Woodbridge, Va. —
Terry was born in Claremont to Malcolm Wadleigh and Ramona (Whitcomb) Wadleigh on Sept. 18, 1951.
She is survived by her husband, Paul; daughter, Erica of Essex Junction, Vt.; son, Lionel of Raleigh, N.C.; her mother, Ramona Wadleigh of Claremont; her sister, Jane and her husband, Leo Hunter of Claremont; and her brother, John Wadleigh of Charleston, N.H.; brother-in-law, Raymond Ferland and his wife, Judy of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; sister-in-law, Elaine Farnham and her husband, Tyrone of Bedford, Va.; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her father Malcolm Wadleigh.
Terry was an educator with over 35 years of service helping children. She was a special educator/classroom teacher in Colchester, Milton, and Addison County, Vt. She also taught fifth grade in the Prince William County school district of Virginia for the last seven years. An inspirational magnet on her refrigerator reads “A teacher plants the seeds that grow forever” and during her time as a teacher, she taught and inspired over 1,000 students. Her love of teaching and dedication to her students provided her with the strength to continue teaching throughout her eight-year battle, often taking the last available treatment appointment to minimize her time away from her students. She will be missed by all of the teachers and students whose journey crossed her path in life.
Terry was valedictorian of her high school (Stevens HS Class of 1969), she was also part of the first class of women admitted to Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. She was a lifelong student who believed that you were never too old to learn. She received a master’s degree from Dartmouth College and attended graduate studies at St. Michael’s College and University of Vermont along with numerous courses each year.
Terry was a Claremont City councilor in 1980 to 1981 and served on the Labor Contract Board which included a job classification study and salary schedule for the city. She was a member of the Economic Development Agency. Terry provided technical preservation services for the Reuse and Financial Feasibility Study for the conversion of existing vacant historic mill structures in Claremont.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Terry at the Common Man Inn in Claremont on Saturday, Dec. 10 from noon to 3 p.m.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her honor to the Susan G. Komen for the cure organization.