Jacqueline Michaud Obituary

Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyce Michaud (Née Thibodeau) passed away on August 24, 2025 with her family by her side at her home in Lexington, SC. Jackie was born on February 1, 1941 to Albert Joseph Thibodeau and Emily Soucy in Lewiston, Maine. She was the oldest of four children, and grew up in Eagle Lake, Maine. Born of French-Canadian descent, Jackie was raised bilingual, speaking primarily French throughout her childhood. In 1953, Jackie met Charles Robert "Bob" Michaud in Eagle Lake, Maine. Shortly after, Jackie's family moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where she and Bob reconnected in 1958. They got engaged shortly thereafter. Bob, an Army veteran, was stationed in California at the time, and mailed her engagement ring cross-country to Connecticut after she accepted his proposal. They married on July 25, 1959 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Hartford while Bob was on a 30-day leave. For their honeymoon, they completed a cross-country road trip back to California via Route 66. Jackie and Bob were quickly blessed with two daughters, Laurie Michaud Smith (born July 24,1960) and Lisa Michaud Kamenides (born July 26,1962). As a military wife and mother, Jackie dedicated herself fully to her daughters as Bob was deployed in Vietnam from 1966–67 and 1969–70. As the years went on, the couple was blessed with three grandchildren: Emily Kamenides Haladay (Tyler Haladay), Justin Smith (Madeline McGregor), and Jordan Smith. They were graced with one great-grandchild, Graham Patrick Smith (born June 14, 2023). As Jackie and Bob moved extensively throughout his military career (with a total of 18 moves), the couple developed a passion for travel. Jackie enthusiastically became the de facto travel planner of the family, and visited 72 countries in her lifetime. Their favorite destination was Hawai'i - they lived in Wahiawa from 1961–63, and returned approximately 20 times over the years. She also loved cruising, with her favorite cruise travelling from Miami, Florida to Sydney, Australia over the course of 62 days. Throughout all of their moves, their home base was in Northern Virginia, and they lived there permanently after Bob retired from the military in 1977. Bob's retirement ironically marked the beginning of Jackie's career - in 1978, she started working for the United States Central Intelligence Agency as a teller (GS-3) at the Agency Credit Union. She stayed with the CIA for 22 years, working her way up to the title of Records Management Officer (GS-13) for the National Reconnaissance Office. Upon retiring in 2000, she and Bob moved by boat to Palm Coast, Florida via the intercoastal waterway. They lived there for nearly 20 years filled with sunshine and avid boating on their vessel, "Lady Jackie." They moved to Lexington, South Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family. Jackie was known for her love for her family. Nothing made her happier than hosting for her loved ones - she was always eager to cook, make a cocktail, or play a game of marbles with her family. And with everything on her plate, she still managed to be the most beautifully dressed person in every room. Jackie and Bob were married for 66 years. Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, Albert Joseph Thibodeau & Emily Soucy; her siblings, Richard "Dicky" Thibodeau, Phillip "Kit" Thibodeau, and Marilyn Thibodeau Lennehan; and her cousin, Roderick "Kit" Soucie, who was like a brother to her. She is survived by her husband, Charles Robert Michaud of Lexington, SC; her two daughters, Laurie Michaud Smith (Ken) and Lisa Michaud Kamenides of Lexington SC; her three grandchildren, Emily Haladay (Tyler) of Lexington, SC; Justin Smith (Madeline) of Charlotte, NC; and Jordan Smith of New York, NY; and her great-grandson, Graham Patrick Smith.