Gisele Kathryn Brosseau Phipps passed away on September 17, 2024, at the age of 68 due to numerous complications resulting from a catastrophic elevator accident on January 5th, 2024.Gisele Kathryn Brosseau Phipps passed away on September 17, 2024, at the age of 68 due to numerous complications resulting from a catastrophic elevator accident on January 5th, 2024.
Gisele was born on July 24th, 1956, in Camdon, NJ, as the 3rd and youngest child of Orville E. Brosseau and Katharine Hintzelman Brosseau. Her family subsequently moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, in 1962.
Gisele received her Bachelor’s and MS degrees in special education from Florida State University (“FSU”) in Tallahassee, FL, in 1977 and 1978, respectively. She completed course work toward a Ph.D. in educational psychology at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN, in 1986.
While at FSU Gisele met James E. (Jim) Phipps. They married on June 23rd, 1979, and lived in Philadelphia, PA, where Jim earned his joint MBA/JD degree from the Wharton School of Business and the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1984. They then relocated to St. Paul, MN, for Gisele’s graduate education. Gisele taught student teachers at the college level at the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College, and the University of New England.
In 1987 they relocated once again, first to Portland, ME, where Jim practiced law and then to Chebeague Island in 1990. Gisele and Jim lived on Chebeague until 2015 where they raised their two daughters, Kathryn Barbara Phipps Dezotell and Christine Robin Phipps Mins. Gisele was actively engaged in the activities of the Chebeague Parents’ Association, the Chebeague United Methodist Church Sunday school and the Chebeague Island Library. She was a substitute teacher at Chebeague’s two room island school. She took great joy in being a full-time parent to her daughters and facilitating their schooling as well as their extracurricular activities including gymnastics and figure skating.
In December of 2009, Gisele and Jim visited their close friends, Paul Hood and Tim Donnell, who had previously relocated from Portland, Maine, to Chapala in Jalisco, Mexico, where they subsequently purchased their retirement home in 2011. They moved to Chapala to retire full time in July of 2017. After retiring, Gisele became passionately involved with community theatre at lakeside including the Bare Stage Theatre, Lakeside Laughs, and Skitz-o-Funnia. She was actively engaged in the chamber music scene in Ajijic as well as other theatre and musical performance venues. She actively supported the work of Ninos Incapacitados, the Jaltepec hospitality school, and Escalera Foundation, among other local charitable organizations. Since retiring, Gisele and Jim attended St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Riberas.
While living at lakeside, Gisele and Jim have enjoyed sponsoring the participation of Paz Mumez, a very promising young local violin student from San Antonio Tlayacapan, in both the international Festival del Lago academy of music lead by Chris Wilshere, and the Lake Chapala Orchestra lead by Michael Reason. Gisele also enjoyed international travel, visiting over 50 countries on four continents around the world.
Gisele is survived by her husband, Jim Phipps and their two daughters: Katie Dezotell (Joshue) and Christy Mins, as well as her brother, George O. Brosseau (Karen), brother-in-law, Thomas O. Phipps (Sheila), sister-in-law, Barbara Phipps Springstroh (Daniel), sister-in-law, Ellen Brosseau, three grandchildren, Halie Dezotell, Michaela Mins and Maverick Dezotell, plus a score of beloved nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews (the youngest of whom was born only a few hours before Gisele’s passing on the 17th of September, 2024).
A joyous celebration of Gisele’s life was held at the Haus der Musik in Ajijic on Wednesday, the 25th of September, at 2:00 PM. This was followed by a small reception held in the garden of the Haus der Musik. Gisele requested to be cremated and her ashes will be interred in the columbarium in the garden of St. Andrews Anglican Church at a private interment in the days following the service.
Gisele’s family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to support the college education of Paz Nunez in care of Jim Phips. Those wishing to make contributions may contact Jim via email at JimPhipps58@gmail.com.
message from Jim:
For those of you who were ot able to attend Gisele’s Celebration of Life last Wednesday, 25 September, please see the link below for a recording of the ceremony. My thanks to all those who made this possible: especially to my brother, Tom; my dear friends, Jeremy and Pat; all of the musicians, Hans Peter Aull, Michael Reason, Chris Wilshere, Paz Nunez and Don Beaudreault; and to Pastor Carolyn Hansen of the Lakeside Presbeterian Church; as well as to Gabriela and Hans Peter Aull who opened the Haus der Musik for this celebration in honor of Gisele. The out-pouring of love from all those who attended and those who have contacted me since Gisele’s passing has been truly amazing. I thank you all for the blessing of your friendship and support.
View one video from Sep 2024: https://share.icloud.com/photos/07frS_JzOCuZJhsIP3CZekDhw