Hanover, NH – Vickie French, 71, of Hanover, NH, passed away from complications of a pulmonary embolism on January 4, 2026. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, remembered for her kindness, warmth, gentleness, and quiet generosity.
Vickie French (née Welch) was born in Beverly, MA and raised in Salem. When she was 12, her mother passed away. Vickie gained a second mother when her father remarried and two households came together to form a close, tight-knit family with seven children.
Vickie earned a BA from Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA. While in college, she fell in love with Ken French. They married on September 18, 1976, soon after she graduated, and together they built a life full of love, humor, and nightly desserts. The couple had three children: Bob, Laura, and Elizabeth. Vickie was a gentle and kind mother, who taught her children through patience, steady support, and unconditional love.
Vickie loved reading, spending time with friends, traveling, playing pickleball, and caring for the family dogs and her seven beloved grandkids. She also loved hosting friends, who always appreciated her generosity and easy-going nature.
Vickie was also deeply committed to philanthropy, particularly efforts that supported children. She funded the Ken and Vickie French Child Advocacy and Protection Program at Dartmouth Health and provided significant support to the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at MaineHealth. For many years, she hosted semi-annual board meetings for the Valpo Surf Project, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged youth in Valparaiso, Chile. She and Ken sponsored many scholarships for low-income students at the University of Rochester and Lehigh University and emergency funds at several other universities. They were generous donors to Grassroot Soccer, an international nonprofit that works to improve adolescent health. The International Rescue Committee gave Vickie their “Humanitarian of the Year” award in 2014 in recognition of her support of their work with refugees. All of this is testimony to the values that guided her life.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, her three children, and seven wonderful grandchildren, all of whom adored her deeply.
We will gather to celebrate Vickie’s life at the Hanover Inn at 2 PM on May 16, 2026.
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