Mary Virginia Benoit Rippin

While she left this world from her adopted home in the south, her heart always belonged to her home state of Vermont. She was born on April 17, 1948, daughter to the late L. Paul Benoit and Alice Sullivan Benoit in Burlington, VT. As a proud graduate of Rice High School (Burlington) and St. Vincent’s School of Nursing (Worcester, MA), she dedicated her life to helping others in just about every way she could imagine. Her passions for traveling the world, rescuing every animal she could and tending her garden were only matched in strength by her tireless work ethic and unwavering commitment to all in her care, whether they knew it or not.

Tougher than a New England winter, she is remembered for a sharp wit and biting sarcasm that, try as she might, could never fool anyone who knew her that she was anything less than one of the most selfless, kind and caring people we were lucky enough to call our own.

As a wife (her beloved late husband Jim Rippin passed away in 2012), mother, sister (Brothers Ronald and Christopher passed away in 2015 and 2020, respectively) grandmother and friend, her loss is felt deeply by many. Surviving her are sisters Paula Pyle (Orlando, FL), Alicia Benoit-Clark (Walden, VT), Susan Turner (Chittenango, NY); brother Matthew Benoit (Westcliffe, CO); sister-in-law Julia Benoit (Bella Vista, AR); son Bart and daughter-in-law Erin, and two grandchildren (Winston-Salem, NC).

If you wish to honor Mary, take the time go somewhere you’ve never been, rescue an animal in need* or treat a stranger with kindness. It’s who she always was, and who we will miss so much.

*Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, (CVAAG.org), was one of her favorites.