Milestones

Obituaries

• Joanne L. Aleksiewicz, 87, of Cottonwood, Ariz., formerly of Brattleboro. Died peacefully at Cottonwood Village on Thursday, April 13. She was born in Barre on Aug. 2, 1929 to Philip and Irene (Fournier) LaPerle. The oldest of nine children, she was raised on a farm in Walden Heights before moving to the family dairy farm in Randolph Center. She moved to Brattleboro in 1947 to attend the Thompson School of Nursing, where she graduated as an LPN in 1949. In 1967, the family moved to Turners Falls, Mass., where they resided until their move to Cottonwood in 1981. During her extended nursing career, she worked at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and the Franklin County Nursing Home in Greenfield, Mass. In 1982, she joined the staff at Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood until her semi-retirement, after which she worked part-time for Verde Valley Home Heath for four years before full retirement. In 1950, in Randolph, she married Henry J. Aleksiewicz, who predeceased her on April 1, 2002. She leaves two sons, Matthew Aleksiewicz of Cottonwood, who was her primary caregiver, and Mark Aleksiewicz of Montague, Mass; four daughters, Linda Grout of Brattleboro, Christine Wilhelm of Cleveland, Ohio, Mary Ellen Detar of Florence, Ore. and Melissa Prestinario of San Jose, Calif. Her son, Gary Aleksiewicz, of Mayapur, India, predeceased her in 2010. She leaves 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She also leaves two sisters, Beatrice Griswold of Connecticut and Pauline Hill of Maryland; two brothers, Norbert LaPerle of Bradford and John LaPerle of Bennington. Her brothers Raymond, Leonard, and Ferdinand, and her sister Vivian all predeceased her. Memorial information: A memorial service will be conducted at the chapel at the Vermont Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center and her ashes will be interred there next to her husband on a date in late summer to be announced by the family.

• David Omer Chabre, 55, of Brattleboro. Died April 19th at home. He had a big, caring, kind heart that gave out too soon, a result of his many health issues. Born March 6, 1962 in Clinton, Mass., the son of Omer and Rita (Ayotte) Chabre. He was raised and educated in Clinton. He was a jack of all trades. Taught by his father to tackle any project big or small; fixing cars, repairing machines, wood working, etc., he aspired to be just like his dad and, as such, he did it all. Before succumbing to health issues, he worked for Putney Paper for many years. He was a popular and helpful member of the Bingo community, enjoying his time with his Bingo family and lending a hand to so many. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, Bingo with his Bingo buddy - his mom, his dog Krueger, his favorite football team, the 49ers, time with family and friends, and his daughter and granddaughter. He was a support system for his mother, and she for him. They were the best of friends. Survivors include his mother; his daughter, Jessica Pickett of Putnam, Conn.; his brother Norman Chabre and his wife, Barbara, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; his sisters Ruth Houle and her husband, Bob, of Brattleboro, Della Gagnon of Leominster, Mass., Marie Hopkins and her husband, Joe DeCaria, of Fitchburg, Mass., and Rena Caley and her husband, Larry, of Clinton. Additionally, he leaves aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father. Memorial information: His wish was to be cremated, and his ashes were buried with his father's at Meetinghouse Cemetery in Brattleboro on April 30. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Thomas Alan “Tom” Chase, 61, of Chesterfield, N.H. Died April 22 at his home. Born in Brattleboro on Sept. 13, 1955, the son of Charles and Theresa (Letourneau) Chase, he was raised and educated in Chesterfield and was a graduate of Keene (N.H.) High School, Class of 1973. He worked his entire career as a mason and owned and operated his own masonry business, T. Chase Masonry, based in Chesterfield. Previously, he worked for Helmuth Busse Masonry of Brattleboro. An ardent outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting and fishing with his brother, spending time on his tractor, and time shared with his family, especially his granddaughters. In 1977, he married Rose Coleman, who survives. Besides his wife of almost 40 years, he leaves two daughters, Heather Whittier and her husband, Robert, of Gill, Mass., and Jennifer Chase and her fiancée, Zackery Forcier, of Vernon; a brother, David Chase and his wife, Lisa, of Chesterfield; two sisters, Christine Guerin and her husband, Butch, of Bondsville, Mass., and Sharon Wessel and her husband, Bill, of West Chesterfield; six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Dennis Chase. Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, there are no formal services scheduled. A private burial will take place in Chesterfield West Cemetery on Poor Road. Donations to Hospice at HCS, P.O. Box 564, 312 Marlboro St., Keene, NH 03431. To send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Grace E. Donohue, 70, of West Dummerston. Died April 24, following a brief illness. She was born in Lebanon, Pa., on Jan. 31, 1947, the daughter of Herbert M. and Betty J. (Royer) Dissinger Sr. She was raised and educated in Mt. Gretna, Pa., and was a graduate of Cornwall High School. A former resident of New York City, she moved to Dummerston with her husband and two daughters in 1992. While in New York, she had been employed for several years by British Airways. From 2000 to 2013, she worked at the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro where she retired as night supervisor. While at Austine School, she was loved and respected by many of the students and co-workers, many of whom throughout the years kept in close contact with her. She was known for her spirit of friendship, volunteerism and good natured personality. Of her leisure time activities, she enjoyed knitting, birds, flowers and time shared with her family, especially her grandchildren. In 1973, she married Thomas F. Donohue, who survives. Besides her faithful and devoted husband of 44 years, she leaves two daughters, Jill Donohue of West Dummerston and Laura Donohue-Liban of Elkridge, Md., son-in-law Hussein Liban, and two grandchildren. Additionally, she leaves several nieces and nephews, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and cousins. She loved hearing from and keeping in touch with her family. She was predeceased by one brother, Herbert Dissinger Jr. Memorial information: A memorial service in celebration of her life will be conducted Friday, May 5, at 11 a.m., at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home, 40 Terrace Street. Friends are invited to call at the funeral home on Thursday May 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. Donations to Yolande Henry Community Fund, which pays for interpreter(s) for private family and social events not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act for deaf Vermonters: VCIL, 11 East State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. Donations may be made payable to VIRS with a designation that the donation should benefit the Y.H. Community Fund.

