Our Staff

Jackie Donahue

Chief Operating Officer- All locations

Jdonahue@vtfuneralhomes.com

Jackie was born and raised in Northfield, VT to Michael and Robin Donahue whose family has now owned and operated Kingston Funeral Home for 4 generations. She went to high school in Massachusetts and graduated from Tabor Academy, then returned home to attend Norwich University to obtain her business management and marketing degree. She has since spent 12 years in various management roles. She moved to Florida 6 years ago, only to return to Vermont in September 2023 to become the Chief Operating Officer of all VT Funeral Home locations

Jeff Chalmers

Funeral Director- LaVigne

JChalmers@vtfuneralhomes.com

Jeff was raised in Essex, VT where he graduated from Essex High School and Johnson State College. He’s the proud father of two sons Logan and Brendan and currently resides in St. George, VT. Jeff has worked in funeral service for 32 years as a licensed Funeral Director and Crematory Operator. He enjoys being with family, spending time outdoors at the lake or in the woods, and is an avid hunter.

John Woodruff

Funeral Director - Perkins-Parker
perkinsparkerfh@gmail.com

John was born in Montpelier, Vermont in 1963. He graduated from Harwoo d Union High School in South Duxbury, in 1981. He graduated from Champlain College in Burlington in 1984. For the past 35 years he has been an employee of the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury, 30 of those years as a Funeral Director. He and his family live in Waterbury Center.

Richard Spradling

Funeral Director- Corbin and Palmer (Essex and Shelburne)/Gifford

RSpradling@vtfuneralhomes.com

Richard was born and raised in Syracuse, NY, and moved to Vermont at the young age of 7. He graduated from both CVU and Essex Tech in 2017. He graduated from CCV’s Funeral Director program in 2023. In his free time, Richard enjoys working on his vehicles, exercising, and spending quality time with friends and family. Richard is also a professional photographer outside of the funeral home.

Rachel Bishop

Funeral Director- Kingston/ Lamoille/ Mill Hill Pet Crematory

Rcurrier@vtfuneralhomes.com

Rachel was born and raised in Montpelier, VT. She graduated from Montpelier High School and is a graduate of CCV’s Funeral Director program. She is the Funeral Director for Kingston Funeral Home and Lamoille Funeral Home, as well as the manager of Green Mountain Crematory and Mill Hill Pet Crematory. Rachel approached her schooling and apprenticeship with a focus on alternative burial practices and interfaith studies. She and her husband enjoy living in Northfield with the same community members served by Kingston Funeral Home, and spend their time outside work exploring the local restaurants and hiking areas.

Chelsea Brochu

Apprentice Funeral Director - Corbin and Palmer (Essex/Shelburne)/Gifford

cbrochu@vtfuneralhomes.com

Chelsea is a fourth generation Vermonter who grew up in the Hardwick area. She earned her B.A. in Psychology & Human Services from Northern Vermont University in 2013 and currently attends CCV’s Funeral Director program. Chelsea enjoys connecting with community members and hearing their stories, while providing compassionate care and support during their times of need.

For the better part of a decade, Chelsea worked as a professional pastry baker throughout Vermont. She is experienced in leading teams, collaborating with others, and exercising her creativity. Outside of Funeral service, Chelsea enjoys spending time with her family and friends, skiing, mountain biking, roller disco, and cooking.

Keagan Livingston

Apprentice Funeral Director and Apprentice Embalmer- LaVigne

klivingston@vtfuneralhomes.com

Keagan is a Funeral Director Intern and administrator for LaVigne and Champlain Cremation. She is currently in pursuit of her Associate's Degree at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Her passion is helping families create services that are personalized to the individual because she recognizes that no two families are the same. When not working, Keagan loves to travel with her husband, or can be found doing various crafting projects.

Jean Sanders

Administrator- LaVigne

jeansanders@vtfuneralhomes.com

Jean is an administrator for LaVigne and was raised on both the East and West Coast. Born in San Antonio, Texas in 1991, Jean was raised in a multitude of different places before settling back into the Burlington area in January of 2022. Having recently discovered their passion for the funeral industry through working at LaVigne's, Jean looks forward to assisting and supporting families in any way that they can. In their off time, Jean enjoys spending quality time with friends, crafting, and trying out new recipes at home.

Tullus Bergeron

Apprentice/ Interment Trust Department- LaVigne

Tbergeron@vtfuneralhomes.com

Tullus Bergeron is a born and raised Vermonter. He graduated from Essex High School and is currently attending CCV as a part of the Funeral Director Certificate program. He felt called to the field after seeing a family member's funeral and realizing he wanted to provide the same level of care and service to other families in need. While Tullus is based out of the LaVigne location in Winooski, families around Chittenden, Lamoille, and Washington counties may meet him while he assists other locations. Tullus is also in charge of Trusts related to LaVigne and Champlain Cremation pre-arrangements. When not working, Tullus is an Eagle Scout who is passionate about helping his local troop (Essex Junction 624). He also enjoys traveling to Montreal and spending time with friends and family.

Diane Fina

Office Manager

Diane was born and raised in the Hudson Valley region of New York. She has been in accounting and office management for over 40 years and brings much knowledge to many aspects of the funeral home. Diane takes care of all our accounting & bookkeeping for all our locations, as well as many other responsibilities.

Diane enjoys spending time with family and friends, music, writing poetry and loves photography. She is also a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary.

Tom LaVigne

Funeral Director/Former Owner of LaVigne Funeral Home

Tom is a forth generation funeral director who has been serving the Winooski community since he was a child and helped open the doors to the funeral home during calling hours.

After he graduated from Mortuary School he returned to Winooski when he has proudly taken care of many generations of families in need. While he is now enjoying semi-retirement and spending time with his kids and grandkids, he still helps out on funerals when he is able.

Bob Palmer

Funeral Director

Bob is a 3rd generation funeral director, with almost 50 years of serving families and friends in their greatest time of need. Working also beside his father, Whitey, Bob learned the importance of trust, integrity and compassion with every family served, treating each family like his own. Bob enjoys semi-retirement with his wife Trish in Burlington and enjoys golfing, reading and creamies after dinner.