Births
• In London, England (Kings College Hospital), March 20, 2015, a daughter, Sybilla Alana Lazoi Distler, to Aaron Distler and Sandra Lazoi of London; granddaughter to Arlene Distler of Brattleboro and the late Alan Distler, and Renna Gabriela and Luigi Lazoi of Lecce, Italy.
Transitions
• Angela Thomas, DPT, has joined Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's Rehabilitation Services staff. Thomas just moved to the Brattleboro area after spending 20 years living in the southwestern United States. She holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northern Arizona University and degrees in Educational Psychology and Physical Education from the University of Arizona. Thomas is also a veteran of the Air Force, having served five years as a Command and Control Journeyman. She will provide both outpatient and inpatient care in her role at BMH.
• The Vermont Library Association has awarded its first scholarship to Ellen Kaye of Putney. In a post on the VLA website, the association praised Kaye for “great dedication to Vermont libraries and communities through both her pursuit of her [master's of library and information science] from Simmons College and her work on The Commons newspaper in Windham County. Both her professional work and her school work garnered great praise and she has been described as 'an excellent student and very dedicated to library services and the issues that face libraries' and 'a great candidate for working in libraries' who has 'great energy.'” Kaye is one of the founders of Vermont Independent Media, publisher of The Commons, and she served on its board of directors for many years.
Obituaries
• Alice V. Atwood, 97, of Bellows Falls. Died April 4. Wife of the late Robert W. Atwood for 33 years. Mother of Nancy Powers and her husband, Timothy, and Roger Atwood and his wife, Joan. Born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, the daughter of Henry J. and Emma (Jondro) Brown, she later became a naturalized U.S. citizen and lived many happy years in Millinocket, Maine, and Bellows Falls, where she was a resident for 55 years. She worked for Holmes Transportation, Windham College and, for 37 years at SIT/World Learning in Brattleboro. She retired at the age of 89 and was an inspiration to everyone. She was a lifetime member of Eastern Star and, for many years, attended the Immanuel Episcopal Church. She was a member of the Girl Scouts Swift Water Council. Memorial information: A memorial service was held April 11 at the Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls.
• Augusta (Casadei) Burns, 90, of Litchfield, Conn. Died April 5 at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Conn. after a brief illness. Wife of William J. Burns for nearly 68 years. Mother of Susan Hiner of Brattleboro, William Burns and his wife, Kathy, of Bantam, Conn., and Gina Burns of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Born in Litchfield, the daughter of the late Raffaele and Egli Simoncelli Casadei, she graduated from Litchfield High School, Class of 1942. She worked at Warren McCarthy during World War II, where she met her future husband. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She loved to spend time with her grandson, Stetson. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held April 9 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Litchfield, with burial in St. Anthony Cemetery. Donations to Saint Anthony of Padua Church, P.O. Box 97, Litchfield, CT 06759. Visit www.rowefuneralhome.net to send the family an online condolence.
• Stephen J. Dube, 69, of Newfane. Died March 20. Son of the late Michael Angelo and Beulah Hefflon Dube. Brother of Jack Dube, and his wife, Jean, and Carol Courcier, and the late Mickey and “Babe” Dube. Born in Brattleboro, he moved to Connecticut with his family and later graduated from Bassick High School in Bridgeport, Conn. He then graduated from Bridgeport Engineering School and worked for Avco and Sikorsky Aircraft as a technical writer. In 1980, he returned to Vermont and built his house on Lake Willoughby where he lived for more than 30 years. He made molds and cement statuary, particularly gargoyles and Buddhas. He brokered church salvage, especially stained glass windows. He loved nature, flowers, plants and animals. His wild birds were very special to him. He moved to Newfane two years ago. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, April 25, at All Souls Church in West Brattleboro.
