LAURENE MARIE GRENIER

Laurene Marie Grenier (6th Oct. 1955 – 12th Dec. 2024) passed away at the age of 69 at her daughter’s home in Greenfield, MA, cozy in bed in the early morning. Laurene, Laurent & Irene Grenier’s 2nd child of seven, grew up in Shrewsbury, MA; she predeceased her six siblings and her mother. Laurene’s wisdom, levity, joyfulness, compassion, integrity, conviction, unconditional love, wry humor, and curiosity will be deeply missed as a delightful, impactful part of the everyday life lived with her daughter, Celine Nader; son-in-law Joshua Hilsdon; singularly-loved grandson Kestrel Hilsdon; and dear friend and former husband David Nader. Laurene lived out the final four years of her life in Greenfield, MA, in close proximity to her daughter and grandchild.

 Laurene took great pleasure in many things: her collection of Wishnik-style trolls; her stack of vinyl records; corduroy overalls; enjoying a lovingly-prepared meal; knitting hats & small dolls as gifts; walks and bike-rides in the sun; watching the pointedly well-fed the birds on her patio; hands in garden dirt and tending to compost; classic fairy tales; warm, connected visits with friends and family; making a gently-snarky, brightly-knowing comment; a touching book; her special blend of herb tea. Though gentle in many ways, she had firm, ever-evolving socio-political convictions and was committed in both consciousness and action to understanding and countering interpersonal to global violence through her own choices and actions.

Two bright threads run through Laurene’s life: spiritual seeking and engaged service. As an apt, conscientious, lifelong member of the counterculture, she engaged spiritual teachings not only as an inner practice but as a solid ethic informing her interactions and work in the world. She looked not only to transcend, but to root, search, and engage.

Raised French Catholic, Laurene held that tradition in her heart through to the end of her life. However, her overall path was much more complex: Beginning in her late teens, she sought out the teachings of Gurdjieff and other spiritual teachers and traditions. In the 1980s and early 1990s, she became a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Worcester, and later the Worcester Friends (Quaker) Meeting. In 1993, Laurene moved with her daughter to Shutesbury, MA to join Sirius Community, a long-running intentional community where she was a member for 8 years. It was there that she came across a book about Buddhism in a laundry room – a book that launched her nearly 30-year “coming home” to the spiritual practices of mindfulness, living peace, and Engaged Buddhism central to her beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay, or “teacher”). Laurene, Dharma name Awakened Space of the Heart, was ordained into the Order of Interbeing by Thay in October of 2011. She was a foundational member of the Hopping Tree Sangha (Amherst, MA) – described by one member upon her passing as “our Sangha mother” – a mentor to aspirants of the Order, and teacher to imprisoned individuals enrolled in a Buddhist correspondence course. Her very being was a constant teaching to her family.

Laurene’s offerings of spiritual sustenance were mirrored and amplified in her offerings of physical, emotional, and material sustenance. She received her B.S. in Occupational Therapy (Worcester State College, 1993), with minors in psychology and Spanish, and was a deeply-appreciated therapist in rehabilitation, veterans’, and elder-care settings for two decades. She commented on this work in a letter to Thay in 2011: “I am particularly grateful for the opportunity to give my love to the elders at the nursing home where I work as a therapist in the Rehab department. Together, we find joy as we embrace all of life, including pain, loss, and even death.” This was surely also the case in Laurene’s longtime role as a weekly volunteer at the Amherst Senior Center.

Laurene was also known both personally and professionally for her acumen in the kitchen. She was attentive to nutrition, environmental impact, and the aesthetics of the plate whether cooking for herself or 90 others. From her early forays into vegetarian cooking at the late-night Garden of Delights cafe that she and her then-husband, David, ran on Highland St in Worcester in the early 1980s; to her 8 years as the kitchen manager for the community food cooperative at Sirius Community and her year-long stint doing the same at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies; to preparation of the perfectly-plated tofu dish with a homemade dessert custard for her tiny grandson, Laurene’s attentiveness, creativity, and love in the kitchen was a true gift.

Her aspirations, communicated in a 2009 application to renew her Five Mindfulness Trainings at the Blue Cliff Monastery, were well met and keenly felt by those who interacted with her: “My deepest aspiration,” she shared, “is to offer the gift of my life in service to all beings. My success depends upon my ability to offer my true presence.” Two years later, she shared, “I find that in giving and receiving love is my greatest joy” – a multifaceted joy that will be truly and deeply missed by family, friends, and Sangha siblings.

The family will hold a Celebration of Life for Laurene on Saturday, January 11th from 3pm–7pm, at the Northampton Friends Meetinghouse (43 Center Street Northampton, MA – fully accessible). This will be an opportunity to share and celebrate remembrances of Laurene; there will also be a potluck-style dinner, so feel free to bring a dish to share if you’re so moved. Also, please consider wearing something with a flower pattern.

Laurene has requested that donations be made in place of flowers to the Unified Buddhist Church:

Online donation 
www.bluecliffmonastery.org/support-the-monasteryChecks