• EarI D. Douglass, 77, of Grafton. Died April 22 at his home. Born in Morrisville on April 24, 1939, the son of Walter and Gertrude (Earle) Douglass, he attended Eden Elementary School, graduated from Johnson High School, and earned an associate's degree from Vermont Technical College. He worked as a dairy farmer and also worked for the town of Grafton road crew. He served as Town Meeting moderator and on the Athens School Board. He also drove a school bus, served as a constable, and was a volunteer for the Athens Fire Department. In 1959, he married Lorraine Boyce who survives. Also surviving are his sons, Raiford and his wife, Tammy, Keith and his wife, Jennifer, and Kevin and his wife, Jaimie; his daughters Ronda Williams and her husband, Russell, Cindy Douglass, Julie Douglass, Karen Neathawk, and Marie Zijic and her husband, Danny; his brother Floyd Douglass & wife Nadir; 19 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Richard Douglass. Memorial information: Services will be at the convenience of the family with burial in the Houghtonville Cemetery in Grafton. Donations to Grace Cottage Hospital, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353.

• Irene T. Edson, 89, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died April 22 at Applewood Healthcare in Winchester, N.H. Born at home in Hinsdale on July 6, 1927, the daughter of the late Ernest and Aurore “Ora” (Bergeron) Kilhart, she attended Hinsdale public schools and was a graduate of Hinsdale High School, Class of 1945. In 1950, she married Arnold Edson, who predeceased her in 1969. She worked as a bookkeeper for several paper mills in Hinsdale and Ashuelot, N.H., retiring in 2002 at the age of 75 from McGoldrich Paper Company, Inc. A devout Catholic, she was a lifelong communicant of St. Joseph's Church, where for many years she served on the welcoming and bereavement committees as well as the parish council. She was very proud of both her church and her community. She enjoyed gardening, knitting mittens by the hundreds that she gave to the schools for children in need, making floral arrangements, and going on visits to shut-ins. She spent her life always thinking of others. Survivors include one daughter, Anne Davenport and her husband, Richard, of Hinsdale; two sons, Peter Edson and Matthew Edson, both of Hinsdale; one sister, Yvonne Kilhart of Westmoreland, N.H.; three grandchildren, two great-grandsons, and several nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held April 26 at Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Hinsdale, with committal rites and burial in St. Joseph's Parish Cemetery. Donations to Friends of Pisgah, Inc., P.O. Box 134, Chesterfield, NH 03443. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Shirley Luella Merrifield (Sanville) Scamman, 75, of Scarborough, Maine. Died April 21 at her residence. Born in Keene, N.H., on September 18, 1941, she was the daughter of Alice Bailey and Cecil A. Merrifield, a soldier who was killed in action in 1945 during World War II. She was raised by her mother, and her stepfather, Clayton Leo Hastings. She graduated from Hinsdale (N.H.) High School in 1959, and then married Gerald A. Sanville. That marriage ended in divorce in 1993. She worked for The Book Press in Brattleboro and Bridgeport Metal Goods in Hinsdale. While living in Hinsdale, she was a school bus driver for 10 years and was a community reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer. After moving to Maine in 1991, she was employed by Cedars Nursing Care Center in Portland. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing, woodworking, traveling, nature and gardening, as well as watching the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots play. She married Robert Wentworth Scamman in 2005. The couple operated Ingallsides Inc. in Scarborough from 1993 until 2000. They traveled to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Alaska and, every year, they went to Florida for a vacation. She was predeceased by her mother and stepfather; a brother, Earl Clayton Hastings; her second husband, Robert Scamman; and stepchildren Holly Scamman Larouche and Roger Scamman. She is survived by her daughters Leona Sanville Drosehn and her husband, James, and Barbara Sanville Ling and her husband, Steve,; and a son, Duane Sanville, all of Hinsdale, N.H.; sons Gerald Sanville Jr. of Swanzey, N.H., and James Sanville and his wife, Hollym of Holyoke, Mass.; and a daughter, Mary L. Sanville Ross and her husband, Mark, of Sandy Hook, Conn. Survivors also include her stepchildren, Mary Scamman Hershberger of Leesburg, Fla., Wayne Scamman of Saco, Maine, Roberta Moulton and Michael Scamman of Scarborough, and Georgia Lynn Scamman of Franconia, N.H. She is also survived by her brothers John Merrifield of Standish, Maine, and Larry Hastings of Florida, her sisters Rita Woodman of South Portland, Maine, Sandra Proctor of Swanzey, N.H., 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren from her first marriage, and 16 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren by her second marriage. Memorial information: A memorial service was held April 28 at Hobbs Funeral Home in Scarborough, with interment in Black Point Cemetery in Scarborough. Donations to a charity of one's choice.

