Obituaries
• Gary Hanley, 63, of Brattleboro. Died April 9 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, after a long battle with hepatitis. Father of David, Aaron, and Sarah Hanley, and the late Jesse Hanley. Brother of Michael Hanley, and his wife, Cindy, of Brattleboro. Born in Newark, N.J., the son of the late Vance and Lucille Hanley, he joined the Army after high school. He fought bravely and honorably with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam and remained proud of his service. After the war, he worked throughout the western United States on various construction projects. As a young man, he played football and baseball, and continued his love of sports throughout his life. He also enjoyed reading and listening to music, but most of all, he loved his cat “Smudge” and a good conversation. Memorial information : No services are planned. Donations to Morningside Shelter, P.O. Box 370, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
• James Louis Larsen, 90, of Bellows Falls. Died April 8 at Springfield Hospital. Husband of Margaret Metcalf Larsen for nearly 69 years. Father of James “Skip” Larsen; Robert Larsen and his companion, Terry Tatro; Diane Patterson and her companion, Maxwell Frazer; and Pamela Kissell and her companion, Richard Nebbett, all of Bellows Falls; Debra Whitcomb and her companion Gary Rorison of El Paso, Texas; Ronn and Sandra Larsen, and Scott and Colleen Larsen, all of Kallispell, Mont.; and the late Alan Larsen and Cheryl Riendeau. Brother of Marilyn Greeno of Massachusetts and Richard Larsen of Virginia. Born in New Bedford, Mass., the son of the late Louis and Clara (Meuse) Larsen, he attended schools in Walpole, Mass., and worked as a master electrician and troubleshooter for many companies in the United States and overseas. He also served in the Navy during World War II aboard the USS Crevalle. He retired in 1981 from Idlenot Dairy in Springfield. He was a member of the Saxtons River Volunteer Fire Department, the Odd Fellows, served as an assistant Scoutmaster in Saxtons River, and was a hunter safety instructor. He was also a member of the American Legion, the Vermont World War II Submarine Veterans, and the U.S. Submarine Veterans. At the time of his death, he was the oldest Vermont submarine veteran. Memorial information: A funeral service will be held on Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. The burial will be at the convenience of the family in the Saxtons River Cemetery. Donations to the Rockingham Free Public Library, Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
• Minnie Irene Podmore, 98, of Vernon. Died April 12 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of the late Bernard Podmore. Sister of Florence Higgins of Bullhead City, Ariz., and the late George, Alton, Harold and Howard Stephens, and the late Edna Deyo. Born in New York, the daughter of the late George and Blanche (Dymond) Stephens, she was raised and educated in Ashuelot, N.H., attending schools in both Ashuelot and Winchester. She worked several years as a sales clerk at the former Field's Rexall Drug Store in Hinsdale. She also worked part time at the former Hinsdale Raceway. A devout Catholic, she was a communicant of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hinsdale and a member of the Daughters of Isabella. She also held a life membership in the Hinsdale VFW Auxiliary, where she was the oldest living member. She enjoyed baking and time shared with her nieces and nephews. Memorial information : Graveside committal rites were conducted April 16 in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Hinsdale. Donations to Vernon Advent Christian Home, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354-9474. Online condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• John J. Rao, 86, of Wilmington. Died April 6 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, following a difficult battle with Parkinson's disease. Husband of Inge “Chickie” Spies for 61 years. Father of Jeanne Daum of New Paltz, N.Y. Brother of the late Ralph, Isabelle, Camille, Salvatore, Joseph, and Silvio Rao. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of the late Salvatore and Josephine Rao, he graduated from the Brooklyn High School of Automotive Trades, and then enlisted in the Army Air Force, where he served as a flight engineer during World War II. After the war, he was employed by the Army as ordinance superintendent at the Garmisch Military Post in Germany. He returned to the United States in 1953 and lived in Bethpage, N.Y., where he worked in the automotive industry until he retired to Wilmington in 1983. He enjoyed years of boating and fishing during the summers on Long Island Sound, and skiing during the winters in New York and Vermont. While in Vermont, he introduced his grandchildren to the great outdoors and activities such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding, target shooting, tennis, and golf. He often said that moving to Vermont was the best decision he ever made. Memorial information : A memorial service will be held in May at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Walden, N.Y., with a private burial at the Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington. Donations to the Vermont Veterans Home or the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Disaster Relief Fund, in care of Covey & Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Betty June Serviss, 75, of Cape Coral, Fla., formerly of Vernon. Died April 7 at Cape Coral Hope Hospice House. Wife of the late Francis Serviss for 53 years. Mother of J. Allen Serviss and Donald G. Serviss, both of Vernon, Scott L. Serviss of North Fort Myers, Fla., Jan L. Whittle of Brattleboro, and Debbie J. Savage of Vernon. Sister of Ralph Canning of New York, Beverly St. Pierre of Ontario, Canada, and the late Donald Canning. Born in Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada, the daughter of the late Harold and Pearle (Feeley) Canning. She was raised and educated in Morrisburg and later resided in Gouverneur, N.Y., before moving to Vernon with her family in 1970. She had been employed as a claims taker for the Vermont Department of Employment and Training for almost 25 years working in the Brattleboro office. Previously, she had worked for H & R Block, where initially she opened and managed the Brattleboro office. She continued to work for H & R Block on a part-time basis until 1998. She was a past member of the Dennis Rebekah Lodge in Gouverneur, and was a member of Vernon Union Church where for several years she served as Sunday school superintendent. