ORWELL — Magloire Ferdinand Audet, age 88, peacefully passed away on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Middlebury.
Magloire was born in Shoreham on Oct. 23, 1931, the son of Fortunat and Emerilda Audet. He grew up in Orwell, where his family settled and bought a farm after emigrating from Canada.
Magloire has been a dairy farmer all his life. In 1948 he and his brother Norman purchased the Arthur Farm, which was next door to the family farm. They worked together until 1958. Magloire went on to develop Audet’s Holsteins with his wife Betty, whom he married on Aug. 18, 1956. Magloire was well known for his beautiful farm on Lake Champlain and his outstanding herd of registered Holsteins.
His many accomplishments include Vermont Outstanding Dairyman of the Year and Master Breeder Award from the Holstein Association and the Red & White Association. He gained national and international attention with the lease of his homebred “Matt, Jr.” bull to Tri-State Breeders. He followed this with a record-breaking dispersal in 1981. While building back the herd, he became interested in Red & White Holsteins. He dispersed the herd again in 1985 to go all Red & White.
Failing health led to a complete dispersal in 1994. At that time the herd was 100% homebred Red & White. A photo of one of his favorite reds was featured on the cover of the World Holsteins Magazine, an achievement that he was very proud of. During retirement he enjoyed basketball, coin collecting and puzzles.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Audet; four daughters, Robin Forrest (Dave), Debra Myers (Dan), Diane Burnham (Ray) and Janis Audet-Krans (Jay); nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his sister, Lauretta Brisson, and three brothers: Alonzo, Leandre and Norman Audet.
The family would like to thank the staff at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and Bayada Home Health Care for their kind and loving care.
The graveside committal service and burial will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 11:45 a.m., at St. Genevieve Cemetery in Shoreham. Rev. Yvon Royer will officiate.
Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be made in his memory to Addison County Home Health & Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753 or to Orwell First Response Squad, P.O. Box 124, Orwell, VT 05760.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home in Brandon.◊