Obituaries
• Parker Burnham Blake Jr., 82, of Turlock, Calif., formerly of Bellows Falls. Died Dec. 31. Husband of Penny MacDonnell Blake for 31 years. Former husband of Marilyn Moseley Blake for 24 years. Father of Robin Blake, Mark Blake, and Tamara Doss. Stepfather of Kristy Reeves and Ronald Arndt. He was born and raised in Bellows Falls, where most knew him as “Burn.” He loved working at a newspaper through high school, delivering, selling ads, and setting type. He attended Northwestern University one semester and regretted that he wasn't able to continue. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1951. During his 22 years on active duty, he served in the Air Police and Fire Control Maintenance of B-52s, serving in Morocco, Lowry AFB, Loring AFB, Westover AFB, Bossier AFB, and Castle AFB. He was extremely proud of being of service to his country, retiring as a senior master sergeant in 1973. Shortly after retiring from the Air Force, he went to work for Gallo Winery in Livingston and Modesto, Calif., as a safety supervisor, among other positions, until retiring from the company with more than 20 years of service in 1997. He was a member of the Masons and the Air Force Gunners' Association, of which he was an “honorary” gunner. A few years ago, he invited several fire control friends and their spouses from across the country to come to Merced, Calif., for a reunion. They enjoyed it so much, it has continued on in different states every year since. He also belonged to a lunch group called the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out). An avid camper, he enjoyed many weekends (and some longer trips) with family and friends. He was a very friendly man and knew many people all across the country. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Jan. 8, with burial on Jan. 9 in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.
• Marie L. (Sally) Carpenter, 92, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 6 at Pine Heights Nursing Home following several years of declining health. Wife of the late Douglas L. Carpenter for 64 years. Mother of Patricia C. Smith and husband, Larry C. Robinson, of Newfane; Linda J. Strange and her husband, Donald, of Guilford; and William L. Carpenter and his wife, Carol, of Guilford. Sister of the late Victor and Bernard LaRock. Born in Halifax, the daughter of the late Leon C. and Olive (Allen) LaRock. She attended schools in Halifax and Jacksonville, graduating from Whitingham High School with honors in 1938. She worked all of her adult life; first in Readsboro for the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad. The family moved to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1950, where she worked for a drug distribution company. Returning to Guilford in 1956, she worked at the Holstein Association, and then for Dunham Shoe Co. for 12 years. She became Guilford Town Clerk in 1971, a post she held until her retirement in 1984, after which she served a while as Assistant Town Clerk. Guilford honored her in 1983 by dedicating their Town Report to her. She was honored in 2000 with the Secretary of State's Vermont Public Service Award. She was a lifetime member of the Grange and received their Community Citizen Award in 1979. She loved to sing, beginning as a child at Grange events, and spending many years performing with the Brattleboro Senior Singers. She was a vibrant, energetic, and intelligent woman who loved her family, and was a wonderful teacher and friend to all who were fortunate to know her. Memorial information: A celebration of her long and honorable life will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 10 a.m., at Guilford Community Church. Donations to Broad Brook Grange, 3940 Guilford Center Rd., Guilford, VT 05301, or to a Guilford charity of one's choice.
• Mary H. “Peggy” Clemons, 72, of Bennington. Died Dec. 31 at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. Wife of the late Warren Walter Clemons for 30 years. Mother of Brenda Cornell Keen of Shaftsbury, Donna Jones of Bennington, Mona Brown of Stephentown, N.Y., Winn Clemons of Bennington, Wanda Leddick of Vermont, Terry Poole of Maine, Eric Pacher, Joel Pacher, Angie Brace, Kathy Mayer, and April Pacher Hunt, all of Bennington, and Sandra Smith of Chester. Sister of Pascal Wilkins of South Londonderry, Sandra Prenezi of Plano, Texas, and the late Ronald Wilkins and Lillian Cook. Born in South Londonderry, the daughter of the late Pascal Earl Wilkins and Maxine Elliot (Penny) Wilkins, she was educated in Londonderry and Bennington schools. She was a homemaker who enjoyed fishing and dancing. She also enjoyed watching soap operas, puzzle books, and crocheting. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Jan. 10 at Mahar and Son Funeral Home in Bennington. Burial will be in Park Lawn Cemetery in the spring. Donations to help the family with expenses may be made in care of Mahar and Son Funeral Home, 628 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201.
• William Lodge Hale, 86, of Charleston, SC and Fryeburg, Maine. Died Jan. 7 at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. Husband of the late Carolyn Stevens. Father of Alison Hale and her husband, Christopher Chapman, of Brattleboro; and Meredith Crofton and her husband, Gary, of Manchester, Mass. Born in Elizabeth, N.J., he served his country during World War II in the Navy, and returned to New Jersey to graduated from Drew University. In 1950, he moved with his bride to North Conway, N.H., where he began his lifelong career in real estate and the ski industry. Memorial information: Donations to Property Owners of Lovewell Pond Assoc., PO Bx 617, Fryeburg, ME, or Drew University, 36 Madison Ave., Madison, NJ 07940.
