Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Nov. 5, 2014, a daughter, Aubree Kathleen Moore, to Alice Gay and Benjamin Moore of Williamsville; granddaughter to Gary Gay, Stephanie Fouriner, Barbara Pacific, David Moore, and Kathleen Moore.
Obituaries
• Shirley Rosella Armour, 90, formerly of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 24 in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Wife of the Charles Raymond Armour for 62 years. Mother of Katherine of Altamonte Springs, Fla., Richard of Lake Worth, Fla., and the late Charles Raymond Armour Jr. Born on the family farm on Route 63 in Hinsdale, N.H., she was the daughter of the late Charles Van Buren and Edna (Johnson) Stanclift. She was educated in Hinsdale schools and later worked at American Optical in Brattleboro, where she met her lifelong best friend Millie Timney of Vernon. Shirley's brother Edwin married Hazel Armour of Taunton, Mass., in September 1945, and Hazel got Shirley to correspond with her brother Ray while he was overseas. When Ray got back from the war in February 1946, he proposed to Shirley, and they were married shortly thereafter on the front lawn of the Stanclift farm. The Armours were active members of the First United Methodist Church in Brattleboro and were among those instrumental in getting the new church built on Putney Road. After raising her children, she became a school crossing guard for 10 years and worked at the corner by Canal Street School. Memorial information: A service at First United Methodist Church in Brattleboro and burial in Pine Grove Cemetary in Hinsdale will take place in May 2015.
• Paul Clifford Chaffee, 79, of Westminister West. Died Nov. 23 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Husband of Lillian (Colby) Chaffee for nearly 61 years. Father of Ronald Chaffee and his wife, Carla, of Westminster West; Deborah Seaman and her husband, Stephen, of Carmel, Ind.; and Connie Paris and her husband, Anthony, of Atkinson, N.H. Born in Westminster West, the son of the late Harold and Edith (Hewins) Chaffee, he attended Bellows Falls High School. He later proudly served his nation in the Navy during the Korean War. He was employed as a tunnel superintendent for many years in various cities across the United States and Canada. He later was employed as an explosive technician for Explosive Engineering of Ayer, Mass. Following his retirement in 1990, he served as constable for the town of Westminster and worked part-time as a deputy sheriff with the Windham County Sheriff's Department. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, motorcycle riding and trips to both Foxwoods and Saratoga. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m., at the Westminster West Congregational Church. Donations to Westminster Cares, P.O. Box 312, Westminster, VT 05158. Arrangements are under the direction of Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro.
• Richard S. Hood, Sr., 97, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died on Nov. 23. Former husband of June Jenness. Father of Michael, Richard Jr., Thomas, Robert, and Andrew Hood, and Debbie Bosworth. Also survived by 15 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. He was born in Turner, Maine, the son of the late Thomas Herbert Hood and Florence (Seavey) Hood. He served in the Army during World War II, both stateside and in the Pacific Theater. He loved gardening, and grew vegetables and strawberries well into his nineties. He worked hard his entire life, ultimately retiring from The Book Press in Brattleboro. He was a great letter writer who had pen-pals from Kuwait (a grandson serving at the U.S. Embassy) to Alaska (a grandson serving with the U.S. Coast Guard) and other family and friends living in Maine, Canada, Virginia, and Connecticut. Receiving his letters was a joy to all. He was a big baseball fan and continued to root for the (Boston) Braves long after they moved to Milwaukee, and later Atlanta. He loved his family and was loved very much by them. He was an inspiration and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Nov. 29 at the North Hinsdale Community Church.
• Anne T. “Anna” Mangan, 89, formerly of Woodside, N.Y. Died Nov. 26 at Thompson House, where she had been a resident for the past four years. Prior to moving to Brattleboro in 2010, she had lived most of her life in Woodside. Wife of the late Henry F. Mangan for nearly 35 years. Mother of Kenneth P. Mangan and his wife, Patricia, of Marlboro, and the late Richard Mangan. Sister of Jeanne O'Melia of Woodside, Mary Ellen Ferraro of Southfield, Mich., Joan Barratt of Mount Dora, Fla., and the late Harry and Jack O'Melia. Born in Corona, N.Y., the daughter of the late John and Mary (Mooney) O'Melia, she was raised and educated in Corona, later attending Pace University in New York City where she earned a B.A. in English in 1993. She also pursued graduate studies in theology at Saint Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, N.Y. For many years, she was employed as an administrative assistant for IBM in New York City, retiring in 1990. Previously, she worked for Dry Dock Savings Bank in New York City. A devout Catholic, she was a longtime communicant of Corpus Christi Catholic Parish in Woodside, where she was active in the parish's RCIA program. She also served as a lector and was active in RCIA at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Of her pastimes and interests she enjoyed time shared with her family and gardening. She was also proud of her Irish heritage and enjoyed visiting the British Isles. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Dec. 1 at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Astoria, N.Y., with burial in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301, in care of Elaine Beam, principal; or to the Thompson House Activities Fund, 80 Maple Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro assisted with arrangements.
