1944 – 2013

AUBURN — Jacqueline E. “Jackie” Conant, 68, a beloved resident of Canton, died early Sunday evening, Sept. 22, at the Androscoggin Hospice House.

She was born in Rumford on Dec. 8, 1944, the daughter of Emery and Helen (Donahue) Cox. Jackie attended and graduated from Canton schools and went on to attend Bliss College in Lewiston, graduating in spring 1963. On Aug. 31, 1963, that same year, she married Norris Conant at the United Baptist Church in Canton.

As a teenager, Jackie worked at the Taber’s Ice Cream Shop in Canton. After marriage, she worked at Livermore Shoe, as a secretary at Buckfield High School and later in Dr. Smith and Dr. Ellsmore’s office in Dixfield. Jackie then began what became a 30-plus year career with the Canton Town Office, first as the deputy town clerk and later as the town clerk.

Her involvement in town business was extensive through the years as she worked as the tax collector and served on the Board of Selectman, Town Restructuring Committee and most recently on the Canton Dam Project Committee.

She was a lifelong member of the United Baptist Church of Canton and also served the American Baptist Churches of Maine. For many years, she taught swimming lessons on Canton Lake and Pleasant Pond in Sumner. Jackie worked with 4-H and held many positions both locally and throughout the state, as well as serving on the Board of Directors for the 4-H Conservation Camp in Bryant Pond. She was a past president of the Oxford County and State Cooperative Extension, and worked diligently with the Canton Food Bank and Lake Anasagunticook Association. Jackie also worked with Community Concepts, organized teams for the Relay for Life and volunteered with Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.

Jackie was passionate about the outdoors and enjoyed everything it had to offer, including snowmobiling with her husband as a young woman, walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, boiling maple syrup, kayaking and especially her time at camp on Long Pond in Rockwood, where nothing gave her greater pleasure than paddling around the water and listening to the loons.

Traveling also held a special place in her heart as she was fortunate enough to see many parts of the world, most notably Costa Rica, where she was able to visit the home and family of an exchange student whom she and her family hosted. Trips to the coast of Maine and East Boothbay were very dear to Jackie as well.

She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Norris Conant of Canton; three sons, John Conant and his wife, JJ, and their children, Justin, Jessica and Jillian of Canton, Anthony “Tony” Conant and his dogs, Platinum and Kandie of Canton and Rockwood, and Andrew “AJ” Conant and his wife, Amanda, of Canton; sister-in-law, Linda Cox of Peru and her children, Danny and Erin; and a special Costa Rican son and exchange student, Arandu Viales and his family.

She was predeceased by her father, Emery; her brother, David Cox; her niece, Pamela Fleury; her mother, Helen Smith; and her stepfather, Daniel Smith.

Words of condolence and tribute may be shared with Jackie’s family at www.wilesrc.com.