Fleurette Marie Therese Coulombe Kitchens Obituary (1923

Let Us Pause To Honor the Memory of Mrs. Fleurette Marie Therese Coulombe Kitchens Mrs. Fleurette Marie Therese Coulombe Kitchens , age 91, of Madison, Indiana formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio entered this life on August 17, 1923 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She was the loving daughter of the late, Aquila Expide and Dolores Audette Coulombe. Fleurette was a 1940 graduate of Holy Family High School and a 1944 graduate of Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Upon graduation from college she joined the United States Navy in August 1944 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant J.G. during World War II. During her career with the Navy, she worked in codes and ciphers decoding Japanese messages while stationed in Washington D.C. and Lakehurst, New Jersey. She was honorably discharged in August of 1947. Fleurette was united in marriage on November 26, 1947 to Thomas W. Kitchens, Jr. in Atlanta, Georgia. This happy union of sixty four years was blessed with three sons, Guy, Bruce, and Joel and a daughter, Jane. During their marriage of sixty four years, they lived in Omaha, Nebraska; Washington, D.C.; Knoxville Tennessee; Scotch Plains, New Jersey; Louisville, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to Madison, Indiana in 1999, while Thomas was working for the FBI. Fleurette was an avid reader and learner and spoke French fluently. She maintained a life-long passion for the arts and was an accomplished painter, needle worker, seamstress, and volunteer. While living in Cincinnati she was a dedicated docent at the Cincinnati Art Museum from 1975-2001, conducting tours in both English and French and earning the honor of Docent of the Year. Her other memberships included the Alliance Francaise, the Batavia Women's Club, Kappa Alpha Theta Mother's Club, and the Cincinnati Needlepoint Guild. In addition, she cherished being a member of "The Group of Eight", a group of dear Cincinnati Friends who have met to lunch and enjoy art education activities weekly each summer for over 30 years. Upon moving to Madison, Fleurette volunteered with Historic Madison, INC., and the Jefferson County Historical Society where she was named 2007 Volunteer of the Year. She was also a member of the River Valley Garden Club and Christ Episcopal Church. Fleurette died on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 9:28 p.m. at the Jewell House in Madison, Indiana. Click Here for Funeral Service or Tribute Video A LOVING FAMILY Fleurette will be missed by her loving daughter, Jane Williams and her husband, Roger of Madison, Indiana; her loving sons, Dr. Bruce P. Kitchens of Washington, D.C., Dr. Joel Kitchens and his wife, Sherry of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; her grandchildren, Lindsey, Sam & Kenton Williams; Becca, Caroline, Will and Tori Kitchens. She was preceded in death by her parents, Aquila Expide and Dolores Audette Coulombe; her husband of sixty four years, Thomas W. Kitchens, Jr. died December 11, 2011; her son, Guy Magill Kitchens died April 26, 2000; and her brother, Guy Coulombe. FUNERAL CEREMONY Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at 1:30 p.m., by The Rev. Evelyn Wheeler at the Christ Episcopal Church, 506 Mulberry Street in downtown Madison, Indiana. Interment will follow in the Fairmount Cemetery in Madison, Indiana. VISITATION Friends may call Monday from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Drive in Madison, Indiana. FULL MILITARY HONORS Full military honors will be performed by the United States Navy Ceremonial Unit and the Jefferson Post No. 9 of the American Legion at the graveside. MEMORIAL EXPRESSIONS Memorial contributions may be made to the Christ Episcopal Church of Madison, Indiana or the Cincinnati Art Museum. Cards are available at the funeral home. To send a flower arrangement in memory of Fleurette Marie Therese Coulombe Kitchens, please click here to visit our sympathy store.