Micheline LaGuilhomie
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Micheline LaGuilhomie of Stockbridge passed away suddenly April 27, 2022. Born in Paris August 29, 1925 to Roger and Lucienne LaGuilhomie, Ms. LaGuilhomie was a teenager in Paris during the German occupation and joined the French Feminine Armed Forces following the liberation of Paris in August 1944. After the war, she often could be found jitterbugging with her friends to the music of the great big bands of the era, such as Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller.
Micheline led a rich and varied life - working as translator, writer, and educator. In the early 1960's she taught French at the Stockbridge School in Lenox, which became the DeSisto School. She later started a small school in Stockbridge based on the ideas of A.S. Neill, a Scottish educator and author known for his school, Summerhill, and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion, and community self-governance. Ms. LaGuilhomie translated A.S. Neill's groundbreaking book on education, Summerhill, from English to French.
Just last year she finished a translation of a book on dream interpretation. She wrote an autobiography published in 2018, entitled Gabriel, or the Long Love Affair of the Virgin Mary. The quote at the beginning of the book, by C.G. Jung, perhaps summarizes her quest in life:
"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. It may even be assumed that just as the unconscious affects us, so the increase in our consciousness affects the unconscious."
She was truly an exceptional woman, a generous friend, a devoted mother and great storyteller, always making us laugh. Ready to help anyone, especially the young.
She was married to Jamie Schmidt, (deceased), an American actor, for more than 10 years. Ms. LaGuilhomie is survived by a daughter, Anouk Schmitt of Lakeville, Conn. (Felix Blaska), and her granddaughter, Fauve Blaska, as well as their son Jean-Marie Schmitt, and his four children, Jesse, Mailys, Livia, and Enzo, who live in France. Micheline loved to travel and went to France yearly until recently.
SERVICES - A Celebration of Life will be scheduled later this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to Construct where she volunteered: 316A State Rd, Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to the family go to www.finnertyandstevens.com