Obituaries
• Lawrence Clifford Bloch, 59, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 28 at home of pancreatic cancer. Husband of Falana Lisa (Clarke) Bloch. Former husband of Laura Bloch Bourque. Father of Aaron Michael Bloch of New York City. Brother of Michele B. Bloch and her husband, John Cuseo, of Westport, Conn. Born in Philadelphia, the son of Miriam (David) and Ephraim F. Bloch, the founder and CEO of Perfect Fit Industries in New York City, he was raised in Manhattan and graduated from Riverdale Country Day School in the Bronx and attended Washington University at St. Louis, before moving to California in the 1970s. During that time, he purchased Haskell Printing in Santa Monica, which he operated for seven years. He was a social entrepreneur and activist largely responsible for the resurgence of the American jamband music scene. In the late 1980s, he and his first wife moved back to New York City to realize his innovative vision for a nightclub that would combine the creative elements of a hippie bar scene that was both laid-back and energetic, would raise awareness of environmental and social justice activism issues, and fund the nonprofit efforts of its own internal Activism Center. The Wetlands Preserve (a.k.a., The Wetlands) opened on Feb. 16, 1989, an eco-saloon that not only combined his passions of grassroots activism and improvisational music, but embodied the spirit and ethos of a community that continues to this day. The Wetlands, later featured in the 2006 Dean Budnick documentary film, The Wetlands Preserved, became a musical juggernaut that would help skyrocket the careers of notable bands such as Blues Traveler, Phish, moe., Agnostic Front, Pearl Jam, Oasis, The Spin Doctors, Dave Matthews Band, and many more, as well as launch the 1990s Ska movement. He moved to Brattleboro in 1996, after turning over the club to someone who would preserve its mission and integrity, to be closer to his son Aaron, the light of his life. Here he established the natural fiber clothing store Save the Corporations From Themselves, so named as a device to better educate inquiring people about the negative impact of corporate personhood. The space also offered The Activist Attic on the second floor, which provided resources, information, and materials for groups and individuals to be active and effective participants in community affairs. Seen strolling the street daily in his long shorts, sandals, and pulled up brown hemp socks, he would become one of the most widely recognized personalities of Brattleboro, as if he had lived here all of his life. He was instrumental in founding the independent Radio Free Brattleboro, which operated from 1998-2004, and later co-founded WVEW Brattleboro Community Radio, where he served as a program director and D.J. He became an active board member of Build a Better Brattleboro, spearheading the effort to take on the River Garden property as a valuable community resource. He also created and maintained a community bulletin board, served as a member of the Brattleboro Charter Commission for three years, and advocated for a “big box store” ordinance and zoning charter change. An athlete, Larry was an active tennis player and member of the Brattleboro Outing Club, organizing their annual tennis tournament and competing regionally. A talented gambler with a brilliant head for numbers and statistics, in 2005, Larry was one of only a handful of people to win the Kentucky Derby Superfecta. In 2012, he married his life partner Lisa, who adored him and shared his idealism and goals. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Nov. 3 at the West Brattleboro Meetinghouse. Donations to WVEW, P.O. Box 653, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
• George “Bud” Clark, 88, of Bellows Falls. Died Oct. 30 at his home. Husband of Mary Frances (Grignon) Clark for 63 years. Father of Philip Clark and his partner, Laurie Ulitsch, of Rockingham; Michael Clark and his partner, Neil Spates, of Unity, N.H.; and Deborah Tolaro of Bellows Falls. Brother of the late Mary O'Dette, and Francis, Louis, and Charles Clark. Born in Westminster, the son of Lee and Winifred (Tidd) Clark, he was a graduate of Bellows Falls High School, attended ROTC at Harvard University, and earned both a B.A. and an M.A. from Keene State College. He worked several years at the New England Power Plant while attending college. He served in the Navy during World War II. He began his career at Leland & Gray High School as an assistant principal and industrial arts teacher. He also worked at Brattleboro Union High School as a guidance counselor, and was a guidance counselor at Bellows Falls Union High School for more than 30 years. He was also the vocational director and director of the adult education, Starlight, and GED programs. He was a member of St. Charles Church, the Knights of Columbus, American Legion Post 37, and the National Education Association. He served on the Rockingham Recreation Board, the Bellows Falls Senior Center, and was a trustee of the Rockingham Free Public Library and Rockingham Memorial Hospital. He loved the challenge of antiquing and spent many years at it. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 3 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster.
