Hollis, NH – Jean Leonora (Piotrowski) Plourde of Hollis, NH, passed away peacefully after a brief illness at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH, on September 10, 2025. She was 87. Jean was a resident of Concord from 1959-2013.
Born on April 11, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, Jean was the fifth and youngest daughter of Eastern European immigrants, Leopold and Anna (Szczerbata) Piotrowski.
Jean attended New York Public School 150 in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1955. As a child, she loved the library, swimming at the Betsy Head Pool, and special afternoon movie matinees.
At the age of 16, Jean spent the summer in Virginia to help an older sister as a mother’s helper. And it was at the Quantico Marine Corps Base’s community pool that she met her future husband, Al. It was love at first sight. They married in Brooklyn, NY, in 1956 and briefly lived in Millinocket, Maine, (where Al was from) and Brooklyn before settling in Concord, NH, in 1959.
Trained as a bookkeeper, Jean worked for Grants Department Store and Worthmore Feeds until 1966 when her and Al started their family.
Jean found creative ways to earn an income while staying at home with her children. The most notable was her pottery business, Jeannie’s Ceramics. It was the hottest ticket in town-with jam-packed classes throughout the 1970s and early 80s. Women and teens across the city attended her fun-filled creative classes. During this time Jean was also an active member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, serving as a member of the Church Council and other church-related activities.
As her children grew older, Jean returned to work outside the home in the mid-80s, first at Concord Hospital and then for the New Hampshire Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation until she retired in 2004.
Jean was known for numerous creative activities; sewing, embroidery, quilting, Halloween costumes, holiday decorations and more. She was an avid knitter and crocheted countless blankets, and sweaters. After retirement, Jean served as the local coordinator for Knits for Kids, with more than 50 women knitting sweaters for children both locally and in Appalachia. She also knitted hats and mittens for elementary school students and refugees in Concord.
Jean was also very interested in learning divination; taking classes, reading and sharing her knowledge about Medieval runes, tarot, and palm reading.
Everyone who knew Jean knew her love for food. She was an accomplished home cook and could often be found reading cookbooks and food magazines, watching cooking and baking shows and in the kitchen make delicious meals and treats. Never one to throw away food, leftovers were reinvented as tasty second dinners or comforting pots of soup. Her culinary talents and resourcefulness were enjoyed by many and her passion for cooking continues through her children and grandchildren. We will forever miss her pork cutlets, bakin’ powder biscuits, stuffed bread, Sunday roasts and mashed potatoes, cookies and pies. Cooking, baking, knitting and sewing were her love languages.
In 2013, Jean moved to Hollis, NH, to live with her youngest daughter’s family and she cherished having a front row seat to her grandchildren’s daily lives. Jean’s outgoing and friendly personality enabled her to make new and lasting friendships while swimming, coloring, knitting and socializing at the YMCA in Nashua and the Pepperell (MA) Senior Center. Despite her decreasing mobility, she was also able to enjoy several winter visits with her son’s family, first in West Virginia and then Florida.
Jean was pre-deceased by her parents; husband, Albert Gilbert Plourde, Jr. and her four sisters; Julia (Baumann), Micki (Michaels), Susie (Telepko), and Pauline (Krauchick). She is survived by her three children, eight grandchildren, and a great grandchild: son Gregory Jon, daughter-in-law Mary and their three children, Alek and his wife Paige and their child Grayson; Reese and Zachary; daughter Jeannette Renee (Passanisi), son-in-law Charles and their three children, Katherine, Elizabeth and Robert; and daughter Michelle Ann (St. John), son-in-law Chris and their two children, Benjamin and Lukas. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews and their families.
She continues to be greatly missed by those who loved her.
A celebration of Jean’s life followed by a cremation burial and memorial tree planting will be held on Saturday, June 6 at the Life Forest Conservation Cemetery in Hillsborough, NH beginning at 2PM. Donations may be made in Jean’s memory to KnitsforKids.org.
Assisting the family with arrangements is the Cremation Society of NH, Nashua. To view Jean’s Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.
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