Obituaries
• Shirley V. (Zeno) Amidon, 77, of Putney. Died Jan. 25 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Wife of the late Francis L. Amidon and the late Kenneth Davis. Mother of David Davis and his girlfriend, Debbie Goldman, of Putney, and the late Randy and Ricky Davis. Stepmother of the late Dennis Amidon and Donna (Amidon) Broxson; sister of Edward Thirsher of Vernon and Georgia Boyd of Westminster, and of the late Richard Thirsher, Iona Moody, and Beverly Thomas. Born in Starksboro, the daughter of the late George and Mabel Lizzie (Zeno) Thirsher, she was a Putney resident for 43 years, previously residing in Spofford, N.H. She was employed at The Book Press in Brattleboro for 13 years, then worked independently as a housekeeper. She enjoyed horseback riding, cooking, snowmobiling, boating, motorcycling, and tending to her vegetable garden. She took great pride in her home and enjoyed maintaining it. Her greatest enjoyment in life was her family. She loved spending time with them, and never missed a family get-together. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 1 at the West Brattleboro Baptist Church, with burial in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, P. O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309, or a charity of one's choice.
• Richard “Benji” Benware, 62, of Athens. Died Jan. 27. He is survived by his mother Eleanor, whom he took pride in taking care of before his struggle with his illness. He was predeceased by his father, Joesph Benware, and stepfather Gerald Perry. He was a wonderful father to his three children and his nine grandchildren. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, at 1 p.m., at the Community Christian Church in Athens, with a potluck reception following. Donations to Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls to help the family meet funeral costs.
• Kenneth J. Booth, 85, of Bellows Falls. Died Jan. 24 at Springfield Hospital. Husband of Florence M.W. (Alton) Booth for 60 years. Father of Ken Booth and his wife, Andrea, of Langdon, N.H.; Richard Booth and his wife, Laurie, of South Hadley, Mass.; Ian Booth and his wife, Lisa, of Agawam, Mass.; Hilary Booth-Chamberlin of Brattleboro, Diane Conklin and her husband, Bruce, of Southwick, Mass.; and Michael Booth and his wife, Alicia, of Westfield, Mass. He was born in South Wingfield, Derbyshire, England. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. After the war, he was an engineer for Rolls Royce for more than 20 years. After coming to America, he worked in the aerospace industry until retirement. Memorial information: Services will be private.
• Juanita Ruth (Culwell) Chrisco, 86, formerly of Ballinger, Texas. Died Jan. 30 at Park Plaza Nursing Center in San Angelo, Texas. Wife of the late Jack Chrisco for 67 years. Mother of Franklin Jack Chrisco and his wife, Ingrid, of Brattleboro; Jeanette Findlay-Truehardt, and April Stout. Born in Ballinger, the daughter of Iona (Keel) and John Culwell, she was blessed with an exciting, bountiful life. She traveled a great deal with her military husband. They were stationed in San Angelo, Texas; San Diego, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo.; Japan; England; and Hanscom Field in Bedford, Mass. Upon his retirement, they bought a large farm in Dennisville, Maine, where they raised Belted Galloways for local dairy farmers. They returned to Texas in 1979 to be nearer to their family. Upon their return, Juanita went to work at Goodfellow Air Force Base in the civil service for the military, as she had for more than 20 years during their travels, until she retired with many honors and accolades. In the mid-1980s, the Chriscos bought back her family home, The Olde Park Hotel, on the courthouse square in Ballinger, where for more than 20 years they and their daughters ran a successful antique shop and bed and breakfast. She was known to family and friends for her warm heart, generous nature, and sweet smile. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Feb. 2 at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger, with burial in Ballinger Evergreen Cemetery.