• Constance F. “Connie” Covey, 64, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 31 at Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, N.H., following a courageous battle with cancer. Wife of Dennis Covey for nearly 36 years. Mother of Shaun St. Germain of Bel Air, Md., Shannon Covey of Vernon, and Dr. Heather Harper of Readfield, Maine. Sister of Michael Finnell of Tucson, Ariz., Terry Finnell of Kissimmee, Fla., Stephen Finnell of Brattleboro, Janice Nichols of Kissimmee, Patricia Buzby of Brattleboro, Cynthia Jacques of Keene, N.H., and the late Wayne Finnell. Born in Altona, N.Y., the daughter of Ross and Evelyn (Jarvis) Finnell, with her family, she moved to Brattleboro at the age of six and was raised and educated in town. She attended St. Michael's Parochial School and was a graduate of St. Michael's High School, Class of 1966. She spent her entire working career in banking, joining First Vermont Bank following graduation from high school. She started as a teller and held many positions at the bank, retiring as purchasing administrator from TD Bank on Main Street, following 46 years of faithful service. She was a devout Catholic and longtime communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Parish. She was very active within her church, serving as a Eucharistic minister for many years. She loved gardening and throughout the years she generously provided many arrangements for both the church altar and rectory, all from the gardens at her home. She also enjoyed vegetable gardening, hiking, snowshoeing and time shared with her family. She was known for her spirit of kindness and positive outlook on life. Active civically, she served as chair for the Relay for Life Program, and volunteered for Rescue Inc. in their front office, and volunteered her time for the local blood bank. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 3 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with burial in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to Relay For Life of Windham County, 55 Day Lane, Williston, VT 05495. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Robert A. Crosby Sr., 88, of Jacksonville. Died Oct. 29 at his home. Husband of Luanne Mace Crosby for 63 years. Father of Diane Crosby of Wilton, N.H., Robert A. Crosby Jr. of Marshfield, Mass., and Peter Crosby of Denver. Brother of the late Priscilla Phillips. Born in Springfield, Mass., the son of the late Frank and Marion (Baker) Crosby, he graduated from Classical High School in Springfield in 1942 and Mt. Hermon School in 1943. He then entered the Navy, where he served with the Amphibian Forces in the European Theatre during World War II, participating in the Normandy invasion. In 1944, he was selected to attend officers training at Wesleyan University and Princeton University. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1945, returning to Wesleyan University and graduating with a B.A. in 1949. He had been a member of Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. Shortly after graduation, he was hired by Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates in sales. In 1953, he joined Springs Mills Inc. where he was assigned sales territories in New England and Dallas, Texas. He advanced from salesman to General Sales Manager, retiring in 1985 as Vice President. Prior to retiring to Jacksonville in 1985, he and his wife Luanne resided in Stamford, Conn., where they raised their three children. Throughout his life, he loved to play golf and had been a longtime board member of the Deerfield Valley Health Center, a member of the Whitingham-Jacksonville Lions Club and Jacksonville Community Church. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at a future date. Donations to Habitat For Humanity, the Whitingham-Jacksonville Lions Club, or Water Missions in care of the Covey, Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Irene (Egressy) John, 99, of Nashua, N.H., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 27 at her home. Wife of the late Edward A. John for 36 years. Sister of the late Goldie Grant, Viola Egressy, and John Egressy. Born in East St. Louis, Ill., the daughter of the late Michael and Maria (Hagymasi) Egressy, she and her husband, who was a well known lawyer, were residents of Brattleboro for 36 years until his death. She moved to Nashua in 1992. She was an avid golfer with her husband, and enjoyed playing bridge with her friends at the Nashua Senior Center. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 2 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Nashua. A private interment took place at St. Michael's Cemetery in Brattleboro. Donations to Visiting Angels of Nashua, 11 Northeastern Blvd. #220, Nashua, NH 03062.
