Obituary: Bella T. Preedom
August 24, 1937 – March 31, 2026
April 6, 2026
Bella T. Preedom, 88, of Waterbury Center, passed away peacefully at Mayo Nursing Home in Northfield, Vermont, embraced by family, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Born in Lyme, New Hampshire, on August 24, 1937, she was the oldest daughter of the late Davila and Simone (Poulin) Doyon.
The Doyon family moved to the farm at the end of what is now Doyon Road in Northfield in 1940. Bella graduated from Northfield High School in 1955. Upon graduation, Bella worked for a few years at Bean Chevrolet in Northfield and The Clothes Pin Factory in Montpelier as a bookkeeper.
On October 18, 1958, she married the late Vernon D. Preedom. Bella and Vern started their life together in Montpelier, later moving to Waterbury Center in 1972 to raise their family and be closer to Vern’s work.
Once having children, Bella stayed home to focus on family. She did babysitting jobs and sold Avon door-to-door over the years to help support the family.
Bella was active in the community beyond her Avon business. She was a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church in Waterbury. Bella was an active member of The American Legion Post 59 Ladies' Aide group and held a variety of officer positions for this organization. Bella and Vern ran the bingo program at the American Legion for several years.
Bella’s most treasured memories come from holiday gatherings and the annual lake house trips with family. Bella’s strong sense of family was the backbone of who she was. Bella would find a way to make sure there was a gathering organized and ready to go for any occasion, with the sole purpose of getting together with family. Bella loved playing cards, playing bingo, doing puzzles, and people-watching.
Bella leaves behind her children, Suzanne (David) Camber of South Wheelock, Vermont, Michael (Susan) Preedom of Waterbury Center, Nancy (Jeff) Robinson of Waterbury Center. Her brothers are Leo Doyon of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, Robert (Evie) Doyon of Northfield, and Donald (Rhonda) Doyon of Northfield Falls. Her sister (or her spare child, as Bella would say) is Claire Doyon of Duxbury, Vermont, and Claire’s children are Cassie and Caleb Eurich. Her brother and sister-in-law, are Doane and Lenora Preedom of Sackets Harbor, New York. Her grandchildren are Brian (Liana) Camber, Andrew (Danielle) Camber, Bethany Preedom, Ben Robinson, and Kyle Robinson. Her great-grandchildren are Zayden Porter and Darrien Mable, and newly born Dana Vernon Camber. She leaves several nieces and nephews, including two she called her spare children (Kathy (Doyon) Boutin and Steve Doyon), Kathy's husband Dan, and their children, whom Bella called her spare grandchildren, Kaylee, Sierra, and Tristen Boutin; many more nieces and nephews, cousins, and other extended family.
Besides her parents, Bella was predeceased by a brother, Roger Doyon, a brother Marcel Doyon and his wife Evelyn Doyon, a sister Cecile Doyon, her father and mother-in-law Merrill and Sylvia Preedom, a brother-in-law, Roderick Preedom, and a very special grandson, Brandon Preedom.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated from St. Andrew Catholic Church in Waterbury on Saturday, April 11, at 1 p.m. Friends and family may call at the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury on Friday, April 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. Burial will be at a later date in the family plot in Calvary Cemetery in Northfield.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Harry N. Cutting American Legion Post 59, P.O. Box 417, Waterbury, VT 05676.