Milestones

Obituaries

• Herwood W. “Zeke” Curtiss, 89, formerly of New London, N.H. Died April 30 at Woodlawn Nursing Home in Newport, N.H. Husband of the late Phyllis Curtiss. Father of Wayne S. Curtiss and his wife, Michelle, of Sunapee, N.H., and Pamela C. Berlind and her husband, Bryan, of Chocorua, N.H. Brother of Ed­win W. Curtiss and his wife, Peg, of Guilford. Born in Lebanon, N.H., the son of Edwin J. and Susie E. (Hubbard) Curtiss, he was best known as a teacher. He taught mathematics and music for 36 years at New London High School and Kearsarge Regional High School. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on June 2 at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church in New London. Donations to the Herwood W. “Zeke” Curtiss Scholarship, KRHS, 457 North Rd., North Sut­ton, NH 03260 Attention: Betsy Ander­son.

• Bonnie V. Fairbanks, 65, of Mont­pelier. Died April 26 at Rowan Court Health and Rehabilitation Center. Wife of Robert M. Fairbanks for nearly 25 years. Mother of Christopher Rock and his wife, Shawn O'Neill, of Kill Devil Hills, N.C. Sister of Peter Vandertuin and his part­ner, Karen Boutelle, of Brattleboro; Jan Vandertuin of Eugene, Ore.; Barbara Stahle and her husband, Ron, of Brandon; and Sara Davis and her husband, Terry, of Reno, Nev. Born in Salem, Mass., the oldest child of Claire (Bolles) and the late John Vandertuin, she graduated from Ichabod Crane High School in Kinderhook, N.Y., attended Gordon College in Massachu­setts and re­ceived her bach­elor's degree at Johnson State Col­lege. She worked in the human re­sources field, and served as personnel director for the City of Burlington during the Sanders' administration, and as human resour­ces director for Green Mountain Power, the Institute for Sustainable Communities, and Goddard College. She was involved with vari­ous charitable and civic organiza­tions throughout her life. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held in Greensboro at a later date. Donations to the Greensboro Free Library or the Kellogg-Hubbard Li­brary in Montpelier.

• Marie Gabrielson, 83, of Brattleboro. Died April 28 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Ralph Gabrielson for 51 years. Mother of Paul Gabrielson and his wife, Jonna, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Judy Stockwell of Brattleboro. Memorial information: Private services were held for the immediate family. Donations to Green Mountain Chapel, 480 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301, www.greenmountainchapel.org; or St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.

• Laura Frances Gibson, 50, of Vernon. Died May 2 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Fiancé and companion of David Sage. Mother of Robert Petrie and wife, Sarah, of Bella Vista, Ark.; Michael Petrie and fiancé, Shelley Choate, of Prairie Grove, Ark.; and Ashley Sage of Vernon. Born in Brattleboro, the only daughter of Robert and Frances (Stott) Gibson, she was a lifelong resident of the area. She was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School, class of 1980. She went on to attend and graduate from Barbizon School of Modeling in Keene, N.H. She was employed as a loan officer with USDA Rural Development of Brattleboro for 28 years. Prior to that, she had been employed for Brattleboro Trust Company. She served several years as a board member for Members First Credit Union, also serving as secretary for the past seven years. She was a member of the B.P.O. Elks Lodge #1499 and the Eagles Auxiliary, Brattleboro Aerie #2445. She was devoted to her family, cherishing her time with family and friends. She also enjoyed vacations in the Caribbean. Memorial information: A memorial service was held May 7 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, with burial in Tyler Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302, or Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Elvira Delany “Vera” Hart, 93, of Salisbury, Conn. Died April 26 at Noble Horizons in Salisbury. Wife of the late Colonel Donald R. “Pete” Hart, Jr. Stepmother of Christine Hart and her husband, William Morlock, of Brattleboro; Peter Hart and his wife, Andrea, of New Britain, Conn.; and Philip Hart and his wife, Carol, of Oakland, Maine. Sister of the late Robert and Frank Wurum, and Cynthia Swiatek. She was born in Frenchtown, N.J., the daughter of the late Frank and Julianna (Howarth) Wurum. She graduated from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She lived in New York City for many years where she worked as a writer and co-editor for Travel Weekly magazine, which afforded her the opportunity to travel the world. She lived for many years in West Cornwall, where she renovated the railroad station there into a unique home. Later in life, she and her husband volunteered their time to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), traveling the country to assist in federal disaster areas. Memorial information: A celebration of her life was held May 2 at the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home in North Caanan, Conn. Burial took place on May 3 in the Massachusetts National Military Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. Donations to St. Michael's Episcopal Church capital campaign, 16 Bradley Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Shirley H. Hathaway, 91, of Brattleboro. Died April 26 at Pine Heights Nursing Home, following a period of declining health. Husband of the late Howard Hathaway for 43 years. Sister of Cynthia Saldi and her husband, Alfred, of Barre, and the late Sylvia Woodard.Born in Barre, the daughter of Lawrence Winfred and Edith (Goodrich) Holmes of East Brookfield, she graduated from Spaulding High School, Class of 1938. She received her B.S. in Education from Lyndon State College and her Master's in Education from Boston College. She also attended Keene State College and the University of Vermont. She taught elementary grades for 40 years in schools in Barnard, Bridgewater, Williston, Williamstown, and Brattleboro. She also served as principal of Canal Street School in Brattleboro from 1967 to 1976. She was a Vermont delegate to the National Education Association conventions in Dallas, Texas and Portland, Oregon. She was a member of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and served as president of Elementary School Principals Association. She was president of Beta Chapter, Alpha Lamda State, Delta Kappa Gamma, where she held membership for 49 years. She was president of the Teachers Association of Brattleboro; director of the Vermont Education Association, and served on several State Education Committees. She was a life member of the Bingham Chapter #30, Order of the Eastern Star in Brattleboro, was a member of the Women's Evening Club of Brattleboro, and the Brattleboro Floral and Garden Club. Additionally, she held membership in the Retired Teachers Association and the Vermont NEA. Steadfast in her walk of faith, she was a former member of the United Church of Christ in East Brookfield and a National Associate Member and 17-year member of Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro. She was an avid gardener, and enjoyed floral arranging and oil painting. Memorial information: A memorial service was held May 5 at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro, with burial in East Brookfield Cemetery. Donations to Centre Church, 193 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.