• Joseph Eli “Joe” Hamilton, 91, of West Brattleboro. Died Jan. 8 at his home surrounded by his family. He died on the 125th year anniversary of his family's establishment of the farm and the anniversary of his mother's death. Husband of Ellen Howe Hamilton for 68 years. Father of Eric of Cliffton Park, N.Y., Elwin, Dennis, and Kevin, all of Brattleboro, Ross of Kirchhim, Germany, Lynette Hamilton of Brattleboro, and Andrea Howe of Marlboro. Brother of Richard Hamilton and the late R. Edward and Howard Hamilton, and Alice Martin. He was born at home, the eldest son of the late Ray and Madge (Taylor) Hamilton. Because he was the eldest, he was deferred from military service to attend to the farm operations. He attended Academy School in West Brattleboro and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1939. He worked his entire life on the farm assuming ownership following the death of his grandfather. Mr. Hamilton held membership in several farm associations and was the recipient of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association Award. He is credited with being the first farmer in the West Brattleboro area to purchase a hay baler and was always progressive in his farming methods. He served over 30 years as a supervisor for the Windham County Natural Resources Conservation District, most of that time as chairman. Additionally, he held membership in the Windham County Farm Bureau where he was a past president, and was a member of the Agway Feed Store and Eastern States Cooperative. He was also Master of the Protective Grange #22 in Brattleboro and served on the Town of Brattleboro Agricultural Advisory Committee. One award he was especially proud of was the West Brattleboro Man of the Year Award ,which he received in February 1962. He was a member by Confession of Faith of the Marlboro Meetinghouse for 78 years. He served as church moderator for 41 years, also deacon for 11 years and trustee of the church for six years. He was also active with the Marlboro Meeting House School, where he served as a board member and chairman for 33 years. He and his wife were associate members of First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro serving as a deacon for 11 years, moderator for 13 years and chairman for nine years. He also sang in the church choir and was on the church's executive council and Physical Properties Committee. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Jan. 12 at First Congregational Church in Brattleboro, with a private burial in Carpenter Cemetery. Donations to The Joseph Hamilton Agricultural Scholarship Fund, in care of Brattleboro Savings & Loan, P.O. Box 1010, Brattleboro, VT 05301 attn: Linda Aiken, or to the Marlboro Meeting House, P.O. Box 64, Marlboro, VT 05344.
• Ronald J. Holhut, 50, of Conway, Mass. Died Jan. 5 at home. Husband of Joy Zipperling-Hawkes for nearly 20 years. Brother of James Holhut and his wife, Tracy, of Greenfield, Mass., Michael Holhut and his wife, Michelle of Hatfield, Mass.; Diane Grady and her husband, John, of Springfield, Mass.; and Julie Holhut of Greenfield. Cousin of Randolph T. Holhut, and his wife, Joyce Marcel, of Dummerston; Edward Holhut Jr. of Hatfield, Robert Holhut and his wife, Anna, of Hatfield, Kenneth Holhut and his wife, Karen, of Hatfield, and Sandra Kochman and her husband, David, of Swanzey, N.H. He was born in Northampton, Mass., the son of Alfred and Louise (Diemond) Holhut, he grew up in Hatfield and graduated from Smith Vocational School in Northampton, Class of 1980. He was an avid New England Patriots fan and loved fishing. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Jan. 10 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hatfield. Donations to the Dakin Pioneer Humane Society, 163 Montague Rd., Leverett, MA 01054.
College news
• Rosa Palmeri, a theater major from Putney, has achieved a place on the University of Evansville Dean's List for academic achievements during the fall 2012 aemester.
• Megan Walker of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List at the University of New Haven for the fall 2012 semester.
• Davin J. Freeman, a management major from Vernon, was among approximately 1,800 students from Coastal Carolina University who made the fall 2012 Dean's List.
• Jacquelyn Cawley of Brattleboro has been named to the University of Delaware's Dean's List for fall 2012.
• Madison M. Hinrichs of West Halifax, a Mathematics major in the Class of 2015, was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2012 semester at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.
• Megan Stafford of Brattleboro was one of 11 Community College of Vermont students who were recipients of the 2012 Student Leadership Scholarship. This was CCV's first year awarding the scholarship, which in the future will be given out annually to a student from each of the college's academic centers and its online learning center. The new scholarship is designed to honor those students who demonstrate significant leadership abilities in their classrooms, their academic centers, or their communities through service learning, volunteer work, and involvement in student life at CCV.
School news
• Ethan Lawrence, a sophomore from Grafton, has recently been named to the Honor Roll for the winter term at The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn.
Transitions
• Fran Lynggaard Hansen, formerly of Brattleboro, has been hired to be an ESL teacher for the third grade at Shenzhen Nanshan Billingual School in Shenzhen, China. Shenzhen is a city of 8 million, is located just 40 minutes outside of Hong Kong, and the school caters to both Chinese students and other students from all over the world.
• The law firm of Brady & Callahan, P. C. of Springfield has opened an affiliate office at the law office of Thomas M. French, 919 Western Ave., Brattleboro. The legal services offered at Brady and Callahan's Brattleboro location will be principally the representation of injured workers in workers' compensation claims and in personal injury cases. French will operate the Brattleboro office, working in collaboration with Brady & Callahan in these cases. He will also continue individually to engage in the general practice of law, including probate, real estate, representing businesses, general litigation, and divorces. French has practiced law in Brattleboro since 1966 and has operated at his present location since 1979.
• Next Stage Arts Project has hired Maria Basescu as its first executive director. Basescu served previously on the board of Next Stage, and as president of Annapurna Concerts, a cultural events production company since 1986. A senior advisor with the strategic communications firm, Denterlein, she has also served on the leadership teams of a range of organizations, including Emerson College's Division of Performing Arts, Marlboro College, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Northern Berkshire Healthcare. Basescu is a graduate of Dartmouth College and The Snelling Center for Government's Vermont Leadership Institute.