College news
• Rebecca O'Neill of Westminster graduated magna cum laude after majoring in Latin American studies at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. The 2011 graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's most prestigious liberal arts honor society. O'Neill was also inducted into the Bates Scholar-Athlete Society, an organization that honors graduating seniors for outstanding academic achievement in their junior and senior years, and who have participated in a varsity sport for a minimum of three years.
• Jesse Kreitzer of Brattleboro received an MFA in film and video production from the University of Iowa.
Transitions
• Kim Fine, Director of Development and Public Relations at Kurn Hattin Homes in Westminster, has been recertified by CFRE International as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Fine joins over 5,300 professionals around the world who hold the CFRE designation. A West Chesterfield, N.H., resident who grew up in Northampton, Mass., Fine joined Kurn Hattin Homes in 2002.
• George Ammirato, who owns and operates the George Ammirato Agency on Putney Road in Brattleboro, was recently designated an Allstate Premier Agency for 2015. The designation is given to Allstate insurance agency owners who have demonstrated excellence in customer service while achieving outstanding business results.
Obituaries
• Stanley William “Stasu” Aleksiewicz, 61, of Brattleboro, Died August 1 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a period of declining health. Former wife of Nancy Christmas. Father of Lance Aleksiewicz of Harrisville, R.I., and Daryl Aleksiewicz of Swanzey, N.H. Brother of Peter Aleksiewicz of Woodberry Forest, Va. Also survived by two grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Joseph and Sophie (Jasienowski) Aleksiewicz, he attended Saint Michael's Parochial School and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1971. He went on to attend the University of Vermont. Most recently, he worked at G.S. Precision in Brattleboro. Previously, he was a parts manager for Tri-State Automotive, and worked at the Vermont State Liquor Store, both in Brattleboro. For many years, he was active with the Brattleboro Little League Program, volunteering as an umpire. Prior to obtaining his umpire's license, he received his training in Williamsport, Pa. He was a communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church and was a member of the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge #1499. He enjoyed billiards and was active in several greater Brattleboro area leagues. Of his other pastimes, he enjoyed playing cards and was an avid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Aug. 10 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with committal rites and burial in Saint Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to the Brattleboro Little League, in care of American Legion Brattleboro Post 5, 32 Linden Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Arrangements were handled by Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro.
• David M. “Beamer” Beam, 74, of Rutland. Died Aug. 1, 2015 at his home. Husband of Jeanne Longley Beam for 42 years. Father of Denise M. Laauwe and her husband, Brandt, of Warren, N.H. Brother of Forrest Beam and his wife, Nell, of North Carolina. Predeceased by 11 siblings. Born in North Westminster, the son of the late Allen and Kathryn Beam, he served with the Army National Guard and was honorably discharged in 1961. He was a commercial truck driver for more than 50 years, including 26 years as an over-the-road tractor-trailer driver with the former St. Johnsbury Trucking. He ended his career of driving trucks at Casella Construction of Mendon, retiring in May of this year. He was happy starting every morning having coffee with his coffee buddies at various locations. Memorial information: Per his request, there will be no calling hours or services. Burial will be private, Donations to help fund the college educations of his grandchildren, Casey and Sadie, may be sent to Brandt Laauwe, 26 Moses Road, Warren, NH 03279. Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home of Bellows Falls is assisting the family with arrangements.
