Priscilla Dagget

Priscilla Dagget CALAIS — Priscilla Daggett, 88, of Calais, Vermont passed away on December 22, 2023, after a brief illness. Priscilla was born on October 12, 1935, in Brooklyn, NY to Dorothy Jones Daggett and Gwynne Harris Daggett. She was the second of two daughters. Her early childhood was spent in North Carolina and Florida where her parents were teachers. The family moved to New Hampshire in 1941 where her father was a professor of English at the University of New Hampshire. Priscilla attended the Durham Center School, Northfield School for Girls, and Spaulding High School where she graduated in 1953. Priscilla earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at the University of New Hampshire. As an undergraduate student she played clarinet in the university band, was a member of the Theta Upsilon sorority and was co-editor of the school newspaper. She was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society in her senior year and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1957. In 1958 Priscilla married David U. Edgar. During their five years of marriage, they had two children, Janet and Philip. It was her dream to work as a high school librarian, so she returned to UNH to earn a master’s degree in education, specializing in School Library Science while caring for two young children on her own. She bought her first house in North Oxford, Massachusetts and worked as a high school librarian at Auburn High School. There, she met her second husband Francis L. Schlosser. Frank and Priscilla were married in 1970 and eventually settled in Middlesex, Vermont where they built a house and lived for 15 years. Priscilla worked as a librarian for the State of Vermont and Lamoille Union High School and eventually as an unemployment compensation adjudicator for the state of Vermont until her retirement in 2002. In 1991 she bought a little house in Calais, a town she grew to love, and there she spent the rest of her days. Priscilla traveled extensively and loved to be active outdoors in nature, participating in any activity that didn’t involve a motor and was non-life-threatening, including hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, camping, and gardening. She loved animals, both wild and domestic, from the tiniest spider and mouse to birds and squirrels which she fed, to the turkeys, deer, and bears that visited her yard. The one exception may have been a woodchuck that for several summers pilfered vegetables from her garden. Her first love though, was her cats, of which there was always at least one as a member of her household. As an active follower of politics and current events she was involved in peace-oriented organizations such as the Raging Grannies. She was also active in the community, serving on the board of the Green Mountain Club, Volunteering at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and was also a beloved member of her neighborhood in Calais. She had many hobbies including being an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction, a prolific amateur writer, a devout fan of opera, and a long-time performer in the Onion River Chorus. She is survived by her children Philip Schlosser, Janet Thygesen and son-in-law Dana Thygesen, and grandchildren Dylan Thygesen, Cale Thygesen and his wife Samantha Thygesen as well as two nieces, Amy McCain and Diana Merriam. She is predeceased by her parents, sister, Barbara Merriam, nephew, Christopher Merriam, and her beloved cat, Mia. There will be an informal celebration of Priscilla’s life at Guare & Sons Funeral Home at 30 School Street in Montpelier from 1:00 to 3:00 on Saturday, January 6, 2024. Starting at 1:30 there will be time dedicated for friends and family to share remembrances, stories, and prayers. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be made to the Central Vermont Humane Society.