Andree De Champigny-  beloved mother, grandmother, artist/designer; lover of the ocean, good food, politics, and a good game of chess; one who strove to bring beauty and care to others lives- passed away on 12/29/24, at age 88, from complications due to heart disease.

She is predeceased by her parents (Rolande I. Giddis and Albert N. Giddis), and all of her siblings (Elaine J. Giddis, Diane Giddis, and Albert R. Giddis). She is survived by both of her daughters (Kim Kilchenstein of Burlington, MA, and Kirsten Savinese of Ridley Park, PA), her son-in-law (Stanley J. Savinese), grandchildren (Emily and Isaac Savinese), and nephew (Jon Giddis).

She was born Jean Andree Giddis  (the "Jean" was dropped early on) on October 28, 1936, in Lowell, MA.  The third of four children, Andree was raised in a French-Canadian family, and educated in Catholic schools. Her father was a WWII war vet, skilled in electronics, who contributed to the technological advances at that time leading to the advent of television. Her mother was a caring matriarch, often working whatever jobs she could to keep her family fed and healthy in tough times. Growing up in the midst of the Depression, young Andree took to heart the lessons of hard work, personal sacrifice for family, and the value of money.

Andree graduated from high school with honors- but, when it came time to accept the college fund money that her father had worked so hard to save for her future, she refused it. She asked, instead, that he use it for medical treatment for the debilitating arthritis he had been suffering from for years. This unselfish choice shaped her life, moving forward.

She went to secretarial school for a year, and in her first job, she met and married Frank Kilchenstein. His work contract took them to Japan for their first three years of marriage. While they were there, both daughters were born, as well as Andree's deep appreciation for Japanese art and culture.

Upon return to the states, their small family lived briefly in RI and VA, and ultimately settled in CT.

Andree was a caring and loving mother/homemaker, and put her all into it.  She was ahead of her time, and stayed current on the latest research of the day regarding childhood development, health, and psychology. She was also moved by Rachel Carson's pioneering environmental work in the 1960s- and she made sure that her own children ate healthily, free from chemical toxins, and with proper nutrition.

Andree enjoyed creating delicious and diverse meals for her family and friends- often experimenting with new recipes or cooking elaborate French meals.  She learned how to sew clothes for her children, took up wood carving, ceramics, and loved to experiment with creative mediums of all sorts.

Throughout her lifetime, Christmas was Andree's favorite holiday- it was sacred to her. Each year, she hosted family gatherings, decorated beautiful spaces, and wrapped each gift like a small work of art.

In the early 1970's, their small family moved from the suburbs of Ledyard, CT to build a house on a spacious plot of land in Stonington, CT. With no formal training, Andree single-handedly designed every room in the large two story home that they built. This task revealed a reservoir of artistic talent; she was a natural, and wondered if interior design work might be her calling.

Andree began offering her design ideas to family and friends for free, and- in short order, she was soon working as a contract kitchen/bath designer for "Masterpiece Kitchens".  Slowly, by word of mouth, she developed a burgeoning client base of happy customers.
In 1977, the Mystic River Historical Society invited Andree to design two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, in The Captain's House Designer Showcase. Her work was a success.  Andree's unique and powerful designs were featured in two issues of "House Beautiful" magazine (1977 and 1983); as well as mentioned in articles by the New York Times and the New London Day.

Later, Andree was comissioned as the sole designer for the interior of her husband's new office building, Tracor, and- for her beautiful work, was given personal accolades by the governor of the state.

In 1979, Andree and her husband divorced. She and her children moved out, and she chose to put her design work on pause, while she went back to a full time secretarial job in order to "pay the bills".

Sadly, she never got back to the interior design business in CT that she had worked so hard to develop.  However, later in life, in the mid- 1980s, Andree moved to Nashua, NH, and was offered the position as the interior designer for Liberty Kitchens. She produced beautiful work once again, and enjoyed her time there for several years.

Following this,  Andree tried her hand at selling real estate.  She got her RE license, loved the work, and was very successful-  until the market crashed in the late 1980s.

In 1991, Andree moved to Matunuck, RI, and rented a fixer-upper apartment, situated directly across the street from the ocean. She had found her place.  She designed it with her dramatic touches. She found a way to seamlessly integrate the beauty of the ocean and the natural world into her living space. She loved it there, and made it her home for the next 26 yrs.

That same year, a former kitchen-design client offered Andree a paralegal job at her law firm. Never having worked in such a capacity, she nonetheless gave it her all, personally and professionally, and it was a good fit.  Andree was a strong and committed advocate for her clients, and she put her full self into her work on behalf of others, as she always did. She strongly believed in 'justice' for all.  She worked there for ten years, and retired in 2001.

From that point on, Andree became more involved in politics, and actively volunteered on several campaigns for her candidates of choice in local and state government.

During her last years living in RI, she began to develop arthritis, and- much like her father- it worsened, and began to interfere with her mobility. In 2018, Andree moved to PA to live nearer to her daughter, Kirsten, and for additional assistance and care. In the years following, she developed heart disease, and underwent several medical procedures. Her arthritis became increasingly debilitating, and sadly, she suffered with chronic pain in her last years.

Andree passed at Wallingford Rehab/Skilled Nursing in Wallingford, PA on 12/29/24, following difficult complications from heart disease. Both of her daughters were nearby in her last days.

Her ashes will be brought back to Massachusetts, and her family will have a small, private memorial.
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Throughout her life, Andree was a perfectionist at heart, and her own toughest critic. She strove to bring beauty into her work, her relationships, and into everything she created.

She was also a very sensitive and empathetic soul, a deep 'listener'- and often identified with, and took on, others' pain as her own.  Though independent and free thinking at heart, she seemed internally guided in her choices throughout life by what she considered the most 'fair and right', 'just', and/or the most kind, thing to do in most every situation.

Andree was a deeply loving and nurturing mother, above all else. She will be greatly missed by her family.

We pray that she is now free, and at peace.~*