College news
• The following local students received degrees at Lyndon State College's 103rd Commencement ceremony on May 17: Robin Shannon of Brattleboro, B.S. in applied psychology and human services; Garth LeMessurier of Putney, B.A. in psychology; Ian Murdock of Wilmington, A.S. in business administration; and Cheyenne Wyatt of Wilmington, B.S. in computer information systems.
• Conor Madison of Londonderry and Kelsey Patterson of Brattleboro both graduated from the University of New Hampshire on May 16. Madison earned a BSENSC in environmental science: ecosystems, magna cum laude, while Patterson earned a B.A. in history, cum laude.
• Bryce Hunter Bandish of East Dummerston received his B.S. in chemistry from Clarkson University on May 9.
• Myra Safiya Jacobs of West Wardsboro recieved her B.A. in international relations/economics from Connecticut College in New London, Conn., on May 21.
• The following local students received degrees at Champlain College during its 137th commencement on May 9: Kyle Tansley of Putney, Seth Jerz of Townshend, and Amanda Franklin of Vernon.
• Zebulon Shippee of West Dover, a first-year student majoring in mechanical engineering, was named to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Dean's List for academic excellence for the spring 2015 semester.
• Katelyn Donovan of Putney was among eight Coastal Carolina University students who recently took first and second place honors in several categories at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) State Leadership Conference in Charleston. Donovan, from the Wall College of Business, won second place in job interview.
• The following local students were named to the spring 2015 semester Dean's List at Keene State College: Jason Macie of Putney, Alyson Jones of South Newfane, Kayla Savage of Vernon, Jocelyn Lovering of Putney, Annelise Kloster of Marlboro, and Emma Parro of Vernon.
• Emily Dow of Brattleboro has achieved Dean's List for the 2015 spring semester at Lasell College in Newton, Mass. Dow, a member of the class of 2016, is majoring in event management.
• The following local students were named to the spring 2015 semester Dean's List at the University of Vermont: Cassidy R. Anderson of West Wardsboro, Devin A. Brown of Londonderry, Elizabeth N. Clarke of Brattleboro, Greer H. Cowan of Putney, Madeleine C. Dery of Townshend, Theresa M. Glabach of Dummerston, Rachel Hill of Brattleboro, Aimee L. Johnston of Brattleboro, Dorothy A. Kinney-Landis of Guilford, Jordan S. LaBonte of Wilmington, Cassandra R. Lipkvich of West Dover, Sylvie Littledale of Putney, Tess O. Littledale of Putney, Shannon A. Lozito of Wilmington, Rachel A. Lundsted of Marlboro, Carlyn T. Madden of Brattleboro, Jamie F. Martell of Brattleboro, Colby L. McGinn of Brattleboro, Savannah T. Nesbitt of Wilmington, Cade A. Nesbitt of Wilmington, Rowan S. Payne-Meyer of Putney, Kelsey A. Pearson of West Dover, Rebecca A. Potter of Guilford, Tilden M. Remerleitch of Guilford, Kailey M. Rinder of Putney, Cleo Rohn of Brattleboro, Stephen M. Scott of Jamaica, Dylan P. Staats of Brookline, Jonah M. Ullman of Jamaica, Isaiah Ungerleider of Brattleboro, and Samantha C. Van Nostrand of Guilford.
School news
• The following area students are this year's recipients of the Robert L. Crowell Scholarship, presented by the Moore Free Library in Newfane: Ryan Borgesen, Corso Donati, Sam Dutton, Giannina Gaspero-Beckstrom, Leah Gokey, Greta Larson, Emma Recchi, and Emily Thibault.
• Erica Heishman, a senior from Wilmington, has been named the Windham Regional Career Center's April 2015 student of the month. She was recommended for this honor by her Career Center English teacher, Jen Connor, as well as by her Medical Terminology instructor, Linda Quay. Heishman, who will graduate from Twin Valley High School in June, has been taking most of her courses at the Career Center over the last two years. Her intention now is to begin post-secondary coursework at the Community College of Vermont, with a goal of becoming a nurse.