• Kathy J. Hinrichs, 52, of Keene, N.H. Died April 29 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. Wife of Mark H. Hinrichs for nearly 32 years. Mother of Tyson P. and Kristen L. Hinrichs. Sister of Dana W. Gibson of Alstead, N.H., David W. Gibson and his wife, Tami, of Charleston, S.C., and Glenn L. Gibson and his wife, Melinda, of Lancaster, N.Y. Born in Nashua, N.H., the daughter of Nancy (Abbott) and the late Paul B. Gib­son, Jr. She grew up in Hud­son, N.H., and was a 1978 graduate of Alvirne High School in Hud­son. She received a bach­elor's degree in accounting from Franklin Pierce Uni­versity. She worked as an account­ant for four years with the Keene Day Care and also, at the time of her death, she was an accountant with New Chapter, Inc. in Brattleboro, where she had worked for the past two years. She enjoyed the ocean and lighthouses. She also enjoyed cro­cheting. She was an avid Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins fan. Spending time with her family was the most important aspect of her life. She also spent a great deal of time tracing her family history, putting together her family genealogy. Memorial information: A memorial service was held May 4 at First Baptist Church in Keene. Burial will be private.Donations to the American Cancer Society, c/o Nor­ma Jeanne Pinney, PO Box 87, West Swanzey, NH 03469-0087.

• Edith Fisher Hunter, 92, of Weathersfield. Died April 28 at her home. Wife of the late Armstrong Hunter. Mother of William, Elizabeth, Charles and the late Graham Hunter. Born in Roxbury, Mass., she graduated from Wellesley College in 1941, and went on to divinity studies at Union Theological Seminary, where she and her husband met. The Hunters moved to Vermont in 1969, to the Weathersfield homestead that had been in her husband's family for generations. Her husband set up a print shop behind their home, and the Hunters launched the award-winning Weathersfield Weekly newspaper in 1971, which they ran for 15 years. She wrote numerous children's books and, late in life, became a regular commentator on Vermont Public Radio. She loved books and reading, tending her garden, and sugarmaking. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held later this spring at the Weathersfield Meetinghouse.