• Edward Weston “Ed” Clark, 77, of Guilford. Died August 2 at his home following a period of declining health. Husband of Cynthia Hubner for 58 years. Father of Stephen Clark and his wife, Francine, and Michael Clark, and his wife, Mary, both of Brattleboro; Timothy Clark and his wife, Barbara, and Charles Clark and his wife, Dolores, both of Guilford, and the late Susan Clark. Brother of Richard Clark and his wife, Kathy, of Guilford, Virginia Cote of Keene, N.H., Shirley (Clark) Squires of Guilford, Arlene Gilbert and her husband, Robert, of Marlboro, and the late Arnold Clark. Also survived by 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Earl and Clara (Goodnow) Clark, he was raised and educated in Guilford and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1957. Memorial information: A memorial service in celebration of his life will be conducted Friday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m.. at Guilford Community Church. A reception will follow the services in the church fellowship hall. Graveside committal services will be private for the immediate family in the Guilford Center Cemetery. Donations to the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department, 108 Guilford Center Rd., Guilford, VT 05301 or to Guilford Community Church, 38 Church Rd., Guilford, VT 05301. Arrangements are being handled by Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
• Donald Brown Devoe, 95, of Falmouth, Maine. Died July 30. Husband of the late Muriel Elizabeth (Strout) Devoe for nearly 60 years. Father of Barbara Cary of Cumberland Center, Maine, Judith Haggerty of Westminster, James Devoe and his wife, Maryanne Krajcik, of Granby, Conn., and David Devoe and his wife, Frances Devoe, of Walhalla, S.C. Brother of Jean (Devoe) Chapman. Also survived by nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Born in Bangor, Maine, son of the late Frances Brown and Irving Woodward Devoe, he earned his B.A. in physics and his M.A. in psychology, both from the University of Maine, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Rochester. He served four years during World War II in the Army Air Corps, providing weather advisories to bomber crews flying missions in the European and Mediterranean theatres of war. He was honorably discharged in 1946 and continued serving in the Air Force Reserves, retiring in 1979 at the rank of colonel. His professional career was in the field of human factors, including positions with Air Force Human Resources Research Center, Air Force Cambridge Research Center, Sperry Rand Research Center, Sylvania Electronic Systems Division, and the Department of Transportation. He was the author or co-author of many publications focused on human factors and was a member of several academic and professional organizations. He was an avid photographer, artist, hiker, bird watcher, reader, trombonist, and perhaps above all, humorist. He loved to travel but loved being at home with friends and family even more. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A memorial service will be held on Friday, Aug. 14, at noon, at the Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth, Maine, with visitation hour prior to the service at 11 a.m. Burial will be Saturday, Aug. 15, at noon, at Maple Grove Cemetery in Bangor,with military honors at graveside. Donations to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 74 Gray Road, Falmouth, ME 04105.
• Robert P. Ingalls, 89, of Westfield, Mass., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Aug. 5 in the Holyoke (Mass.) Soldiers Home. Husband of Glenice (Hunt) Ingalls for 64 years. Father of Scott Ingalls and his wife, Sally, of Southwick, Mass.; Kurt Ingalls and his wife, Sandra, of Enfield, Conn.; and Jane Raymond and her husband, Bill, of Westfield, Mass. Brother of Patricia Clark of Arizona and the late Gladys Spaulding. Born in Brattleboro, son of the late Harold and Charlotte (Houghton) Ingalls, he grew up in Brattleboro and was a 1944 graduate of Brattleboro High School. He served in the Navy during World War II as a radioman on an aircraft carrier for three years. He also attended Columbia Technical Institute in Washington, D.C., and Coyne Electrical in Boston. He worked for several Massachusetts firms, including Standard Electric Time in Springfield, Oaks Electric in Holyoke, and Kidder Stacy in Agawam, from which he retired as an electrical drafting engineer in 1990. He was a talented artist and woodcarver and enjoyed many other hobbies. He was a member of the American Legion and Mount Moriah Lodge of Masons. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: The funeral service and burial will be private in Hinesburg Cemetery in Guilford at a later time. Donations to the Holyoke Soldiers Home 110 Cherry Street, Holyoke, MA 01040.
