Mariellen Vignot French

AUBURN - Mariellen French (née Vignot) passed peacefully from this Earth on August 20, 2025, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

She was born in New London, CT on July 21, 1940. She spent her formative years finding ways to get in trouble with her cousin Wayne, who lived just across the driveway. They walked on the sticky tarred flat roof of their grandmother’s store (forbidden), laid on their backs in the middle of Long Hill Road (dangerous) and played in the lye bin (ill-advised, particularly when Mariellen’s mother cleaned them off with the whisk brush, since lye would burn the skin when mixed with water.)

After graduating Fitch High School in 1958, she found office work; her most memorable job was writing advertising copy for a local radio station. She often told sales people, with her particular sly smile, that this experience made her able to recognize hogwash when she smelled it.

With the proceeds of her advertising job, she bought her first car - a 1961 Chevy Corvair. She didn’t yet have her driver’s license so the dealership didn’t want to sell her the car, but like she told the car salesman, you don’t need a license to own a car, just to drive one. She got her license soon after and met a Navy sailor named Ralph, whom she married in 1963.

In 1979, she worked for the John Anderson presidential campaign, and although her candidate lost the race, Mariellen felt empowered by the experience. She joined a consciousness raising group of like-minded women, who named themselves The Ladies’ Aid and Terrorist Society. They were a tour de force, accompanying each other to various odious tasks like buying cars and divorcing husbands. They marched for the ratification of the ERA and rallied for the civil rights of any and all. She served on town committees, with a particular focus on animals and the environment, and was well known for advocating for the right things, not the easy things.

Many people also knew her as The Library Lady. She worked the circulation desk at the Groton Public Library for 20 years, and always had a smile and a kind word (or bad pun) for each person she helped. A few of her favorite patrons would patiently wait in her line, even if it was longer than her coworkers’, just to chat with her. Of course, the library was an excellent place for her to work because she was a voracious reader. She particularly loved bloody murder mysteries and historical novels, but if it was well written and taught her something new, she’d read almost anything. She developed a deep well of knowledge, which she shared liberally.

She also shared her affection liberally. If you were her friend, you knew you were loved. If you were a stranger, you’d soon be a friend (unless or until you made her mad, then she might never speak to you again.) She loved spending time with her friends, whether taking lazy wanders through the woods or scouring thrift stores for a good deal. A trip for good ice cream was almost never too long, particularly if it included her grandsons, who were among the delights of her last 20 years.

Mariellen leaves behind her son Christopher and wife Kelly; her daughter Gillian and husband Tom; her much loved grandsons, Henry and Jacob; and her furry companions, Clarence and Chloe. She also leaves behind many dear friends, including her best friend Anna. Funeral arrangements are private, but the family will plan a memorial gathering at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to one of Mariellen’s favorite causes: Groton Animal Foundation, Groton Open Space Association or Native Womens Wilderness.

Arrangments are under the care of Kelly Cremation & Funeral Care, 154 Lincoln Street, Worcester.