It is with deep sadness that we share the early passing of our sister, Suzanne Grace Jacques, on October 2, 2016 Melbourne Beach, Florida surrounded by the souls and love of all of her family and friends after a courageous battle with breast cancer.

Suzanne was born on May 23, 1952 in Colchester, VT to her late parents Curtis A. Jacques and Lucienne M. (Legrand), East Kingston, NH. She grew up in Derby and Westfield, VT where she attended North Country High School, class of 1970.

Her twenties found her spirited, fearless, adventurous, and full of life. She could ignite belly laughs with her jokes of actual and embellished escapades.   A gypsy at heart, she traveled through Europe, spent a year in New Zealand and Australia and lived in the northeastern states of VT, MA, NH, ME, and RI collecting friends and families that she held close throughout her life. She settled in Melbourne Beach, FL where she spent the remainder of her years.

A great passion, talent, and love surrounded her life’s work in the food industry.

Having worked her entire life in hotels, restaurants, top catering companies in Denver and Boston, consulting, Suzanne took a position she loved with Barber Foods in Portland, ME managing distributors along the east coast and the Caribbean.   Always perfecting her passion, she sold her charming home on the ocean in Cape Elizabeth, ME, to acquire her Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Culinary Arts & Marketing at Johnson & Wales, RI.

With a tender heart for children, soon after graduation she developed a program contracted by the RI public school system to provide enrichment programs throughout the state in exciting our children with colorful, healthy and affordable home meal options. ‘Chef Wink’ took her program as far north as Hudson, NH, to her niece’s school. She later taught underprivileged children with her church and later traveled to New Orleans to support the efforts of repair after Katrina. Joy came from the smiles and gratitude she received from her ministry of spreading her culinary gifts to the thousands of people she came in contact with over her years and the many special moments and relationships she developed with her nieces, nephews and family.

Suzanne had great discipline and she worked tirelessly at being the best that she could be. She had many passions… the ocean which she walked every day giving her peace and energy to begin her days, her relentless perfection of nutritional recipes that would delight those near and far, and the special care and attention she offered to her property management clients.

She was a woman of great faith and conviction and the relationship with her Lord provided her with her deepest comfort over the majority of her adult life…. she had long prepared herself to be with him.   She built a very large loving family of Christians who had shared their lives with her and was dearly blessed to have found, within them, an amazing group of Christian sisters that helped to carry her during her many challenges.

One of her greatest love and strength was derived from her grandmother and the time she spent with her in her early years. She will be placed to rest in her grandmother’s cemetery and that of her parents, aunts and uncles.

Suzanne is survived by seven siblings: John Jacques, wife Deborah , Tucson, AZ ; Jeannette Jacques, Nashua, NH; Dianne Cook, husband Greg, Rutland, VT; Anne Press, husband Michael, No Name Keys, FL; Curt Jacques, wife Sharon, Lebanon, NH; Dennis Jacques, wife Tami, Lizella, GA, and; Michael Jacques, wife Pauline, East Kingston, NH, and by 22 niblings, and four great niblings.    Suzanne is also predeceased by her father, Curtis A. Jacques and her mother, Lucienne M. (Legrand).

SERVICES: In Florida, there will be a service at 10:30 am, Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the First Baptist Church, 170 Washington Ave, Indialantic, FL, (321-723-5217).

In New Hampshire, a funeral service and Celebration of Suzanne’s Life will be held on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 2:00 pm officiated by her friend, Pastor Steve Thompson from Rhode Island, at Grace Ministries Community Church, 263 NH-125, Brentwood, NH (603-642-7848) followed by refreshments for friends and family.

In Vermont, Suzanne will be laid to rest on Saturday, October 29^th, 2016 at 1:00 pm in the St Thomas Cemetery, 16-158 Green Street, Underhill, Vermont.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to breast cancer research, www.bcrfcure.org/Donate in honor of Suzanne.