• Joan Johnson, 82, of Westminster. Died April 9 at her home. Wife of the late Robert E. Johnson for 43 years. Mother of Richard and his wife, Carol Johnson, of Bellows Falls; Edward and his wife, Sharon Johnson, of Putney,; Robert and his wife, Vicki Johnson, of Putney; and John Johnson of Westminster. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of the late Edward and Gertrude (Wetjen) Crooks, she attended schools in Brooklyn N.Y. Following graduation, she was married and began raising her four sons. She was a loving mother who was very proud of her sons. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held April 13 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Putney. Donations to Visiting Nurses & Home Health Care, 366 River St., Springfield, VT 05156. Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• Ruth Anne (Scott) Johnson, 78, of Spofford, N.H. Died March 27 at her Florida home. Born in Sugar Grove, Pa., the daughter of the late Neil and Agnes Scott, she is survived by her husband, Dr. J. Clyde Johnson; her children Patty, Lisa, Scott (Susan), and Tim; and grandchildren Rachel, Tanner, Rebecca, Evan, and Eric. Memorial information: A service of remembrance will be held at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. Donations to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Oncology, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Or The Amanda Lee Fund, in care of Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, MBC-FOU, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612.
• Annette Filion Murphy, 85, of Brattleboro. Died March 24. Wife of the late Charles Joseph Murphy for 53 years. Mother of Meloney Roy and her husband, Don Roy. Sister of Margaret Collette of Kellwood, Fla., and Richard Filion, of Thousand Oaks, Calif. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of the late Wilfred and Mary Filion, she found her passion for music in the midst of the beautiful Green Mountains at the Marlboro Music Festival. Her lyric soprano voice caught the attention of Marlboro Music founders Louis and Blanche Moyse, who mentored her and helped begin what was to be a 60-year career as a professional singer, singing teacher, and choral conductor. Her music touched the lives of many. From children's choirs and theatrical groups to vocal chamber groups, from performances of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to Requiem Masses, her love of music spanned the spectrum of musical styles and her teaching influenced many generations of performers. Chamber groups founded and conducted by her include the Consortium for Early Music Chamber Singers (New Hampshire Lakes Region), the Keene (N.H.) Chamber Singers and, most recently, The Oaks Chamber Singers, whose performances delighted audiences in the Thousand Oaks, Calif., area for 15 years. Her first-found love was music, but her true love was her husband, who died in 2007. Together, they lived primarily in Southern New Hampshire, the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and Brattleboro. In the mid-1990s, they moved to California to be closer to their daughter. Memorial information: None provided. [Editor's note: Owing to a production error, a portion of this obituary was obscured by advertising in the April 8 issue, for which we apologize.]
• Georg Friedrich Steinmeyer, 91, of Vernon. Died April 9 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Husband of the late Hannelore “Hanne” Steinmeyer for 60 years. Father of Elisabeth Luke and her husband, John, of Shorewood, Minn., and the late Charlotte Steinmeyer. He was born in Oettingen, Bavaria, Germany. Upon completion of high school, he was immediately drafted into the German Army. His obligatory military service during World War II included infantry action in Yugoslavia, the Russian front, and Denmark. At the conclusion of World War II, he began his formal training as an organ builder in his family's business, Steinmeyer Organ Company. He traveled to the United States for the first time in 1950 as part of a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor for technical cooperation with other governments. He apprenticed with the Aeolian Skinner Organ Company. During this time, he met the renowned organist E. Power Biggs with whom in traveled in 1954 to record for Columbia Records historic and other significant organs in Southern Germany. In 1953, he met his future wife, Hanne, at an American School in Nurnberg and married in 1954. In 1955, they immigrated to United States with their first daughter, Charlotte, and settled in Brattleboro heading up the pipe organ division of the Estey Organ Company. First and foremost, he considered himself an organ builder. After the closure of the Estey Organ Company, his love for Vermont kept him in Brattleboro. He worked as Fuller Brush man, worked in life insurance, and eventually began working for the School for International Training in 1964. While working he earned a master's degree in 1974 from the University of Massachusetts in education administration, despite never having completed college. In 1974, he began working at Amherst (Mass.) High School, first as an assistant principal and then as department chair for foreign languages at the junior/senior high School and German teacher. He retired in 1992. He was an active board member and president of both the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German as well as the Massachusetts Association of Foreign Language Teachers. In 2000, he was honored as Massachusetts German Educator of the Year. In 1975, in Amherst, he initiated an exchange program with a college preparatory high school in Germany in which both Amherst and Brattleboro High School Students participated and the program continues to this day. Throughout his life in Brattleboro, he was a strong supporter in many ways of the Brattleboro Music Center, which gave him and his wife great joy. Since his retirement, he was a consultant for the School for International Training language proficiency testing, he served on the board of the Vermont Arts Council, the Brattleboro Music Center and the New England Bach Festival. He was also a Charter member of the Estey Organ Museum, a member of the Speakers Bureau of the Vermont Humanities Council and an active member of the Organ Historical Society. He had a love of traveling, adventure, and learning about other cultures. He traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He also traveled to Japan, The People's Republic of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. He loved the outdoors; especially cross country skiing and kayaking. He loved photography, and classical and organ music. He will be remembered for his endless positive spirit, optimism, enthusiasm, his love of learning and never give up attitude. Memorial information: A funeral service will be held on Saturday. May 23, at 11 a.m., at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Ave, Brattleboro. Donations may be made to the Brattleboro Music Center, 38 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home in Brattleboro is in charge of arrangements.