• Rolland Pierce Marden, 89, of Evington, Va., formerly of Vernon. Died July 31 at his home. Husband of the late Roberta (Mills) Marden for 20 years. Father of Robert Marden and his wife, Kathy, of Evington, and Lynn Barnes and her husband, Calvin, of Vernon. Also survived by 11 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Brother of the late Audrey York. Born in Taunton, Mass., the son of the late Robert C. and Hazel L. (Pierce) Marden, he was raised and educated in Taunton, where he graduated from Taunton High School. He went on to be trained in Accounting and, while in his 70s, he graduated from Liberty University's Liberty Bible Institute with a certificate in theology. A proud veteran of World War II and the Korean War, he served in the Army with the 69th Infantry Division stationed in the European Theater of Operation in World War II. He was honorably discharged from active service at the rank of Master Sergeant. He held membership in American Legion Post 16 in Lynchburg, Va. He came to Vermont in 1945 and settled with his family in Vernon. He worked as an accountant and had been employed as comptroller at the former Windham College in Putney, and as assistant comptroller at the School for International Training in Brattleboro. He served as both a selectman and treasurer for the town of Vernon and was a school director for Brattleboro Union High School. He worked with the youth in Vernon as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 412. Steadfast in his walk of faith, he was a longtime member of Vernon Union Church and later a member of Bethel Chapel. He was active with the Springfield (Mass.) Rescue Mission, worked for the Christian Service Corps in Washington, D.C., and served with the Christian Literature Crusade in Fort Washington, Pa. He also served many years as a Hospice volunteer and in prison ministry in Warwick, Mass. He enjoyed bicycle riding, tennis, growing orchids, and time spent with his family. He was a talented artist who enjoyed calligraphy and painting in oils and water color. In later years, he crocheted many afghans for family members. He loved to travel. Two of his most memorable trips were traveling to Europe with his wife in the 1960s and a mission trip to Ecuador at age 75. He moved to Virginia in 1999. Memorial information: Funeral services will be conducted Friday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m., at Vernon Union Church, with burial to follow in Tyler Cemetery on Pond Road. Friends are invited to call at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home in Brattleboro on Thursday, August 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. Donations to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313.
• Martha Parker Smith Miller, 90, of Brattleboro. Died July 7, 18 days short of her 91st birthday. Wife of the late Hugh F. Miller for 66 years. Mother of Michael Miller and his wife, Sandra, of Springfield, N.J.; Marsha Miller Petruzzo and her husband, Tom, of Katy, Texas; and Margaret Miller of Jamaica. Sister of Ruth Blackmer and her husband, Lewis, of New Jersey and the late Ellis Smith Jr. Born in Penfield, N.Y., daughter of the late Ellis S. and Marjorie P. Smith, she was 18 when she met the love of her life. They married in 1943, and she put her husband through divinity school. She then went on herself to graduate with a B.A., cum laude, from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. The Millers served churches in Spencerport, N.Y., Minneapolis, Minn., Pasadena, Calif., Denver, Colo., and Brockport, Syracuse, and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She was valedictorian of her high school class and was a highly skilled pianist and organist, and she loved to sing. Her approach to life was to put a smile on her face and find the positive aspect in any circumstance. She excelled at every project, from her election to office in the national Ministers' Wives' Fellowship in 1951 to her participation in the Peace Walk at the Boyne in 1976 as part of a Journey of Reconciliation in Ireland, to election as president of the National Association of Ecumenical Staff in 1983. In Syracuse in the 1960s, she was the director of the Foreign Student Office for Syracuse University. In Poughkeepsie in the 1970s and 1980s, she was the executive director of the Dutchess County Interfaith Council for 18 years, during which time she was ordained as a lay minister. She retired in 1991. She gave her time to countless religious organizations and social service agencies, and was dedicated to being a peace maker – both personally and internationally. She and her husband moved to Vermont in 2008. Memorial information: A Celebration of Life memorial ceremony will be held at the First Congregational Church, UCC, in Poughkeepsie on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. Donations to the Dutchess County Interfaith Council, 9 Vassar St., Suite 11, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
• Debra Ann Rider, 56, of Newfane. Died Aug. 1. Born in Townshend, the daughter of Shelbyjean and the late Dennis Hescock, she attended school in Townshend and graduated from Leland & Gray Union High School. Besides her mother, she is survived by brothers Douglas Hescock of Hinsdale, N.H., and Mark Hescock of Townshend; nieces Alicia and Amanda Hescock and nephew Bradley Hescock; fiance Carter van Iderstine; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and a dear friend, Judy Flynn of Newfane. Memorial information: Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Donations to a charity of one's choice.