Transitions
• Shawn Douglass has been promoted to branch manager at River Valley Credit Union's Bellows Falls office. He joined the staff in March 2014. Prior to that, he had been the assistant manager at Final Cut Movies and Games in Bellows Falls. He grew up in Townshend, Grafton, and Bellows Falls, graduating from Bellows Falls Union High School. His love of film keeps him involved at the Bellows Falls Opera House, where he is a familiar face to patrons.
Honors
• Bradford Ellis, executive director of Vernon Advent Christian Home (VACH), a senior living community, has received the 2015 American College of Health Care Administrators Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award in recognition of leadership excellence. The award was given based on outstanding quality and performance results at Vernon Green, which is VACH's skilled nursing care facility. Of the thousands evaluated across the nation, Ellis was one of only 227 leaders who received the award with virtual recognition, meaning he provided leadership throughout 2015 and was judged on criteria over a three-year period comprised of Vernon Green's survey data, top 25 percent quality-measures performance, 80 percent or greater facility occupancy, and zero citations for “Special Focus Facility” status, a designation established by the federal government for under-performing facilities.
Obituaries
• Frances R. Aquadro, 78, of Brattleboro. Died May 19 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Daughter of the late Frank and Clista (Boyd) Aquadro. Sister of the late Roger Aquadro and Theresa Hand. Born at home on Cedar Street in Brattleboro, the she was raised and educated in Brattleboro. She attended St. Michael's Parochial School and was a graduate of St. Michael's High School, Class of 1955. For many years, she was a telephone operator in the Brattleboro office of New England Telephone. She was a volunteer at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and at the Brattleboro Senior Center. Survivors include several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. Memorial information: Graveside committal rites and burial in the Aquadro family lot in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery will be conducted Thursday, May 28, at 4 p.m. Donations to Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro is in charge of arrangements.
• Carlton Madison “Carl” Brown, 81, of Newfane, Died May 16 at his home, following a courageous battle with cancer. Husband of Verlaine Siter for 57 years. Father of Carlton “Matt” Brown, III and his wife, Louella, of Northfield, Mass.; Russell Brown and his wife, Jennifer, of Raleigh, N.C.; and Sarah “Sally” Winchester and her husband, Kirk, of Townshend. Brother of the late Walter Brown, Evelyn Cobb, and Virginia Nystrom. Born in Wardsboro, the son of the late Carlton and Marion (Gould) Brown, he was a graduate of Leland & Gray Seminary, Class of 1951. He attended the University of Vermont, where he received a B.A. in economics as a member of the Class of 1955. While at UVM, he was active in the university's ROTC program. He went on to serve 32 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring at the rank of colonel. For seven years, he was a customer service representative for Suburban Propane in Brattleboro, which he retired from in 1996. Previously, he had worked for the former Melsur Corporation on Ferry Road. With his wife, he owned and operated the Log Cabin Gift Shop on Route 30 in Newfane, purchasing the shop in 1969. Prior to operating the gift shop, he had worked for U.S. Steel as a production control supervisor in the company's Trenton, N.J., and Worcester, Mass., offices. Steadfast in his walk of faith, with his wife Verlaine he served as a missionary for Calvary International, serving abroad for six years. The couple's missionary posts included Guatemala and Oaxaca, Mexico. For a total of 19 years, the Browns continued to share the gospel and raise funds for unreached groups. He was a longtime member of Agape Christian Fellowship where he served as an elder in charge of missions and was a former member of Gideon's International. Of his leisure time activities, he enjoyed the outdoors, splitting wood, and growing African Violets. He especially loved sugaring every spring, a craft which he learned from his grandfather at a very young age. He also cherished time shared with his family. He was a faithful and devoted husband and loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Memorial information: A funeral service was held on May 21 at Community Bible Chapel in Brattleboro, with burial with military honors in Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington. Donations to The Oaxaca Project. Checks can be made out to Agape Christian Fellowship, 30 Canal St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Atamaniuk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• Bernice F. Chamberlin, 104, of Brattleboro. Died May 18 at Bradley House, where she had been a resident for the past 10 years. Wife of the late Thomas