Leane Page Garland

Hanover, NH- Leane Page Garland When I was growing up, my father called me “stubborn.” I would describe myself, rather, as persistent and tenacious. So here I am, in the midst of my fourth bout with cancer, writing an obituary with the help of my friend Kesaya E. Noda, persistently and tenaciously trying to describe why life has been such a gift for me. I want to speak most of all about my life’s passions—the well-being of children, music, and my work for social justice.

I was born in Lewiston, Maine, the day before Christmas in 1946, the first child of Merritt. F. Garland, Jr. and Saralou (Chaffee) Garland. There are numerous Garlands and Chaffees throughout New Hampshire and Vermont, and I think if you trace us back, you’ll find we all came over very early on, on a boat.

Because my father was in the midst of his medical training when I was born, we moved several times: from Lewiston to Takoma, Washington, where my brother Christopher (now deceased) was born; to San Jose, California, birthplace of my brother Laurance Dean; and finally to Greenfield, Massachusetts, where my father established his practice in obstetrics and gynecology, and my brother Marc Chaffee was born. My father was a pioneer. While he was in Greenfield, a woman asked him if he would help women give natural birth by the Lamaze Method. All the doctors in the town had refused her, but my father agreed. His decision was controversial, and for it, he was accused of being a Communist. But Greenfield became a center for midwifery and the natural childbirth movement.

While I was in high school, I learned to play the flute and my passion for music began.

Ultimately, I graduated from Antioch College in Ohio, with a degree in French and Chinese. I married a fellow student, Stephen Walter Page, and we moved to Deerfield, Massachusetts, where I ran a Head Start program. After holding a variety of pre-school teaching jobs, I entered my life-time career of serving disabled and disadvantaged children through management positions in Vermont’s Social Services. I served, first, as the director of the Burlington office of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS, now known as the Department for Children and Families).

I don’t have the space here to capture how hard, and sometimes heartbreaking, our work was, but my memories are above all dominated by the tremendously gifted social workers who resourcefully and compassionately strove to meet the needs of the children we served. Our department was severely under-resourced, but over more than twenty-five years, I saw families reunited, children returned to their homes, and other young ones find places with welcoming 2 foster and adoptive families. In various positions as a manager and director involved in case reviews, operations, and quality assurance (at SRS and later the Department of Education) I was able to initiate several legal, policy, and procedural changes that freed the people I managed to more effectively serve families and children. My goal was always to advocate—to ensure fairness. I could not always succeed, but I never stopped trying.

While I was employed and long after, my passion for the fair treatment of children, and indeed, all human beings, led me to political activism. I have worked hard to protect our freedom to vote, and to support informed voting and civic engagement. From the 1960s forward, I have marched in many a demonstration, vigiled for Black Lives Matter, and taken part in all the No Kings demonstrations.

During my years of work, people used to ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I always said, “retire.” I was right. After I retired in 2009, I had a full life. With a varying group of four to twelve friends, I traveled. We explored Mexico, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and China (twice!). Jane Osgatharp was a dear friend whose fluency in Spanish enabled her to lead us places we would never have otherwise seen. Driving between Boston, Montreal, and Sarasota, we enjoyed theater, ballet, and above all, opera. My friends introduced me to opera, which changed my life. For me, listening to or seeing opera has always been a spiritual experience. It floods me with the beauty and the ability of the music to express deep human emotion and celebration.

I have had a good life. Though my marriage ended in divorce many years ago, I was blessed by the birth of my son Justin Daniel Page on February 12, 1980. I have tremendous respect for my wonderfully supportive son, who has faced and surmounted every difficulty. I must leave behind my son, my brothers Larry and Marc (wife Susan Whelan), Robin Sellers (widow of my brother Christopher), as well as nieces, nephews, numerous cousins and friends. Life has been a gift. And everyone knows the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything is—42—.

I want to thank my wonderful friends and staff at Kendal for supporting my so ably through the end-of-life process.

NB: Leane Page Garland died on April 28, 2026, activating Medical Aid in Dying at the home of a friend in Woodstock, Vermont. She asked that in lieu of flowers, she would be grateful for donations to Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (Support Department, 187 St. Paul Street, Suite 104, Burlington, VT 05401). The Memorial Service will be held in the Gathering Room at Kendal (67 Cummings Road, Hanover, NH) in the near future.

Knight Funeral Home assisted with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed in an online guestbook found at www.knightfuneralhomes.com