Merrillee Blair Obituary

Ms. Merrillee F. Jesseman Blair of Sutton passed away Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, at the age of 64, following a period of declining health and a tenacious battle to live.

She was born April 1, 1961, the daughter of Merrill and Fayleen (Pillsbury) Jesseman. She spent most of her childhood and last years on the farm her family has owned for generations at the top of Pudding Hill in Sutton. 

Merrillee graduated from Sutton Graded School and then Lyndon Institute in 1979 before going on to graduate from the University of Vermont in 1981 with her Associates in Medical Technology. This was a field of medicine she spent her entire life dedicated to, and she cared strongly about; it was not just a job, but a way she truly could help make a difference in people’s lives. She took great pride in her work and in her ability to put people at ease.  She worked at NVRH for over 15 years before transitioning to Cottage Hospital, where she worked another decade, spending some of that time as lab manager. One of her favorite positions was working as the medical technician for Dr. David Toll, the last years of his practice.  When he retired, she took a position at Central VT Medical Center, where she continued to work overnights until she had to go out on medical leave due to her declining health. She loved and missed her work and her colleagues.  She had hoped she would return to CVMC as soon as she was medically able. 

While Merrillee loved her career, what she was most passionate about was spending time connecting with those she loved. She had friends from grade school that she was lucky enough to still live nearby and see and talk to regularly, as well as best friends from high school that she looked forward to connecting with any chance she got.  

Her children and grandchildren were her entire world and what kept her fighting through the last few months. She spent as much time with them as possible, seeing the three who lived locally any day she was not working and sometimes even popping in for a few minutes at the end of a shift on a weekend because an entire week was too long to go without seeing one another.  Thousands of hours were spent crafting, baking, sewing, and accompanying them on adventures, including the traditional annual summer vacation to enjoy the ocean, which she had started with her own children years ago.

Merrillee was predeceased by her father, Merrill Jesseman, on October 3, 2006; her mother, Fayleen Jesseman, on December 10, 2011; her brother Ronald Sylvester in August 1992, and her brother-in-law Paul Brogan on November 13, 2025.

She is survived by her three children: Holly Blair, Cody Blair,  and Merrill Blair all of Sutton, VT, as well as four grandchildren: Lillian Blair; Julianna, Madelyn, and Hopella Jesseman; her sister Kathleen Davis and husband Eric of Cornwall, VT, her brother Alan Jesseman of Concord, NH, and sister- in-law Beverly Sylvester of Greenville, SC; many nieces and nephews, and friends that had become extended family. Several of her children’s friends became extended family, and she truly thought of them and their families as her own.

Merrillee had a gift of seeing people for who they were and what they needed, accepting and loving them. The world was a better place simply because she was in it, and her loss has been difficult for those closest to her. 

A celebration of life and burial will be held in late Spring at the Sutton Village Cemetery.  Exact details will follow. Her family hopes all who would like to will be able to attend.

Merrillee had planned to make memory/life books for her grandchildren, but did not realize how short her time would be. If anyone has memories with her over the years or photos that they would be willing to share to assist in making these books come to fruition, please reach out to the family or mail them to: Blair/Jesseman, PO Box 491, Lyndon Center, VT 05850.

Online condolences are welcomed at curtis-britch.com. Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home & Cremation Service, locally family owned and operated.