Lifelong Burlington resident was a proud homemaker who found "absolute joy" in her family
Barbara DeForge, 92, of Burlington, Vt., made her peaceful departure just before sunrise on September 2, 2021. Hours earlier, the heavens beaconed her, alighting the sky with a spectacular sunset as she hovered between worlds. A lifelong Burlington resident, Barbara was born on January 25, 1929, to Glen and Rose Critchlow. Her brother, Glen Jr., followed in 1931, and the family spent many years in Burlington’s Old North End. There, Barbara forged friendships that stood the test of time — from neighborhood pals to classmates at Cathedral High School. Blessed with a sharp memory and mind for minutiae, Barbara readily recalled people, places and stories from her past. Listening to her, one could picture a bygone Burlington where ice blocks harvested from a frozen Lake Champlain were delivered on the backs of men to home iceboxes; where the Great Depression loomed large and “if you saw a line, you got in it”; where having a car was a luxury; where teenagers gathered downtown for a soda at Woolworth’s. During high school, Barbara met Norman DeForge, one of Glen’s classmates. A sharp dresser, Norman caught Barbara’s eye. She soon learned “he’d spent his entire paycheck on nice clothes to make it seem like he had money.” But Norman had already won her heart and, after four years of dating, they married on June 10, 1950. They spent their first summer as a married couple living in a camper at North Beach Campground. Despite these humble beginnings, Barbara was thrilled to be married and start a family. By 1960, she and Norman had four children, a lovely home in Burlington’s New North End and property on Colchester Point, where they built a summer camp. Summers at Broadlake revolved around swimming, sunbathing, boating and barbecuing. Barbara and Norman often entertained family and friends — especially the Critchlow clan —with their camp serving as a social hub of sorts. At one point, they had the only working telephone on the street. As a former telephone operator, Barbara was in her element when fielding calls for neighbors. For many, many years, up until her late eighties, Barbara spent sunny days at the lake, with her chair on the shoreline and her feet in the water. Her summer tan was legendary — bring on the baby oil! Barbara’s love of the beach brought her to Puerto Rico every February, where she and her cousins Jane…
Lifelong Burlington resident was a proud homemaker who found "absolute joy" in her family
Barbara DeForge, 92, of Burlington, Vt., made her peaceful departure just before sunrise on September 2, 2021. Hours earlier, the heavens beaconed her, alighting the sky with a spectacular sunset as she hovered between worlds. A lifelong Burlington resident, Barbara was born on January 25, 1929, to Glen and Rose Critchlow. Her brother, Glen Jr., followed in 1931, and the family spent many years in Burlington’s Old North End. There, Barbara forged friendships that stood the test of time — from neighborhood pals to classmates at Cathedral High School. Blessed with a sharp memory and mind for minutiae, Barbara readily recalled people, places and stories from her past. Listening to her, one could picture a bygone Burlington where ice blocks harvested from a frozen Lake Champlain were delivered on the backs of men to home iceboxes; where the Great Depression loomed large and “if you saw a line, you got in it”; where having a car was a luxury; where teenagers gathered downtown for a soda at Woolworth’s. During high school, Barbara met Norman DeForge, one of Glen’s classmates. A sharp dresser, Norman caught Barbara’s eye. She soon learned “he’d spent his entire paycheck on nice clothes to make it seem like he had money.” But Norman had already won her heart and, after four years of dating, they married on June 10, 1950. They spent their first summer as a married couple living in a camper at North Beach Campground. Despite these humble beginnings, Barbara was thrilled to be married and start a family. By 1960, she and Norman had four children, a lovely home in Burlington’s New North End and property on Colchester Point, where they built a summer camp. Summers at Broadlake revolved around swimming, sunbathing, boating and barbecuing. Barbara and Norman often entertained family and friends — especially the Critchlow clan —with their camp serving as a social hub of sorts. At one point, they had the only working telephone on the street. As a former telephone operator, Barbara was in her element when fielding calls for neighbors. For many, many years, up until her late eighties, Barbara spent sunny days at the lake, with her chair on the shoreline and her feet in the water. Her summer tan was legendary — bring on the baby oil! Barbara’s love of the beach brought her to Puerto Rico every February, where she and her cousins Jane…
