Fiona Mary Forrence, 94, passed away peacefully and on her terms on September 30th, 2024, at 2: 24 EST at the CVPH Medical Center with her children, Elizabeth, Cortland and Francine surrounding her. She was born in Montreal, Quebec to John and Annie Bavis on September 23, 1930. Her immediate family includes Elizabeth Forrence (children, Hanna and Graph), Cortland (children, Nate and Matthew and their mother, Tammy), Francine (John) Wasley (children, William, Benjamin, and Tilden).

Fiona, being a city girl from Montreal, had not understood what being the wife of an apple grower (Virgil Forrence) meant and how living in a small rural community would change her life forever. Prior to moving to Peru, her working life began at a brokerage firm in Montreal and this seeded her life-long love of investing. After marrying Virgil and becoming a mother, Fiona became involved in the family business. Fiona and Aunt Marge performed the bookkeeping for Forrence Orchards manually and spent late nights adding columns of figures and writing checks. In the late 70’s, she opened the Cabbage Patch, a uniform and maternity shop, with two dear friends and was in business for over 25 years. Along the way, Fiona cultivated life-long friends through Virgil’s family, her children, her love of flowers (the Garden Club), travel, the stock market, cooking (the Stone Soup community), and the Peru Community Church.

Her love of travel began with a girls’ trip through Europe in early adulthood. Fiona and Virgil travelled extensively through the years with friends. Cape Cod became a favorite destination as Virgil and Fiona honeymooned on Cape Cod and Fiona continued to spend time in Chatham, MA with her children over the years enjoying the 4th of July parade and many holidays at the Apple House. In her later years, she traveled with various friends across Europe, throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

After retirement at 70, she joined the Historical Society at the Kent Delord House Museum and tended the gardens and often baked cookies and other goodies for visitors. She was a member of the Stone Soup cooking club for over 30 years also. She cared for all animals and later in life adopted a kitten named Kloe who ran the house and brought her much joy along with a number of grand-dogs and -cats including Fritz, Kobe, Charlie, Jello, Poppy and Ginny. Fiona’s life was full of delicious food, beautiful flowers, her children, grandchildren and friends. She had a wonderfully dry sense of humor up until her last breath and left this world a better place than when she entered it, and we are all the richer for it. She was a sophisticated, feisty, and resilient lady until the end. We will cherish our memories and love her forever.

A special thanks to the staff at CVPH R5 and R6 for their care. In addition, Hudson Headwaters in Champlain and her health care provider Pawel Klimkiewicz, FNP, and Timbal Stanley who brought joy to her life during the last few months as a friend and caregiver.

A memorial service will be held in Plattsburgh on the old Air Force Base:

October 26, at 1:30 pm at the

Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel, 100 US Oval,

Followed by a memorial gathering at the:

West Side Ballroom, 253 New York Road.

Donations may be made to:

• Elmore’s SPCA (https://www.elmorespca.org/) or

• The Kent Delord House Museum (https://www.paypal.com/donate?token=r0gS1y4IXYIeMbQxJhP8OF1jc9jJEINe2uMt7zJLfw542-H4WMoHnq2daG0E1HCrGwlREKK6j6okclJy)

Arrangements are in the care of the Hamilton Funeral Home, 294 Mannix Road, Peru, 518-643-9055.