• Stanley James Kolanowski, 71, of Seattle, Wash., formerly of Brattleboro. Died April 27 of liver cancer, and the resulting complications stemming from multiple traumatic injuries suffered during the Vietnam War. Husband of former Army nurse Tonjia Marie Karr. Father of Geoffrey Stephen Kolanowski and Tashana Marie Kolanowski. He had been living in Seattle for the last five years to be closer to his daughter. Born in Portland Ore., to the late Catherine and Patrick Kolanowski, he graduated from Central Catholic High School in June 1959, then went on to Gonzaga University, where he joined Army ROTC and graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration in May 1964. He deployed to Vietnam for his first tour of duty in 1968. He redeployed for a second combat tour in April 1970 with the Army's 101st Airborne Division, where he served as the S-3 officer for the 3/506 Infantry Battalion, then as A Company commander, 3/506 Infantry, until he was seriously injured after being struck by the main rotor blade of a helicopter as he was returning from a mission in August 1970. Following several years of medical reconstruction, after his traumatic amputation of his right arm and left shoulder and facial trauma, he was retired from the Army with 100 percent disability. Before his injury, he received a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf clusters and the Army Commendation Medal for his service under fire. He was a graduate of the Army's Airborne, Ranger, and Pathfinder schools, and earned the Combat Infantryman's Badge. He went on to be accepted at Columbia University in New York City, where he completed Master's degrees in Information Sciences and Business Administration. He especially enjoyed playing with and teaching his two children hunting, fishing, downhill and cross-country skiing, canoeing, hiking, gardening, cooking, golfing, racketball, and squash. He was a dedicated volunteer in his children's lives as Boy Scout leader, baseball coach, PTA participant, swim team parent, and Catholic Parish volunteer. Memorial information: A memorial service was held at Merrill Gardens in Seattle on May 5. Those with memories to share with the family may email or mail them to [email protected], or 9108 2nd Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115 .

• Richard F. LaFountain, 64, of Townshend, Died Jan. 21. Son of the late Francis (Frank) and Ella LaFountain. Brother of the late Frances Buchor, Cheryl Pickard, Theresa Post, and Gerald and Daniel LaFountain. Born in Hartford, Conn., he enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 16 and served 3 1/2 years in Vietnam. He was awarded two Purple Hearts. After the war, he worked 19 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Connecticut. He moved to Vermont in 2004, He leaves his niece and family, Kimberly and Rodney Record of Grafton. Memorial information: A graveside service will be held on May 12 at 11:30 a.m. in Valley Cemetery in Athens. Donations to Springfield Veterans Center, Northgate Plaza, 1925 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103.

• Margaret Ann Latham, 75, of Walpole, N.H. Died April 30 at Langdon Place in Keene, N.H. Wife of the late John Latham. Mother of Brian and Stephen Latham, both of Walpole, and Elizabeth Clark of Alstead, N.H. Sister of Sandy Dupuis of Westminster. Born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of Frederick and Margaret (Murray) Wyman, she attended schools in Walpole and worked as the secretary for the family business, Latham Builders. She also worked at the Vilas and Walpole Schools in the lunch program, worked as a wait­ress at the Green Lantern, and made sandwiches for Jiffy Mart. She was a member of the Hooper Hill Hoppers, the Sand Pond Association, both the Bellows Falls and Walpole Senior Citizen Centers, and the Red Hatters in Bellows Falls. She liked to spend time with her family at Sand Pond and enjoyed her trips to Maine. Memorial information: Services will be private at the con­venience of the family. Dona­tions to Langdon Place, 139 Arch St., Keene, NH 03431.

• Gloria M. Lear, 91, of North Walpole, N.H. Died April 27 at Springfield Hospital following a long illness. Wife of the late Carroll “Ed” Lear for nearly 42 years. Mother of Douglas E. Lear of Merrimack, N.H., and Patricia L. Torrey of North Walpole, N.H. Sister of Louise Logan of Denver, Colo. Born in Portsmouth, N.H., the daughter of the late Louis and Josephine (Brolli) Montani, she was a graduate of Somerville (Mass.) High School and attended business school in Boston. From 1942 to 1951, she worked in the Boston area as a secretary. After the Lears moved to Bellows Falls, VT, she worked for several companies, including Snow and Lear in Bellows Falls. She was a life member of the Order of Eastern Star, and served as the secretary of the Board of Deacons and Treasurer of the Women's Fellowship of the United Church in Bellows Falls. She was also a member of the Walpole Senior Citizens. She and her daughter knitted and crocheted for many community projects. She was devoted to her husband and children, and they enjoyed the many trips they took together. Memorial information: A memorial service was held May 2 at the United Church in Bellows Falls. Burial will take place at the Blossom Hill Cemetery in Concord, N.H. at the convenience of the family.

