Adrienne M. (cormier) Hession

Adrienne M. Hession (Cormier) of Epsom, NH passed away on May 2, 2015 at the Concord VNA Hospice House in Concord, NH from kidney cancer. She was born on December 24, 1944 in Boston, MA to Vivian (Dorin) and Frederick Cormier. She grew up in West Roxbury, MA attended St. Theresa's elementary school and graduated from St. Mary's High School in Brookline, MA. She attended Boston State College. She married Malcolm Hession on January 9, 1965.
During the 1970's she raised her family in Roslindale, MA and worked as school bus driver during the "busing era" in Boston. She drove children and teenagers from inner city Boston to the suburb of Weston and often braved protests and even had rocks thrown at her bus but believed in the equality of a good education for everyone. She also believed in inclusion and embraced this through her volunteer work. She volunteered her time to help open one of the first group homes in Boston through the local ARC program to transition developmentally delayed adults from Fernald State School into their own home. She involved her family painting and restoring the home and also engaging with the tenants as they moved in. She also worked on the Board for United Cerebral Palsy and assisted with the annual televised telethons.
At the age of 30 she went blind due to optic neuritis and was completely blind for 18 months. In the 18 months she was blind she returned to her love of art and painted pictures using paneling and house paste to form and paint beautiful pictures from memory. She became involved with the Mass Commission for the Blind to assist her to be as independent as possible. Her family still remembers the day she got her sight back and the first thing she did was read an article about the flight of the Monarch Butterfly in National Geographic magazine. She read the whole article and then realized she had regained her sight and excitedly woke her family to see them again. The very same day she insisted on getting her license again and drove around the streets of Boston until midnight taking in as many sights as she could.
She had a love of driving and went on to get her CDL license. She then went to work for the US Post Office in South Boston as a tractor trailer driver and even drove her truck during the St Patrick's Day parade. She worked her way up in the post office becoming a truck fleet supervisor and dispatcher at the A Street garage in South Boston where she worked until early retirement due to disability from heart disease in 1992.
In 1988 she moved to New Hampshire and started her second chapter, first living in Plaistow, then Windham, Goffstown and finally Epsom, NH. She enjoyed painting, gardening, cooking and watching the Red Sox and Patriots.
Throughout her life she gave unconditional love and generosity not only to her family and friends but to anyone she met even for a moment. She will be gravely missed by all who knew and loved her.
In addition to her husband with whom she shared 50 years of marriage she leaves behind daughters; Cynthia Richard and her husband, Peter of Plaistow, NH, Janine Hession of Epsom, NH and her son, Christopher of Manchester, NH. Sisters; Michelle Langa of Dover, NH, Jeanette Childers and her husband, Russell of Norton, MA, Rosemary Chase and her husband, Mark of Shrewsbury, MA. Sister in-law, Mary Cormier of Chester, NH, brother's in-law James Duffy of Norwood, MA and Thomas McQuillan of Manomet, MA. She was predeceased by her parents and siblings; Vivian Lombardi, Carol Duffy, Frederick Cormier, Celeste McQuillan and Cheryl Cormier. She also leave behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends.
Family and friends are invited to attend Mrs. Hession's Life Celebration on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 from 4 – 8 PM at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main Street (Rt. 121A), Plaistow, NH 03865. Her funeral will begin on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 9 AM at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish at Holy Angels Church, 8 Atkinson Depot Road, Plaistow, NH 03865. Burial will follow in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Bedford, NH.

The family would like to thank her PCP, Dr. Gregory Lynch who helped her through many medical issues over the years and treated her with kindness and support during these last months. The family would also like to thank the staff at Concord VNA Hospice House for their support over this last very difficult week.
Donations are requested to: Concord VNA & Hospice House, 240 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301.