Gilberte Fleury Bushnell

Gilberte "Gigi" Bushnell, 96, of Loveland, Colorado, passed away Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Brookdale Assisted Living-Mariana Butte in Loveland. She was born on June 28, 1928 in Lillebonne, France to Marcel and Helene (Neyer) Fleury.

James Dyckman Bushnell and Gigi met when James was on a work assignment from October 1951 to March 1952 at Esso’s (at the time) Port Jerome Refinery near her hometown of Lillebonne. He was staying in a hotel down the street from a Pâtisserie (pastry store) that she was managing for her father who was a pâtissier (pastry chef). He was on a second work assignment in Europe, this time to Esso’s Fawley Refinery near Southampton, England from late 1952 to February 1954, when they were married on August 8, 1953 in Lillebonne. Between the time that he arrived in England and they married James made numerous trips across the English Channel to see Gigi and she made at least one trip to England. After getting married, they returned to England so he could complete his work assignment. After he completed it, they sailed to the United States, and arrived in New York City, New York, on the SS America on February 16, 1954. Gigi became a naturalized US citizen on February 24, 1958 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Before moving to Loveland in 2022, Gigi lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey from 1953 to 1955, then Berkeley Heights, New Jersey from 1955 to 2011 and she lived in Palm Harbor/Clearwater, Florida from 2011 to 2022.

Gigi is survived by her son, Mark J. Bushnell of Windsor, Colorado and sisters, Christianne Lecoutre and Yvonne Lasnel both of Lillebonne, France.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James, her parents, Marcel and Helene Fleury and her brother, Pierre Fleury.