• Inge R. “Chickie” Rao, 84, of Wilmington. Died Oct. 28 at the home of her daughter, Jeanne Daum, in New Paltz, N.Y. Wife of the late John J. Rao. Sister of Edith von Schulmann of Frankfurt, Germany, Vera Bentley of Ottawa, Canada, and the late Helen Kemble. Born in Helsinki, Finland, the daughter of the late Bruno and Helen (Schobloch) Spies she grew up in Finland, She escaped with her family to Germany during World War II. In 1950, she met her husband, who was in the U.S. Army. They married and moved to the United States in 1953, settling down on Long Island. She was employed by the Army in the Budget and Fiscal Department at the Garmisch Military Base in Germany, then as an insurance agent on Long Island, prior to retiring and moving to Wilmington in 1983. A very elegant, spiritual, and vivacious woman, she enjoyed years of skiing and snowboarding for pleasure at Mount Snow and instructing at Carinthia, gardening, reading and writing to family and friends. She loved people and spoke several languages that helped her immensely in her work at the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce where she made friends from all over the world. She was a long time member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Bennington, where she enjoyed the congregation, made many friends, and especially loved the young people. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 1:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Wilmington. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery. Donations to the Village of Wilmington Disaster Relief Fund or Hospice of Ulster County, New York, in care of Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Mary Helena Renaud, 97, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 25 at her home. Wife of the late Dulcid Renaud. Sister of Patricia Ratti of Brattleboro and the late Francis McCarthy and Phyllis McKenna. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of the late Samuel and Julia (LaDue) McCarthy, she was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1933, She worked for more than 30 years at the former J.E. Mann's store on Main Street, which she retired from as bookkeeper. A devout Catholic, she was a lifelong communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, as well as a member of the Daughters of Isabella, where she held numerous offices. She was also a member of the Brattleboro Women's Evening Club and also volunteered for RSVP in Brattleboro. She enjoyed day trips and going out to dinner. She was an avid reader. She also cherished time spent with her family and many friends. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 5 at St. Michael's Catholic Church. Donations to St. Michael's Church, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Jan S. Tonderys, 69, of Amesbury, Mass., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 30 at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, Mass. Husband of Denise M. (Chenette) Tonderys for 41 years. Father of Jeffrey J. Tonderys and his wife, Kelly, of Surry, N.H., and Joshua M. Tonderys and his wife, Lindsay, of Wilmington, Del. Brother of Gregory and Mark of Worcester, Mass., Terence of West Roxbury, Mass., and Peter of Raynham, Mass., Megan Bearce of Brockton, Mass., and the late Edward Tonderys. Born in Far Rockaway, N.Y., he was the son of the late Dr. John and Margaret Tonderys. He was a graduate of Boston College and worked in the banking industry for many years. A resident of Vermont for more than 30 years, he and wife moved to Amesbury 10 years ago. He enjoyed their close proximity to the ocean and visited the shores regularly. His love of the sea was only surpassed by his love of family which was the center of his universe and the driving force in his life. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 6 at St. Joseph's Church of the Holy Family Parish in Amesbury. Interment was private for the family. Donations to the Merrimack Valley Hospice House, 360 North Ave., Haverhill, MA 01830, or consider becoming an organ donor and passing forward the gift of life to others.
Awards
• Winifred “Winnie” Vogt of Dummerston was honored with the 15th annual Successful Aging Award by Senior Solutions. The award was given on Oct. 31 at the annual meeting of Senior Solutions at the Putney Inn. The award recognizes the accomplishments of a person who is at least 80 years old and has, through deeds and leadership, helped foster a strong community that encompasses and supports all ages. The awardee exemplifies an awareness of living a balanced life including spiritual, health and social well being. Vogt is a Sunday School teacher, a Youth Group Advisor, and a Deacon in her church. She is a member of the Lydia Taft Pratt Library and faithfully brings books to the Senior Lunches for people to borrow. She is involved in the Retired Teacher's Association and the annual Apple Pie Festival. She is a dedicated member of the Dummerston community who visits the sick and bereaved families in town, and helps organize receptions for funerals. She organizes volunteers to provide meals to those who are seriously ill, and she finds volunteers to transport people for medical treatment. Senior Solutions is the nonprofit Area Agency on Aging for Windsor and Windham counties.