Obituary of Esther Carolina Dufresne (Carmell)

Esther Carolina Dufresne (Carmell), age 96, passed peacefully on May 14 th 2024. She was the daughter of Ethel (Johnson) & Joseph Carmell and sister of the late Rita Carmell; beloved wife of the late Donald Dufresne to whom she was married 52 years, mother of Diane Dufresne & Christine Heiser (Richard); grandmother of Alexandria, Echo, & Marshall Heiser. She also leaves her companion at Summit Commons, Gene Lyles. Born in Providence R.I., she graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School and had a brief career at A T & T before having children. Later in life, she worked at Schoolhouse Candy and then at the Apex Department store. She loved plants and animals, especially cats, and always had a pet cat. She was also very fond of birds & butterflies. She loved steak, Coca-Cola, & Stephen Colbert, but most of all, she loved the sun! She did not like sentimental songs, or any form of exercise! She was an avid reader, especially biographies & non- fiction. She was a very intelligent woman who was ahead of her time, having read Rachel Carson & Linus Pauling, she believed in wellness promotion & the importance of avoiding chemical pollution. She was interested in people of all cultures and encouraged exploration of the world. She and her husband traveled cross country in the late 1950’s and she was able to see most of the states. She was especially fond of Florida, but, was unable to convince anyone else in the family to move there! In retirement, she and her husband became flea market dealers, selling at Rocky Hill Fairgrounds. She went to yard sales every weekend well into her 80’s and held yard sales of her own twice a year! She lived fully and engaged until the last month of her life. The family is deeply grateful to Athena Hospice, especially Gabriel, a volunteer who visited her often. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the ASPCA at https://secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial. 
Visitation will be Tuesday May 21 st , 2024 10:30am to 12:30pm at the Mt. Pleasant Funeral Home, 168 Academy Avenue, Providence, R.I. with burial to follow at Veterans Memorial Cemetery. For further information and condolences, please visit MOUNTPLEASANTFH.COM.

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