Constance Louise Michel

Constance Louise Michel, age 90, passed away on June 2, 2024, in Chapel Hill, NC. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of Arthur Wallace George and Lillian Rose Mark George. She graduated from the Patrick Lyndon Elementary School in West Roxbury, MA, and was selected to attend Girls' Latin School in Boston, where she graduated in 1951. She then graduated from Wellesley College, class of 1955. A scholarship from the American Society of Women Geographers took her to New York to pursue a master's degree at Columbia University. Here she met and married fellow geography student Aloys Arthur Michel. As newlyweds, they travelled to Afghanistan for 9 months under a grant from the Office of Naval Research to study irrigation in the Helmand Valley and ethic and tribal diversity. 

After a few years in New Haven, the Michels moved to Guilford, CT for 5 years, and then to RI in 1966 where Connie and Al raised their family. Connie remained in RI until moving to NC in 2020 in order to be closer to family. 

Surviving are her 3 children Valery Nelson, Victoria (Mark Witunski), Matt (Heidi) Michel, 5 grandchildren: Sherry (Gideon Young), Sarah (Travis Covington), Alexandra (Bobby Brockman), Sophie Michel, Max Witunski and 7 great grandchildren.

Connie loved Rhode Island, especially its beaches, and enjoyed showing them to family and friends. She was affectionately known as "Grandma Beach" and in her later years spent many happy moments at Narragansett Beach. For fifteen years she was a realtor in South Kingstown, RI. Upon retirement, she volunteered for many years with the AARP-IRS Tax Aide program. She had a green thumb with houseplants too, and many were recipients of her propagation. She was an active member of Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO), Chapter B in Kingston. She continued to play a fierce game of scrabble and bridge up until her passing. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

The family requests donations in her memory in lieu of flowers:

International Rett Syndrome Foundation

Doctors Without Borders

St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Charlestown, RI

Advent Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, NC

Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Michel family.