• Myrtle F. Stowell, 94, of West Brattleboro. Died April 26 at her home, following a period of declining health. Born in Brattleboro on Dec. 20, 1922, the eldest daughter of Guy and Marion (Wilson) Fletcher, she attended Brattleboro public schools and was a 1940 graduate of Brattleboro High School. In 1944, she married her childhood sweetheart, Hugh Francis “Ozzie” Stowell, who was stationed in Thomasville, Ga., during World War II. He died in 2007 after 63 years of marriage. The couple owned and operated Stowell Electric for 37 years until retiring in 1994. For many years, she enjoyed time spent at her family's camp in Stratton and wintering with her husband in Bayonet Point, Fla. She was a longtime member of First Congregational Church and was active with several church committees. She was a keen bridge player and avid golfer and member for many years of the Brattleboro Country Club. With her husband, she enjoyed square dancing and was a member of the former Green Mountain Squares Square Dance Club of Brattleboro. She was also a member of the Thursday Night Club Group and the West Busy B's Women's Club. Survivors include one son, Larry Stowell and his wife, Regina, of Westmoreland, N.H., and a daughter, Linda Dix and her husband Gary of Hinsdale, N.H.; two sisters, Ruth Struthers of Brattleboro and Margaret Bemis of West Chesterfield, N.H.; four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A graveside committal service was held May 1 in the family lot in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to First Congregational Church, 880 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301 or to Thompson House Nursing Home, 80 Maple St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Kenneth E. Van Cor, 86, of Winchester, N.H. Died April 22 at Baystate-Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass. He was born in Brattleboro on Feb. 15, 1931 to Bertie and Ida Belle (May) Martin. He was a 1949 graduate of Brattleboro High School. He married the former R. Evelyn Abbott in 1952. He worked for many years at The Book Press in Brattleboro, then for 13 years at Northfield Mount Hermon School. An accomplished musician, he played in his own band in the 1950s. He loved working on his property. He is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and his children, Lawrence and Dale and his wife, Wanda, both of Winchester, and Kevin and Wayne, both of Keene, and Mary Ellen Martell of Brattleboro. He is also survived by six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a brother, Forrest E. Van Cor. Memorial information: A memorial service was held April 29 at the United Church of Winchester, with burial in South Parish Cemetery.

• Raymond P. Young Jr., 70, of Wardsboro. Died April 27 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, following an extended illness. The son of Raymond P. and Lois S. (Reynolds) Young Sr., he was born in Brattleboro on May 13, 1946. He graduated from Leland & Gray Seminary in 1964, and joined the Army, serving in Vietnam. Following his return, he married Nancy L. Parsons in Wardsboro in 1969. He worked for many years as a building material salesman at D.J. Inc., and WW Building Supply. He was a member of the VFW in Brattleboro and American Legion Post 16 in Townshend. He was also a longtime member of the Wardsboro Methodist Church. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and was also an avid reader. In addition to his wife, he leaves a son, Nolan L. Young, and his wife, Andrea, of Barre; daughter, Carley R. Sanderson, and husband, Brud, of West Townshend; a brother, Arnold Young, of Jamaica; sisters Judith Young and Constance Bentley, both of Wardsboro; brother Peter Young of Wardsboro; and three grandchildren. His brothers Jerald and Robert Young died previously. memorial information: Services with military honors will be private. Burial will take place in the South Wardsboro Cemetery at a later date. Donations to the Vermont Veterans Home's Patient Activity Fund, in care of Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.