Enfield, NH – Annette Jordan passed away at age 96. She joined her husband, Robert Jordan, on their 76th wedding anniversary. She often told stories of how Dad was the ice man at her high school, and she and her friends would sigh as he walked through their classroom to embarrass him. They started dating when he returned from Germany after WWII, and were together from that time forward.
Annette was the 4th child of eight children born of Adrienne (Demers) Audette and Oscar Audette. She was raised on West Street in Lebanon, NH (where she proudly called herself a “Tom Boy”), lived in Cornish for about 13 years, and settled in Enfield, NH.
She was a great mother and mentor and a fierce defender of her children (she often took on teachers and school boards in their defense). Anyone who knew her loved her and respected her. Some even wished that she was their mom. Her favorite work years were as a telephone switchboard operator. She worked as an operator in Lebanon until they went dial, and later in Windsor, VT, until they went dial. She spent more than 9 years in that capacity and often wished that she could still do it. Annette kept the switchboard jack from the last call connected before the telephone office went “dial”.
Annette loved sports. She played basketball and field hockey at Lebanon High School and was an avid Red Sox fan. She enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s sporting events too, sometimes traveling well over an hour each way, bringing her love and her support. She even drove to Melbourne, Florida, to see a granddaughter play basketball.
While living in Cornish, Annette, along with Ginny Hood and Jackie Rice, started the Youth Activities Club, known as YAK. This group provided fundraising and activities for the youth of their town, including purchasing boys basketball uniforms and buying fabric to sew cheerleading uniforms.
After Annette retired from Watts Regulator, she continued on as a volunteer for Listen for more than 30 years. At Listen she started sorting and staging clothes to go into the shop. She realized that so many donated clothes needed minor fixes like buttons and sewing, and she became their sewist. Annette also supported various charities through her donations of quilts, and enjoyed several years of volunteering at the Lebanon Senior Center with their sewing group.
Of all the values that our parents instilled in us, one of the many lasting values is the ability to enjoy harmless humor and to find humor, sometimes, in the most difficult of times. Throughout Mom’s incredibly challenging spring and summer months, she had a standing request to substitute water with vodka! This from a person who had not touched liquor in decades. Her attendants grew to anticipate her “request” and joked right along with her. During our last days together, when Mom could no longer participate in conversations, many memories arose that not only sparked a smile, but outright laughter. The lesson learned over the years is that we cannot necessarily change circumstances, but we can change how we respond to them. Humor often lightens the load.
Annette was predeceased by her husband, Robert, and their sons, Richard and Rip. She leaves her brothers, Edward and Oscar, her children, Robert Jordan Jr. and wife, Patricia; Roy Jordan and Patti Jordan; Robin J. Jacobs; and Roberta Jordan Cegarra and husband, Louis Cegarra, nine grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren, plus one more on the way.
The family would like to thank the kind and generous care and support provided by teams at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care and Hanover Terrace.
A graveside service is planned on September 26th at Oak Grove Cemetery at 11:00 a.m., with a celebration of life at the Listen Community Services Dining Hall in WRJ, following the service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a monetary or used goods donation to Listen.
To leave a message of remembrance or condolence, please visit the online guestbook at www.rickerfuneralhome.com.
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