• Sherry L. Robinson Hardy, 50, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 29. Mother of sons Sean, Jacob, Aaron, and Micah Hardy, all of Vernon, and daughters Heather Wright of Waterboro, Maine, and Rebekah Hardy, of Grand Rapids, Mich. Born in Burlington the daughter of Larry Robinson and Barbara Blake, she was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1981. She was a member of Agape Christian Fellowship and enjoyed working in the kitchen and working with the elderly. Memorial information: A celebration of Sherry's life was held Feb. 2 at Agape Christian Fellowship. Kindly send donations to the Epilepsy Foundation, P.O. Box 96546, Washington, DC 20077 or Care Net, 200 Clark Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Constance “Bev” Lasher, 85, formerly of Wethersfield, Conn. Died Jan. 25 after a brief stay at Thompson House in Brattleboro. Wife of the late Thomas Barrett Lasher. Mother of Suzanne Flynt and her husband, William, of Dummerston, and Thomas Mason Lasher of Narrowsburg, N.Y. Sister of Janice Bray and Olive Marotta and their husbands, Russ and Al, and the late Newell Clark. The daughter of the late Mason and Constance Gilbert Clark, she grew up in Rocky Hill, Conn., and graduated from the Middlesex School of Nursing in 1949. She married the following year. She loved her family and friends, and enjoyed playing bridge with “the girls,” golfing, sewing, reading, and baking. She also was a member of the First Church of Christ. For 14 years, she lovingly cared for her husband after he became disabled, and she lived for 50 years in the home her husband built in Wethersfield before moving to Dummerston in 2010 to live with her daughter's family. There, she enjoyed new friends and nature walks, ever appreciating the beauty of her new surroundings. Memorial information: Donations to the Thomas B. Lasher Memorial Scholarship, Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 290338, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0338.
• Tressa J. McKinney, 20, of Windham. Died Jan. 28 following injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Route 30 in Jamaica. Longtime companion of Jared Saunders of Townshend. Sister of Tyler Beebe of Windham, Holden Sanders of Hudson Falls, N.Y., Patrick Sady of Rutland, and Kyleigh Corriveau of Windham. Stepsister of Alexis Carlson of Benson. Stepdaughter of Shasta McKeighan and James Corriveau. Born in Cambridge, N.Y., the daughter of Franklin McKeighan and Crystal McKinney, she attended Windham Elementary School and graduated from Leland & Gray Union High School in Townshend. At the time of her death, she was working at Grizzly's Bar and Restaurant at Stratton Mountain. She enjoyed playing softball and loved art. She was a New York Yankees fan and enjoyed listening to music of all kinds. She loved spending time with her little sister and cherished times spent with her family and friends. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Feb. 2 at the Valley Bible Church in South Windham. Interment was private. Donations to the Tressa J. McKinney Memorial Fund, in care of Brewster & Shea Funeral Service, P.O. Box 885, Manchester Center, VT 05255.
• Eleanor Borhak Werner, 89, formerly of New York City. Died Jan. 20 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of the late Mo Werner. Mother of Jackie Abrams of Brattleboro and Bobbie Werner of West Hartford, Conn. Grandmother of Dani and Rina Abrams, and Dana and Evan Katz. Born in New York City, the daughter of Abraham and Mariasha Borhak, she attended Hunter High School, Hunter College, and New York University. She was a teacher, chemist, painter, United Nations test cook, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. Memorial information: She was buried at a private ceremony in New York. Donations may be made to Brattleboro Area Hospice (www.brattleborohospice.org) or the Hallowell Singers (www.hallowell-singers.org).