• Clara J. Stuart, 84, of Westminster. Died April 2. Wife of the late Robert Stuart. Mother of Granville “Chip” Paine and his wife, Teresa, of Barre; Susan Kimball and her husband, Warren, of Moretown; Michael Paine and his wife, Jennifer, of Danville; Barbara Bazin and her husband, Peter, of Westminster; and David Paine of North Danville. Sister of Gary Leach and his wife, Linda, of Idaho; Terry Leach and his wife, Norma, of Colorado; and Jerry Leach of Burke. Born in Hardwick, the daughter of the late Benjamin and Barbara (Wilkins) Leach, she was a member of the Red Hats and the Emblem Club. Memorial information: A funeral service will held Friday, May 1, at 11 a.m., at the Westminster Congregational Church. Arrangements are in the care of Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home.
• Joyce D. Winn, 82, of West Chesterfield, N.H. Died April 2 at her home. Wife of Wayne H. Winn for 61 years. Mother of Gary Winn and his wife, Margaret, of West Chesterfield; Linda Monmaney and her husband, Anthony, of Enfield, N.H.; and Terry Winn and his wife, Diane, of West Chesterfield. Sister of Nancianne Houghton and her husband, William, of Walpole, N.H., and the late Richard, and Donald Darling; and a sister, Irene Miner. Born in Stockbridge, Vt., the daughter of the late Blake S. and Nancy (Fish) Darling, she earned a degree as a registered nurse from Mary Hitchcock School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse in the operating room at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and later as the bookkeeper for the family business, Harry Winn & Sons in West Chesterfield. She enjoyed sewing, doing crossword puzzles, and cooking. She was a member of the Mary Hitchcock Alumni Association, the Chesterfield PTA, and the auxiliary for the West Chesterfield Engine & Hose Company. Memorial information: A graveside service will be held on Saturday, May 30, at 1 p.m., at Chesterfield West Cemetery in West Chesterfield. Donations to the American Heart Association, 2 Wall St # 104, Manchester, NH 03101 or Joan's Food Pantry, P.O. Box 148, Chesterfield, NH 03443. Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
• Virginia M. Wright, 93, formerly of West Brattleboro. Died April 4 at Valley Terrace Assisted Living in White River Junction. Born in West Brattleboro, the daughter of the late Daniel H. and Olive (Millington) Wright, she graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1939 and went to work for John Hancock Insurance Company. During her 42-year career at John Hancock, she lived in Rutland, and Evans, Akron and Columbus, Ohio, before settling in Buffalo, N.Y. After retiring in 1982, she returned to West Brattleboro, where she lived until she was flooded out of her home by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. She has resided at Valley Terrace since then. With no children of her own, Virginia, “Aunt Gin", loved to spend time with her nieces and nephews. Known for her bright eyes and quick smile, she enjoyed carving birds from wood, collecting unique rocks, crafting, and knitting. She especially loved playing Scrabble, where she would often play the word Aa, which would upset her opponents. Since moving to Valley Terrace, she has been and avid Quiddler player. She was also devoted to holistic and homeopathic medicine, long before it was popular. A sister, June Eddy, and two brothers, John M. Wright and Neal H. Wright, predeceased her. She is survived by 12 nieces and nephews and many grand and great-grandnieces and nephews. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held Sunday, May 31, at 1 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of West Brattleboro. An interment service will follow at West Brattleboro Cemetery, with a celebration reception following at the place of her birth, the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center on Bonnyvale Road in West Brattleboro. Donations to Valley Terrace, in care of Catherine Amarante, for Resident Activities, 2820 Christian St., White River Junction, VT 05001
• There will be a memorial celebration of the life of Mark Green of Walpole, N.H., on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m., at The Putney School. Green died of brain cancer on Feb 27.