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, bowling, dancing, and time shared with her family. Memorial information : A funeral service was held April 13 at Vernon Union Church, with burial in North Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Online condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Grace Ann Viets Lawley Stone, 71, of Newfane. Died April 8 at her home in Newfane. Wife of Chet Stone. Mother of Stephen Lawley and his wife, Cindy, of South Newfane; Todd Lawley, and his wife Catrina, of Brattleboro; and Scott Lawley and his wife, Anne, of Cincinnati. Sister of Nancy Calabrese, and Peter and James Viets. Daughter of Marjorie and the late William Viets, she attended East Granby, Conn., schools, Greenfield (Mass.) Community College, and Mount Holyoke College. For many years, she worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Bristol Hospital in Connecticut, as well as Grace Cottage and Mount Ascutney hospitals in Vermont. Early in her life, she enjoyed competitive horseback riding, hiking, camping, and vacationing with family in Maine. Recently, she loved caring for her four cats and spending time with her nine grandchildren. Memorial information : A memorial service was held April 15 at the NewBrook Fire Station in Newfane. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, 916 West River Rd., P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302, or Newbrook Volunteer Fire Department, Route 30, Newfane, VT 05345.
• Robert D. “Bob” Warner, 92, formerly of Saxtons River. Died April 7 at his home in Richmond, Vt. Husband of the late Mary Ellen Warner for 57 years. Father of Mary Ellen Plut and husband, Frank, of Richmond; and Mark Warner and his wife, Ronnie, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Brother of Richard Warner of Allendale, N.J., and Jean Nickell of Walnut Creek, Calif. Born in Binghamton, N.Y., the son of the late Daniel T. and Edith Warner, he served four years in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific. After the war, he enjoyed a long career in the paper industry. For 16 years, he was general manager of Mountain Paper Products in Bellows Falls. Later he was a consultant for several years, traveling with his wife throughout the United States. After his retirement in 1985, he helped his wife run their antique business, Sign of the Raven, in Saxtons River. Upon his wife's death in 2005, he moved to Richmond, and lived with his daughter and summered in Maine with his son. While living in Saxtons River, he contributed much to the life and well-being of the community, including securing a gift of 30 acres of land for Horan Park, spearheading the construction of the new Hall Covered Bridge, leading the effort to build a sewer system in the village, and forming the Jelly Bean Tree craft cooperative. He was a Mason, Shriner and Life Member of the Elks. Memorial information: No information available.
• Julie Waters, 44, of Westminster. Died April 8 from complications associated with myasthenia gravis. Spouse of Cyndi Miller, her longtime companion. Stepmother of Tiffany Miller. She received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island and a M.A. in Holistic Counseling from Salve Regina University. She moved to Vermont in 2000. She worked as an adjunct instructor at the Community College of Vermont, teaching Psychology, Sociology, and computer classes. She was also employed by River Valley Community College as a program director/academic advisor. She loved supporting, teaching, and challenging her students to think outside the box. Those who knew her often referred to her as an activist and renaissance woman. She designed websites including several of her own (juliewaters.com); enjoyed blogging about politics, music, art, and disability issues; was a gifted nature photographer, bird watcher and rescuer; loved solving and creating puzzles; and was a brilliant musician. Music was the center of her universe and all her other interests wove through it. She met her beloved partner, Cyndi, in 1998 and they were married on Sept. 13, 2009, the first gay couple to obtain a marriage license in their town, going to the clerk's office when it opened the day the law changed. Together, they fought to help her regain her health after the effects of the myasthenia gravis began to affect her life. Memorial information : Her life and music will be celebrated with a musical memorial party in late summer. Donations to The Greater Falls Warming Shelter, Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), 91 Buck Drive, Westminster, VT 05158.
College news
• Champlain College senior Chelsy Pillsbury of Brattleboro was recognized for her achievements at this year's third annual Graduate and Trustee Dinner held at Champlain College. Pillsbury, who will graduate in May with a Bachelors of Science in Applied Psychology, received the Chandler S. Page Memorial Award. This award is given by the class of 1963 to the student(s) who exhibit the highest type of college spirit during their career at Champlain College.