NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Gisele Marie (LaCroix) Del Negro, 97, of North Adams, Mass., died Sunday May 10, 2020, at North Adams Commons.

She was born in St. Sebastian, Quebec, Canada, on November 24, 1922, the daughter of Arthur and Corinne (Dumas) LaCroix. The family moved to Barre, Vt., and she was educated in Barre schools.

Gisele was a successful businesswoman who opened and operated the Mohawk Ski and Sports store in North Adams after the passing of her husband Nicholas in 1976. Prior to that she assisted her husband Nick in running both The Mohawk Ski Shop and The Mohawk Memorials, a retail gravestone business.

She was the widow of Nicholas J. Del Negro, who died on November 22, 1976. They were married on June 10, 1950. Gisele was a communicant of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.

Gisele loved her family above everything else and was known as Memere to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who always looked forward to Sunday morning doughnuts with her. She always said doughnuts were the perfect food, as they could be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert, and heck even supper. Her grandchildren loved her homemade chocolate chip and Italian cookies (especially when a baking lesson came with them as it often snuck in other valuable life advice and some good Italian vocabulary) and her handmade slippers. She taught her grandchildren to bake with her while measuring and counting out in French so they also got a French lesson. She loved falling asleep in her chair watching her favorite team, the Boston Bruins, always hoping she would get to a chance to see her son come out on the ice.

include one daughter, Nicole M. Del Negro-Jozefiak (David) of Pownal, Vt.; three sons, Arthur N. (Laurie) Del Negro of San Antonio, Texas. Steven J. (Lynn) Del Negro of Williamstown, Mass., and Donald J. (Claire) Del Negro of Lynnfield, Mass.; nine grandchildren, including Katie Demers, Kara Marks, Jamie Jozefiak-Estey, Cory Jozefiak, Amanda Jozefiak, Nicholas Del Negro, Justin Haskard, Corinne Haskard and Renee Del Negro; seven great-grandchildren including Gavin, Carson, Gia, Tyler, Jude, Addison and Riley; her sister-in-law, Elizabeth Prenguber; and nieces and nephews.

Her daughter Susan C. Del Negro died on October 9, 2019; and five brothers and one sister are deceased, including Mariette Schmitz and Louis, Gabriel, Donald, John and Jeannot LaCroix.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the wonderful staff at North Adams Commons for their unwavering support and the amazing care that they gave to their mother.

Funeral notice: A Liturgy of Christian Burial for Gisele Del Negro will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church at a date and time to be announced. In order to pay respects to the family, friends may drive by graveside services in Southview Cemetery keeping social distancing on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

While her death was not related to the COVID-19 pandemic, like everyone, her life was deeply affected by it. Donations may be made to either: COVID-19 Relief Fund for BHS in care of FLYNN & DAGNOLI-MONTAGNA HOME FOR FUNERALS CENTRAL CHAPEL, 74 Marshall St. North Adams, MA 01247 or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of her daughter, Susan C. Del Negro to support patient care and cancer research here. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com