• Richard Leland “Dick” Wooten, 75, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 28 at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend after a long illness. Dear friend of Ralph Pedicini of Brattleboro. Stepfather of Margot Rochester of Thornbury, Ontario. Born in New York City the son of the late Edith (Brown) Holdstock, a University of Vermont graduate, and Dr. Leland A. Wooten, director of chemical physics at Bell Labs, he spent summers at the family homestead in Windham, and eventually moved there full-time. He earned his bachelor's degree in English literature at Amherst College and his MBA from Columbia University. He was marketing director for children's books at Macmillan Publishing in New York City during publishing's heyday. He loved books and had amassed a vast private collection. His knowledge of children's literature delighted his many step-grandchildren over the years. He moved to Brattleboro 10 years ago and was a longtime volunteer and board member of the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont. Known for his generosity and quick wit, he not only opened his home to friends, but also adopted and nurtured several beloved animals. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held in May. Contributions in his memory may be made to the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont or the Windham County Humane Society.
• Blanche Mary Ziter, 92, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Jan. 31 at Pine Heights Nursing Home. Wife of the late Faheem John Ziter for nearly 51 years. Mother of Donna Burgoyne and her husband, Thomas, of Brattleboro, and Tanya Beebe of Hinsdale, N.H. Sister of Elaine Minor of Malone, N.Y. Predeceased by an infant son, Jonathon Burgoyne, as well as two brothers and eight sisters. Born in Ellenburg, N.Y., the daughter of Nedo and Flora (Colburn) Burgoyne, she was raised and educated in Chateaugay, N.Y., where she graduated from Chateaugay High School, Class of 1940. While attending high school, she worked in Lake Placid at the Hotel Saranac and the San Maritz Hotel. A former longtime resident of Brattleboro, for the past 25 years she had made her home in Hinsdale. Strong in her work ethic, she had a lengthy employment history, working up until the time she recently became ill. Her most recent position was at the Hinsdale Walmart, where she began working when the store first opened. She also had been employed at Brown University in Providence, R.I., the New Hampshire State Liquor Store in Keene, at the Brattleboro Retreat, and as a nurse's aide at Vernon Green Nursing Home. For many years, with her husband, John, she owned and operated the Green Door Restaurant and several other local business ventures such as J&B Diner and J&B Car Wash on Canal Street. She was known for her feistiness, spirit of friendship and devotion to her family and her work. She was a member of several local auxiliaries such as the B.P.O. Elks Brattleboro Lodge #1499 Emblem Club. A devout Catholic, she was a communicant of both St. Joseph's Catholic Parish in Hinsdale and St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. She enjoyed candlepin bowling at the former King's Bowling Alley, vacations in Florida, and time shared with her family and friends. She was an outstanding cook who loved to share dishes with her family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Feb. 5 at St. Michael's Catholic Church with burial in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or to St. Michael's Catholic School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, Attn: Elaine Beam, Principal. Messages of condolence may sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
College news
• Kerry A. Howard of Londonderry, a member of the Class of 2015, and Emily C. Mangan of Marlboro, a member of the Class of 2016, were both named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.
• Sarah Bemis of Brattleboro, a pre-early childhood education major and member of the Class of 2016, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Conn.
• Nicole Daniels, a chemistry and political science major from Brattleboro, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y.
• The following local students were named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at the University of Rhode Island: Beau Doucette of Wilmington, Joseph M. Sawyer Shaw of Brattleboro, and Natasha E. Cummings of Windham.
• Leland Hayford, an accounting and economics major and a member of the Class of 2014 from Wilmington, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y.
• Benjamin Harwood, a member of the Class of 2013 from Brattleboro, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.
• Madison M. Hinrichs, a mathematics major from West Halifax, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.
• Rachel Greenberg of Saxtons River was named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Conn.
• Ashley Morgan, a senior from West Townshend majoring in chemical engineering, and William Parker, a sophomore from Guilford majoring in mechanical engineering, were named to the dean's list for the fall 2012 semester at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass.
• Caleb E. Wiley, a senior early childhood education and special education major from South Londonderry, was named to the fall 2012 dean's list at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa.
• Noah Frank, son of Veronica Sampson and Doug Frank of Putney, is set to graduate Brattleboro Union High School in June and has enrolled for fall 2013 admission at Rochester Institute of Technology. He will be in RIT's software engineering program at the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.