‘Island girl’ broke the mold of the 1950s mother, giving her daughters extraordinary adventures and larger-than-life memories
Marianne Luckett Shaw Blanchard of South Hero, Vt., died in her home, as she wished, on September 30, 2023. She departed on a stellar and sunny fall day. Born in New York City on August 25, 1928, she was the daughter of Katharine Luckett and Albert Shaw Jr. of Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y. In her youth, she attended the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and graduated from Vassar College in 1950. After college, she spent a year abroad in Europe. On her return, she joined the faculty at the Hudson River Day School. In 1952, she married Harry Cutler Blanchard, and her life took a decidedly less conventional path. They honeymooned on his 40-foot ketch, the Blue Nose, sailing from Brooklyn Harbor south to Key West and beyond. Three daughters soon followed, and they settled in Greenwich, Conn., where they started one of the first Volkswagen dealerships in the U.S. as Harry pursued his auto-racing passion. After Harry’s tragic death in 1960, Marianne and the family moved to Litchfield, Conn. It was here that she met John Evangelisti, putting his lumber yard business to heavy use! Over many construction projects that were often designed as a simple sketch on a legal pad, they had fun and built houses. Over time, they were lucky in love and married in 1994. Marianne was a true traveler and island girl. She was born on the island of Manhattan, and throughout her life she lived on the islands of South Hero, Grand Isle, Monhegan, Key West, Key Biscayne and Mallorca. She called these places home while she adventured across all the continents. On these journeys, she amassed an eclectic collection of art, objects and memories, often while traveling afar with her beloved brother, Eddy Shaw. Marianne broke the mold of the 1950s mother, passing on cookie baking and apron wearing. Instead, she gave her three daughters extraordinary adventures and memories that today seem larger than life. She took them down the Amazon in dug-out canoes and camping under the stars in Kenya to lions roaring in the distance. She drove the children to Florida several times before there was an interstate through the Deep South, snacking on Stuckey’s Pecan Rolls the whole way. She drove them across the Canadian Rockies, stopping at every cave walk and pony ride in sight. She drove the family from Connecticut to Vermont multiple times with a menagerie in…
‘Island girl’ broke the mold of the 1950s mother, giving her daughters extraordinary adventures and larger-than-life memories
Marianne Luckett Shaw Blanchard of South Hero, Vt., died in her home, as she wished, on September 30, 2023. She departed on a stellar and sunny fall day. Born in New York City on August 25, 1928, she was the daughter of Katharine Luckett and Albert Shaw Jr. of Ardsley-on-Hudson, N.Y. In her youth, she attended the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and graduated from Vassar College in 1950. After college, she spent a year abroad in Europe. On her return, she joined the faculty at the Hudson River Day School. In 1952, she married Harry Cutler Blanchard, and her life took a decidedly less conventional path. They honeymooned on his 40-foot ketch, the Blue Nose, sailing from Brooklyn Harbor south to Key West and beyond. Three daughters soon followed, and they settled in Greenwich, Conn., where they started one of the first Volkswagen dealerships in the U.S. as Harry pursued his auto-racing passion. After Harry’s tragic death in 1960, Marianne and the family moved to Litchfield, Conn. It was here that she met John Evangelisti, putting his lumber yard business to heavy use! Over many construction projects that were often designed as a simple sketch on a legal pad, they had fun and built houses. Over time, they were lucky in love and married in 1994. Marianne was a true traveler and island girl. She was born on the island of Manhattan, and throughout her life she lived on the islands of South Hero, Grand Isle, Monhegan, Key West, Key Biscayne and Mallorca. She called these places home while she adventured across all the continents. On these journeys, she amassed an eclectic collection of art, objects and memories, often while traveling afar with her beloved brother, Eddy Shaw. Marianne broke the mold of the 1950s mother, passing on cookie baking and apron wearing. Instead, she gave her three daughters extraordinary adventures and memories that today seem larger than life. She took them down the Amazon in dug-out canoes and camping under the stars in Kenya to lions roaring in the distance. She drove the children to Florida several times before there was an interstate through the Deep South, snacking on Stuckey’s Pecan Rolls the whole way. She drove them across the Canadian Rockies, stopping at every cave walk and pony ride in sight. She drove the family from Connecticut to Vermont multiple times with a menagerie in…
