Elizabeth A Cantin

Elizabeth “Betty” Ann (Larocque) Cantin, 84, died Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Heywood Hospital. She leaves her husband Leo, two daughters, Mona Minor and her husband David of Bernardston, and Amy MacIntosh of Westminster; two grandsons, Douglas MacIntosh of Westminster and Michael Jr., who predeceased her in 2018; one brother, Gerard Larocque, and two sisters, Lorraine Hussey and Rose Osterberg; and several nieces and nephews.

Betty was born in Gardner on April 17, 1941, to the late Raymond and Lillian (Hamel) Larocque. She attended Holy Rosary School and graduated from Narragansett Regional High School in Templeton. She and Leo were married in 1961 in Gardner, where they purchased a home, started a printing business, and raised a family.

The business Leo and Betty built enabled them to be there for each other and for their family. They took daily walks in the neighborhood no matter the weather, sometimes working in the evening in order to do some cross-country skiing, bicycling, and hiking during the day. Betty enjoyed everything about Cape Cod. When they were just starting out, she scrimped and saved all year so the family could spend a week at the beach during the summer. Over the years, Betty and Leo visited the Cape in all seasons, generously treating their children and grandchildren to weekends on the Cape during the year.

Betty loved to read. Everything. From novels to devotionals to MAD Magazine. She finished every book she started and read every article in two daily newspapers because you never knew what you might learn. She enjoyed doing crossword puzzles--never in pencil--often late into the night.

Betty was always up for an adventure—"sure, why not!" As anyone who knew her will agree, she was a take-charge person, and though it was in her nature to lead, she was also a loyal follower if that’s what her family or friends needed. She was generous with her time and could be counted on when the chips were down. She expressed a quiet devotion to the people in her life, always sending a card or making a phone call on birthdays, special occasions, or just because she was thinking about you. She was a generous and loving Nana to her two grandsons. She had a special place in her heart for Siamese cats and will be missed by Angel.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Holy Spirit, 50 Lovewell Street, Gardner, MA. Her burial will be private at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon. Stone Ladeau Funeral Home in Winchendon has been entrusted with Elizabeth's care.