Obituary of Brigitte Louise Marie Laffitte

 Brigitte Louise Marie Laffitte, 68, of Round Hill, VA, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 8th, where she was surrounded by loved family and friends.

 Brigitte was born in Tunis, Tunisia on July 27, 1954 to the late Robert Laffite and Svetlana de Bertren, but moved to Tours in the French Loire River Valley around the age of 5. Throughout her childhood, she attended Catholic schools. She later moved to Paris with her mother, where she completed high school. For college, Brigitte moved to the United States, where she attended and graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park. After graduating from Maryland, she worked at Marriott, and married her first husband, Michael J. Smith. Michael and Brigitte had three children: Guillaume, Philippe, and Adrien. Brigitte raised her sons in the Catholic Church. Brigitte went on to pursue careers in the telecom industry and real estate, and she received an MBA from Strayer University in 1999. In January 2001, she married her second husband, Jack Winters. Together, they traveled the world, and eventually moved to Round Hill, VA. Her greatest passions were her three boys, her family, her animals, painting, and her husband Jack.

 Brigitte was an accomplished athlete, competing in basketball and track in high school, and continuing to play intramural basketball and volleyball in college. She also earned a black belt in Karate. Later in life she took up tennis and was an A level player, competing on USTA teams and in club tennis. She was also a gifted artist, talented in sketching, watercolor, and oil painting.

 Brigitte was an avid animal lover. She raised multiple cats (Puma, Tiger, Brownie, Timky, and Facie), and her beloved dog Coal-e. She provided food to a herd of deer in her neighborhood, and made sure all the birds in her backyard were well fed. She belonged and contributed to many animal preservation societies.

 Brigitte was very proud of her French heritage (from her father) and her Russian heritage (from her mother), but was most proud to be a wife, mother, and an American citizen.

 Brigitte is preceded in death by her father Robert, her mother Svetlana, and her son Philippe. She is survived by her husband of 22 years, Jack Winters; her son Guillaume and his wife Jennifer, and their two children Marcel (2) and Selene (3 months); her son Adrien and his daughter Arielle (7); her grand-daughter Samantha (13); her brother Roger (Coco) and his wife Claudine; nephew Renaud and wife Cécile; and nephew Robin and wife Peggy.

 In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed at any of the charities that were near and dear to Brigitte’s heart: (1) the Animal Welfare Institute (https://awionline.org/); or (2) the ALS Association (https://www.als.org/).

The family will receive friends from 5 PM to 8 PM, Tuesday, July 18th, at Adams-Green Funeral Home, 721 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170.

A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, located at 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, VA 20132 at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 19th; Following the Mass of Christian Burial, Brigitte will be laid to rest at her final resting place at St. John The Apostle Cemetery, located at 101 Oakcrest Manor Drive NE, Leesburg, VA 20176. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at an establishment in Leesburg from 2pm - 6pm. Additional details will be provided at the viewing and funeral. Brigitte’s family looks forward to sharing stories, love, and laughter with you all.