Chamberlin for 43 years. Mother of Bernita Wheelden and her husband, Stuart, of Hinsdale, N.H.; Bruce Chamberlin and his wife, Eileen, of Stoneham, Mass.; and the late Brenda Chamberlin. Sister of the late Irene Smith. Born in Buckland, Mass., the daughter of Daniel and Nina (Clark) Fairbanks. Her family moved to Guilford in 1911 and to Brattleboro in 1922. She was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1928, later attending the Brattleboro Business Institute, from which she graduated in 1931. Memorial information: Graveside committal services were conducted May 23 in West Brattleboro Cemetery on Mather Road. Donations to the Bradley House, 65 Harris Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Atamaniuk Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
• Jane P. Lauzon, 84, of Vernon. Died May 16 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of the late W. Gilbert Lauzon for nearly 50 years. Mother of Gerald and his wife, Thuy, of Brattleboro, and David of Guilford. Sister of Janice Martin of Brattleboro. Born in South Vernon, the daughter of the late Nelson and Leona (Whitney) Pratt, she attended local public schools and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1948. She went on to earn her LPN license from the former Putnam Memorial Hospital School for Practical Nurses in Bennington, Class of 1950. She worked her entire career as a nurse, employed at Putnam Memorial Hospital, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Linden Lodge Nursing Home, from which she retired in 1992. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Brattleboro. A very kindly woman, she enjoyed her home and time spent with her family and close friends. For many years, she was an active volunteer with RSVP in Brattleboro. Memorial information: A graveside committal service took place May 26 at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302, or Vernon Green Nursing Home Activities Fund, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354. Atamaniuk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
• Gerald “Jerry/Jumper” Powers, 73, of Marlboro. Died May 15 at home. Husband of Leanne Shepard for 18 years. Former husband of Carol Bowmen Powers. Father of Jared Powers and his wife, Michele, of Putney; Seth Powers and his wife, Melissa, of East Dover; and Sarah Powers of Virginia Beach, Va. Stepfather of Anna LaPorte of Putney and Christine Brodeur of Brattleboro. Brother of Barbara Peters of Enosburg Falls; Stanley Powers and his wife, Debra, of Dummerston; Barbara Brown and her spouse, Larry of Oxnard, Calif. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late William and Genevieve (Barnes) Powers, he graduated from Vergennes High School in 1959 and went into the Air Force following graduation. Upon completion of his tour of duty, he returned to Brattleboro and went to work at the Book Press where he remained employed until his retirement. He was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and owned and built many motorcycles. He was a member of the Mohawk Ramblers and he was one of the founding members of the Vermont Viet Nam Motorcycle Club and that group was instrumental in the creation of the Vermont Viet Nam Memorial in Sharon. He made the ride to the memorial almost every year to celebrate Memorial Day. He has been a member of the National Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.), a member of Monadnock H.O.G. Chapter 186, and American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro. His other hobbies included hunting and fishing. He was very proud of his hunting skills. He always hunted with family and friends in Marlboro. He spent many hours looking through the family hunting album and was planning this year's November deer hunt with his nephew, Rollie. Memorial information: His ashes will be brought home on Saturday, June 6, by a motorcycle convoy led by his son, Jared. Meet at the Staples parking lot on Putney Road in Brattleboro at noon for Jerry's final ride. A celebration of his life will follow at his home on Adams Brook Road in Marlboro at 1 p.m.
• John W. Steuer, 69, of Westminster. Died May 15 at his home. Husband of Patricia R. (Diehl) Steuer for 51 years. Father of Tabitha Atkinson and her husband, Dave, and Tracy Steuer. Born in Queens, N.Y., son of the late John and Dorothy (Cummings) Steuer, he was a graduate of Plainedge High School in Massapequa, N.Y., and married his high school sweetheart. The Steuers moved to Vermont from Long Island, N.Y., in 1989. He worked in the custodial and maintenance fields for most of his life. He recently retired from the New England Kurn Hattin Homes after more than 16 years. He was an avid drummer and he played with many bands throughout his life, most recently with the Early Times Band. Memorial information: A memorial celebration will be announced at a later date. Donations to the New England Kurn Hattin Homes (for its music program), P.O. Box 127, Westminster, VT 05158. Arrangements by Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home of Bellows Falls.