It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Caryl Louise Lajoie (nee Burbank) on May 29, 2025.  Caryl was born on September 14, 1938, in Derry, NH, the daughter of Ruth (Coe) Burbank and Francis A. Burbank 2nd.  She grew up in Londonderry, NH with her sister, Joyce, and brother, Frank.

Caryl graduated from Alvirne High School in 1956 and from the Concord Hospital School of Nursing in 1959.  She dedicated her nursing career to Concord Hospital, primarily as a teacher in the School of Nursing, where she taught generations of nurses from shortly after her graduation until the school closed in 1989.  She also spent time nursing in the OR, ER, and as the Head Nurse on multiple floors.  After the School closed, she was the Occupational Health Nurse for the hospital, a position she held until her retirement (although she continued working part-time as a staff nurse even after that).  She was proud that she maintained her nursing license for more than 50 years.

Caryl's greatest love was for her family and nothing made her happier than a house full of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren (along with assorted friends, relatives and "adopted" family) - the more the merrier - which was a belief she inherited from her own mother.

Caryl was a proud memberof the Concord Toastmasters International and was locally and regionally famous for her writing and speaking talents.  She served as the chapter president, winning many awards; she also traveled to Canada and Las Vegas as a judge.  Caryl was a long-time member of St. John Church, now Christ the King parish, and she served on multiple committees there.  She was a member of the Community Players of Concord, along with several members of her family, sewing costumes for a myriad of productions and providing countless homemade cookies and baked goods for fundraising during performances.  She also followed her children's love of theatre to Bishop Brady Alumni Theatre, again specializing in costumes, but willing to take on anything that needed doing, including a few turns on-stage.  Caryl loved cooking and baking (being famous for her homemade rolls, pies, cookies, and whoopie pies), as well as gardening, sewing, cake decorating, a variety of crafts and traveling.  She relished trips in the Miata with Leo to visit covered bridges throughout New England.  She especially loved trips to Europe, Canada, Hawaii, and the Western US, as well as spending several winters in Florida with Leo.  Oh, and the Red Sox - she loved her Boston Red Sox!

Caryl was greatly saddened by the loss of her second son, Lee, last Christmas Eve and of her granddaughter, Claire, in 2019.  Caryl is survived by her husband of 65 years and love of her life, Leo, her sons: Stephen and his wife, Kim; Kenneth and his wife, Teri; Thomas and his wife, Carol Leonard; her daughter-in-law, Anne; her grandchildren: Artie, Devon, Kevin, Mark, Megan, Rachel, Reed, Ryan and Seth; and eleven great-grandchildren.

Caryl's enduring strength, endless devotion, and her fierce capacity to love, which she demonstrated in her many roles - as mother, spouse, educator, caregiver, friend, and simply as Grammy - are lasting gifts to all who knew and loved her.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, June 8, 2025, from 3:00-5:00pm at the Waters Funeral Home, 50 South Main Street, Concord, NH.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, June 9, 2025, at 1:30 pm, at Christ the King Parish, 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH.  Caryl will be interred at the Veteran's Cemetery in Boscawen, NH.

Please consider a donation to the ALS Association of Northern New England -https://www.als.org, or Christ the King Food Pantry - https://www.christthekingfoodpantry.org in Caryl's memory.