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Lauren Gabrielle Rousseau
June 8, 1982 ~ December 14, 2012
Lauren's bell is G3. When G3 rings, we remember a beautiful young woman who was finally realizing her lifelong dream of being a teacher.
Lauren learned the rough life of a substitute teacher the hard way. At Sandy Hook Elementary School, she was a permanent sub — a low-paying job without benefits — but it was a job she loved. Lauren grew up in Danbury, Conn., and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Bridgeport. The Sandy Hook job wasn’t perfect, but it was enough for her to celebrate, her father stated.
“Oh, she called so excited, she was just on cloud nine,” recalled her father. “She had such big plans. She would just go on and on about the kids.”
"She was like a kid in many ways," her father, Gilles Rousseau, said. "That's why she liked working with kids so much. She touched all the children. She loved teaching and she died doing what she loved to do."
"She had so many interests -- music, dance, theater," her mother said. In her spare time, she loved her cat and Broadway shows; she and her boyfriend enjoyed going to parties and Yankees games together and had discussed marriage.
Near its end, Lauren’s life took another happy turn — Sandy Hook hired her full time last month.
“I’ll take some comfort that the last year of her life was her happiest,” her mother Teresa said. It was her dream job.
“She was still a little girl at 30,” her father stated. “She loved little kids. She was in their zone.”
That Friday night, Lauren had planned to see a movie, "The Hobbit." In preparation, she had made cupcakes with pictures of the actors in the movie topping each one.
Lauren touched people with her warmth, her sparkle, her thoughtfulness, her determination, her enthusiasm, her competence, her common sense, her silly side, and her constant smile that lit up a room. She had a contagious smile and a joyous heart. She was a diligent worker whose smile made even the hardest task easier.
At her funeral, the Rev. Pat Kriss said that Lauren lived "a life that was all too short, but that touched so many."
"Thank you, Lauren, for being a faithful, thoughtful, ridiculously fun friend," said one. Another said those who considered Lauren a friend never felt alone.
They recalled Lauren's love of cats, her lifelong desire to be a teacher, and the fulfillment she felt in finding her "life partner," Tony Lusardi III.
Friends repeatedly used the word "angel" in remembering Lauren. They called her an "angel here on Earth," and recalled the angel smiley-face she used when sending text messages.
"Your angel wings fully grew here on earth so you could fly your little ones to heaven."
Lauren will never be forgotten. A bell for Lauren will always ring at Christmas.