• Joseph T. “Joe” Patrick, 76, of Provincetown, Mass., and West Palm Beach, Fla. Died April 21 in West Palm Beach. Husband of the late Martha Finnell Patrick. Father of Kelley Mulhall of Brattleboro and Megan Patrick of Falmouth, Mass. Brother of Phyllis Patrick of Sandwich, Mass., and the late Cyril J. Patrick. Born in Provincetown, the son of the late Cyril and Philomena (Jason) Patrick, he attended Provincetown schools and went on to study at the University of Mi­ami. He earned grad­uate degrees from Boston Uni­versity and Bridgewater State College, where he ob­tained his teach­ing certificate. After completing service in the Ar­my, he was a teacher for nearly 30 years in Massachusetts, at both Morse Pond School in Falmouth and Truro Central School. He was also a professional photographer, a talent which he pur­sued outside of teaching but also one that he enjoyed sharing with his students, teaching them photogra­phy and darkroom skills. During his time as a Falmouth teacher, he served as president of the Falmouth Educators' Association. In addition to his teaching career, he was owner of several business­es, including the Gryphon, the Sun Gallery, and the Wednesdays 5 to 9 Gallery, all in Provincetown; and the Clan Patrick and Quaker Bonnet in Falmouth. He had his captain's li­cense and was an avid sailor. He was a member of the Provincetown Yacht Club, and a participant and photographer for the Provincetown Schooner Regatta. He was also a member of the Provincetown Art As­sociation and was a fourth degree Knight of Columbus. Memorial information: A cel­ebration of his life will be held this summer in Provincetown. Donations to the Falmouth Edu­cation Foundation, P.O. Box 1061, Falmouth, MA 02541.

• Catherine “Peachy” (Hall) Vendetta, 85, of Manchester, Conn. Died May 1 at Hartford Hospital. Wife of the late Francis P. Vendetta for 50 years. Mother of Catherine Decarli and her husband, Dr. Robert DeCarli, of Wethersfield, Conn., William Vendetta and his wife, Elaine, of Old Wethersfield, Conn.; Elizabeth Vendetta of Brattleboro; Mary Tribuzio and her husband Raymond of Farmington, Conn.; and Thomas Vendetta and his wife Connie of South Windsor, Conn. Born in Hartford, the daughter of the late Catherine (Killiard) Hall and William A. Hall, she was a volunteer in Manchester Memorial Hospital's Physical Therapy Department for over 25 years, played in the Women's Golf League at Manchester Country Club for over 20 years and was active in the Church of the Assumption Mothers' Circle. She also loved her Tuesday morning meetings with the ladies of the “Christian Group,” and was famous for her “Peachy's Pies” and “Peachy's Perfect Pancakes.” Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held May 4 at the Church of the Assumption in Manchester. Donations to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Connecticut Chapter, 659 Tower Ave., First Floor, Hartford, CT 06112-1269 or a charity of the donor's choice.

• Barbara J. Zielinski, 87, of Brattleboro. Died April 27 at Pine Heights Nursing Home. Mother of Wayne Winot and his wife, Eloise, of Brookline. Sister of the late Elmer “Pete” Sherman. Stepsister of the late Irene Winot Ferris. Born in Marlboro, the daughter of the late Arthur Lawrence and Irene “Maude” (Wilkins) Sherman, she grew up in the West River Valley having lived in Londonderry (where she attended schools), Bellows Falls, Townshend, Brattleboro and was a former resident of Vernon. She had worked at Latchis Hotel, Templeton Furniture, the H. Margolin Co., and the AMP Keyboard Factory. In her later years, she worked at Ray's Restaurant in Brattleboro. She was a lifetime member of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW of Brattleboro. She was devoted to her family and some of her favorite times were spent with get-togethers with her family and friends, especially during the holidays. She also enjoyed playing Bingo, listening to country music, and her pet cats and dogs. Memorial information: A graveside service took place on May 2 in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Bellows Falls.

College news

• The following local students received degrees at Vermont Technical College's commencement on May 5 in Randolph Center:

Edith Covillion of Bellows Falls, Rebecca Curtis-Brown, Krishna Flanders, Willow Frantz, Amy Furgat, Susan Ramirez, Brandy Speno, Stacy Switzer and Alma Winther of Brattleboro, Julia Deuso of Hinsdale, N.H., Barbara Carey and Susan Clifford of Putney, Annelles Byington of Westminster, and Brooke Kearney of Westminster Station all received A.S. degrees in Nursing.

Kara Chafee of Bellows Falls received a B.S. in Business Technology and Management. Samuel Morrison of East Dummerston and Mindy Ellis of Putney received B.S. degrees in Electromechanical Engineering Technology, while Anthony Siano of Grafton received a A.E. degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.

