernaiche and moved to Connecticut, settling in Southington. She was a homemaker while raising her seven children. She also worked for General Electric, retiring in 1990.

Elsie remarried and moved back to Lewiston with Larry. Elsie and Larry spent their final years in Southington, Conn., where they always had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in close proximity. She was also a vital part of her daughter’s home daycare, in which all the children loved her and called her “Grandmemere.”

Elsie was a very devoted Christian and had great faith in God; this was instrumental in winning her battle against pancreatic cancer and becoming an eight-year pancreatic cancer survivor. She has spent her post-retirement years crocheting, knitting, playing cards, enjoying family time and doing crossword puzzles, among many other activities. She took great pride planning her yearly “Celebration of Life” picnic and raffle to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis research, a cause close to her heart since her great-grandson, AJ, has the disease.

Elsie is survived by her five sons and two daughters, Reginald Bernaiche of New Hampshire, Richard Bernaiche of Southington, Conn., Gene Bernaiche and his wife, Sharon, of New Britain, Conn., Joseph Bernaiche of Southington, Conn., Normand Bernaiche and his wife, Jennifer, of New Hampshire, Arlene Bernaiche of Southington, Conn., and Sheryl Hatheway and her husband, Norman, of Southington, Conn.; as well as a daughter-in-law, Jean Gura of Meriden, Conn. She also leaves behind three brothers and one sister, Claude Rossignol and Emile Gerard Rossignol of Lewiston, Patrick Rossignol of North Carolina, and Simone Cote of Maine and Florida; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren will continue her legacy. Elsie also leaves behind her two very close nieces, Irene Bowie and her husband, Richard, and Joanne Therrian and her husband, Ray; as well as her two closest friends, Francis Doyon of Cheshire, Conn. and Ruby Jarry of Bristol, Conn. She would also like to bless all of her friends at her Christian Women’s Club.

“Dear family, do not cry for me, for I have gone to a better place. I’ll never leave you, for I’ll be looking down on you.”

For online condolences, please visit www.plantsvillefuneralhome.com.

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