• June Howard Shine, 83, of Vernon, formerly of Wardsboro. Died July 29 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of the late Donald C. Howard and the late Brinton E. Shine. Survived by a daughter, Peggy Howard Holden Matheson and a grandson, Garrison J. Holden, both of Wardsboro; a sister, Marie Siddell and a brother, William W. Ayers, both of Wardsboro; a brother-in-law, John Blackmer of Fair Haven; two sisters-in-law, Glennis Howard Hescock of Wardsboro and Bea Shine MacFarland of Newfane; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Born in South Wardsboro, the daughter of the late William W. and Marie C. (Paradis) Ayers, she enjoyed crafts, gardening, cooking, music, country living, the Northeast Kingdom, reading, movies, and especially her children, family, friends and pets who meant the world to her. She worked at local inns in the area and Grace Cottage Hospital in hospitality. She and her late second husband, Mr. Shine, were self-employed in caretaking for many years. She was a special loving, caring person who was dearly loved by all. Memorial information: A celebration of her life will be held Aug. 23 at the South Wardsboro Congregational Church at 1 p.m. A reception to follow at the Wardsboro Town Hall. Graveside committal services will be private at a later date. Donations to the Friends of the Wardsboro Library, P.O. Box 137, Wardsboro, VT 05355 or to Grace Cottage Hospital, in care of Dr. Robert Backus, P.O. Box 216, Townshend, VT 05353. Arrangements were handled by Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
• Harry C. “Skip” C. Tirrell, 70, of Swanzey, N.H. Died July 31 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H. Husband of Brenda “Bunnie” Tirrell. Father of Keven Tirrell and his wife, Deborah, of Wilmington; Craig Tirrell and his wife, Lisa, of Swanzey; Kathie Froment and her husband, Scott, of Wilmington; and Karen Beam Pronovost and her husband, John, of West Dover. Brother of George Dooley Tirrell and his wife, Gina, of Southampton, Mass., and Michael Tirrell and Dianne Murphy, both of Ware, Mass. Also survived by 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Born in Northampton, Mass., the son of the late Harry C. and Jeanne (Rock) Tirrell Sr., he worked as a lift operations mechanic for Mount Snow for many years. He was a master salmon fisherman and loved salmon fishing in Oswego, N.Y., with Kevin Butler, Roy Schopman, his father and all his friends in New York. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, playing softball, and following NASCAR. His main passion in life was his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial information: Funeral services were held Aug. 8 at Covey-Allen & Shea Funeral Home in Wilmington. Donations to the charity of one's choice.
• Arthur Edward Wellman, 77, of Brookline. Died Aug. 6 at home after a long illness. Husband of Betty Wellman for 57 years. Father of Douglas and his wife, Marji; Wendy Dutton and her husband, Paul; Bonnie VornLocher and her husband, Tom; April Wellman and her significant other, Daryl; and the late Guy Wellman. Also survived by six grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all of whom he loved very much. A lifetime resident of Brookline, he retired in 1997 after a 45-year career at the Grand Union supermarket in Brattleboro, working up from stock boy to manager. He was a lover of the outdoors and enjoyed hiking the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail. He loved gardening and was particularly proud of his many varieties of roses. He immensely enjoyed his NASCAR and went to many races. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A memorial service will be held at his home in Brookline on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 2 p.m. Donations to Grace Cottage Hospital, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353.
• A celebration of the life of Richard Joseph Brown, who died on April 22, three days short of his 70th birthday, will be held on Saturday, August 22, at 3 p.m., at Ward's Cove Picnic Area on Lake Whitingham in Wilmington. Friends and family are invited to join in a potluck dinner. In case of inclement weather, the gathering will be held at the West Halifax Community Center, 246 Branch Rd.