Eric Bliznak of Guilford received a B.S. in Computer Software Engineering. Brittney Gendreau of Guilford received B.S. in Dental Hygiene. Eric Beane of Hinsdale, N.H., received an A.A.S. in Telecommunications Technology, and Eric Savoy of Putney received an A.A.S. in Automotive Technology.

• Two local students participated in Keene State College's 12th annual Academic Excellence Conference on March 31. This student professional conference is designed to showcase the academic work of Keene State students and the collaborative work between students and faculty. Elisha Wamsley of Brattleboro presented on “Prescription Drug Abuse: An Assessment of the Monadnock Region's Readiness to Deal With the Problem,” while Amy Duffy of West Townshend presented on “Critical Examination of Thinking and Writing: The Student's Perspective.”

• Caleb Wiley of South Londonderry, a senior early childhood education and special education major, received the Cloyd H. Ebersole Scholarship at Lebanon Valley (Pa.) College's annual Spring Awards and Recognition Ceremony on April 19.

• Artwork by Hannah Fox of Cambridgeport and Ryan Gagnon-Burch of Putney was included in the Freshman Foundation's Year-end Show at Alfred (N.Y.) University. Work by more than 108 young artists from the School of Art & Design was featured.

• Kayden Manning of Vernon will be part of Marietta (Ohio) College's annual spring Concert Choir tour starting May 14 in Bristol, Va. The Concert Choir is one of five choral ensembles at Marietta College and one of the college's oldest organizations.

School news

• The Bellows Falls Woman's Club sponsored the annual Bellows Falls Union High School Art show last month. The student awarded the Most Popular in Show prize was Meagan Lawrence for her pencil portrait of actress Eva Longoria. Winners in Calligraphy were first place, Taylor Westfall; second place, Trisna Dayamanti; and third place was Rebecca McLaren. In the Watercolors/Ink Wash division, first place was given to Nieva Schemm; second place went to Anna Clark, and third place was won by Molly Dufault. In the Oils category, Cedar Williams took first place, while second went to Kelsey Spaulding and third place went to Lauren Rowell.

In Acrylics, Colt Benware-Fisher took first place, Taylor Westfall was second, and Trisna Dayamanti was third. In Floor Cloths category, first place went to Hayden Noyes, while second place went to Kendrick Mills, and third went to Rachel Wanders. In the Drawing category, Meagan Lawrence took first, Nick Colberg was second, and Stephanie Green was third. For the 2-D Mixed Media-Media category, Anna Clark took first, seccond went to Britt Moyna, and third went to Kaitlyn Tullar. Colt Benware-Fisher took first in Paper-Mache, Tiana Schillinger was second, and third place went to Chapin Reis.

In Ceramics and Clay, first place went to Bridgette Hartman; Nick Colberg and Molly Dufault were second and third, respectively. In Sculpture/Other category, first went to Israel Cavanagh, while Denise Kingsbury was second and Tori Bissell was third. In Pastels, Elise Doucet took first, Cedar Williams was second and Chelsea Wilder was third. In Digital Photography category, first place was awarded to Rachel Wanders, second went to Alex Harris, and third went to Kaitlin Terry. In the Digital Photography, Outdoor category, first place went to Bridgette Hartman, second to Kya Coursen: and third went to Gus Slater-Dixon. In the quilt category, first place went to Ashley Currier, second went to Kaitlyn Tullar, and third to Lydia Pedigo.

• Windham Regional Career Center students in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club won 71 awards at the FBLA State Conference in Burlington in March. Theresa Glabach was elected incoming Vermont State Southern vice president of FBLA.

Marissa Smith won a $1,000 scholarship per year from Johnson and Wales University for placing first in business communication. Haley Hopkins placed second in the same event, and she received a $750 scholarship per year.

Cash awards totaling $575 were awarded to Alexis Takei, Jason Shatney, Sarah Bemis, Oliver Polmazi, Kobe Jaro, Theresa Glabach, and Jessica Lyon.

The WRCC chapter placed in the following events: Scrapbook, FBLA T-shirt and pin design contest, and March of Dimes banner and computerized poster.

Transitions

• Albert Mukuski of Vernon recently retired from Sanel Auto Parts after spending 49 years with the company.

After joining Sanel in 1963, Mukuski held a number of positions with the company, including serving as manager of the Brattleboro store for more than 20 years. At the time of his retirement, he worked as a counterman in Sanel's Keene, N.H., store. Mukuski was honored for his service with a ceremony at Sanel's corporate headquarters in Concord, N.H.