Harriet Gagne'

Harriet "Pat" Towle Gagne' passed away March 25, 2015. She was born in Worcester, Mass., on Jan. 21, 1916. She grew up in Exeter, N.H., and attended Wellesley College, receiving a Bachelors degree in 1936 and a Masters degree in 1939. Pat married Robert "Bob" Mills Gagn in 1942 and they had two children. Due to Bobs career, the family moved several times. While raising young children, Pat was a very active volunteer with the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and League of Women Voters. Later, she worked as an electron microscopist in laboratories at Princeton University, the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, the University of California at Berkeley, and Florida State University. Throughout her adult life, Pat practiced the crafts of weaving and needlework and enjoyed the design aspect of these crafts. She supported local art museums and artists. She also enjoyed reading, cooking, and staying up with political events. Pat and Bob moved to Alexian Village at Signal Mountain in 1993. While there, Pat was an active volunteer and participant on various Resident committees. She will be remembered for being the oldest resident to win the Spelling Bee three years in a row. Pat was predeceased by her husband and her sister, Alice Towle MacClellan. She is survived by her children, Samuel Gagne' and his wife, Donna, of Topsfield, Mass., and Ellen Gagne' and her husband William Davis of Bethesda, Md. Pat is also survived by her cherished grandsons, David Gagne' and Jason Davis. The family has enormous gratitude toward all of the people at Alexian Village and Alexian Health Center who offered Pat their kindness and support during the past few months. We are especially grateful to Jean Thompson, Pat's caregiver for 13 years and Barbara Volpe, caregiver for three years. These two caring individuals did much to make it possible for Pat to live the way she wanted to for as long as possible. A memorial service is being planned. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Pat's memory may be made to Hospice of Chattanooga or the Alexian Village Resident Scholarship Fund. Visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort to the family. Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 7454 East Brainerd Road.