• Edward James “Red” McCormick, 96, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Nov. 26 at his home, following a period of declining health. Husband of the late Eleanor Mae “Tillie” Streeter for 67 years. Father of Mary Kowalchyk and her husband, Harry, of Liverpool, N.Y.; Ellen Gomarlo and her husband, John, of Winchester, N.H., and the late James Nolan McCormick II. Brother of the late Owen McCormick and Meta LaPointe. Born in Hinsdale, the son of the late James and Meta (Bailey) McCormick, he graduated from Hinsdale High School, Class of 1936. He proudly, and humbly, served his nation during World War II as a lieutenant in the Army's 87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division. After training at Mount Rainer, Wash., and Camp Hale, Colo., in the early 1940s, the regiment sailed to the Aleutian Islands in 1943 as part of an amphibious task force. He was then deployed to Europe and entered ski combat in Italy. After weeks of bitter fighting, his unit helped capture Mount Belvedere and other key mountain peaks. In April 1945, the division spearheaded the Northern Apennines offensive and cut off the main route to the Brenner Pass and other key enemy travel routes. Overcoming every obstacle, including the heavy defenses of the Italian-Austrian border, he helped lead his men to victory. As the troops forged ahead, his unit liberated concentration camps in this territory. After Germany's surrender, he was selected to take charge of a ski school at the Recreational Center of Val d' Isere, one of the various leisure outlets for American occupation forces. After the war, he returned to Hinsdale to work as plant manager at the former Ashuelot Paper Company, where he retired following more than 41 years with the company. He was a lifelong communicant of Mary, Queen of Peace Parish in Hinsdale. Additionally, he was a member for 65 years of the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge #1499, and a lifetime member of both VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 and American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro. An accomplished golfer, he was a member of the Brattleboro Country Club and, with his wife, they won seven championships in the club's annual Couples' Tournament. He is also credited with two holes-in-one. An ardent outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting well into his 80s, attaining 137 trophy bucks, hundreds of birds, and a few elk, only seeking out the largest animals and eating “nose to tail.” One particularly fond hunting story he shared, besides the myriad accounts with his brother and father, was the “Thanksgiving Twin Bucks.” He and his brother left home early that morning for a “quick” venture. Conquering an eight pointer each, five minutes apart, they spent the majority of the day and evening dragging the animals out of the deep woods, arriving to the holiday table to be served only cold shoulder and hot tongue. He was a talented fisherman of native brook trout with a reputation for catching more than his limit, as they just seemed to jump into his frying pan. Together with his family, he also raised prize-winning English Pointers, specifically trained bird dogs that were well-known throughout the New England area. He was aan avid reader of American history and politics, as well as the dictionary, which he savored continuously. He enjoyed happy hour at 4 p.m. each day, surrounded by friends, family, and his favorite “martini” (Gordon's gin, five small ice cubes, and a slight lemon peel - so he wouldn't be “accused of drinking straight gin.”) In earlier years, he and his wife enjoyed being snowbirds in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., and traveled to several parts of their cherished United States of America. Memorial information: A celebration of life service was held Dec. 2 at American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro. Committal rites and burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Hinsdale will take place at in the springtime. Donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, National Processing Center, PO Box 758541, Topeka, KS 66675; the Athletic Fund at Hinsdale High School, 49 School St., Hinsdale, NH 03451, Attention: Mike McCosker; or the Hinsdale Elementary School Playground Fund, 49 School Street, Hinsdale, NH 03451, Attention: April Anderson, PTA President. Arrangements were under the direction of Atamaniuk Funeral Home.