College news
• Aaron Bos-Lun, son of Ron and Michelle Bos-Lun of Westminster, graduated with a Masters degree in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education on May 25. He will return to living in Miami, where he worked as a teacher in the Miami-Dade public school system for four years prior to grad school.
• The following local students received degrees at Champlain College's 139th Commencement in Burlington on May 13: Cuyler Cunningham of Brattleboro, a B.S. in communication; Aubrie Gillam of Putney, a B.F.A. in creative media; John Houk of Brattleboro, a B.S. in computer science and innovation; Kristopher Johnston of Brattleboro, a B.S. in computer forensics and digital investigation; and Jeremy Root of Vernon, a B.S. in Game Design. Root also made the spring 2017 Dean's List, as did Jack Geurts of Grafton, Connor Little of Guilford, and Lucy Lawlor of Athens, while Cunningham, Gillam, and Jeremy Betit of Whitingham and Sebastian Szykier of South Newfane made the President's List.
• Michael Douglas Reilly of Bellows Falls received a B.A. in behavioral neuroscience and English at the 99th Commencement of Connecticut College on May 21 in New London, Conn.
• Corey Andrews of Brattleboro received a B.A. degree at Curry College's Commencement ceremonies on May 21 in Milton, Mass.
• The following local students were named to the spring 2017 Dean's List at Keene State College: Nicholas Ahlgren of Brattleboro, Patrick Clark of East Dummerston, Sally Densmore of Wardsboro, Lisa Donnelly of Brattleboro, Randii Elie of Brattleboro, Daija Germain of Brattleboro, Maya Holschuh of Wilmington, Bridget Johnson of Wesminster, Kyle Murdock of Wilmington, Kyle Record of Grafton, Kayla Savage of Vernon, Christian Terry of Bellows Falls, Emily Vaccaro of Bellows Falls, and Eliah Young of Brattleboro.
• Evan Perkins of Brattleboro was named to the spring 2017 Dean's List at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y.
• The following local students received academic honors for the spring 2017 semester at Johnson State College: Rebekka Hunt of Bellows Falls and Mollie Wright of Londonderry were both named to Dean's List, while Maia Struthers Friedman 0f Putney was named to the President's List.
School news
• The Bellows Falls Union High School recently welcomed 14 new members to the Jesse A. Judd-Marilee B. Huntoon Chapter of the National Honor Society in a May 24 induction ceremony. They are seniors Nora Bright, Simon Bupp-Chickering, Deven Carrier, Liam Hackett, Michael Houle, and Hannah Kelly, and juniors Reaghan Baldasaro, Hannah Harlow, Abigail Jones, Ethan Lauricella, Danielle Marchica, Nicolas Potter, Zoe Schemm, and Katharine Wilkinson.
Transitions
• Brattleboro Fire Chief Mike Bucossi announced that Alexander Richardson of Chelsea, Vt., has been offered the position of Firefighter with the Fire Department. A Firefighter 2 and an EMT with an Associate's degree in Fire Science from Lakes Region Community College in Laconia, N.H., Richardson will start his four 10-hour orientation days on Monday July 10. He will then be assigned Platoon 1 on Sunday July 16, 2017 under the direction of Captain John Charles W. Keir III. This opening is being created by the retirement of Captain Ron Hubbard. Firefighter Allyn Olney retires at the end of December and this creates an opening for Jan. 1, 2018. This position has been offered to William Streeter from Tamworth, N.H. Streeter is also a Firefighter 2, an EMT, and has an Associate's degree in Fire Science from Lakes Region Community College.
Obituaries
• Eugenie Marshall Tuck Beeman, 93, formerly of Wilmington. Died May 20 at Fillmore Pond in Bennington. Born on Nov. 5, 1924 (Guy Fawkes Day) in London, England, she was the daughter of Alexander John Marshall Tuck and Eugenie Philbin Tuck. She was educated at the Tuxedo Park School, and the Chapin School in New York City. When she graduated in 1941, she worked at Town & Country magazine and the Stork Club. In May 1943, Eugenie married John Remington Northrop; who was killed in action a year later over Normandy in August 1944. She married Lyman Arpin Beeman in June 1947 and they lived in Williamstown, Mass., before settling in Glens Falls, N.Y. They divorced in April 1966. She served as the first executive director of Southern Adirondack Planned Parenthood, covering Warren, Washington, Saratoga and Essex counties. She worked as the coordinator and tumor registrar at Glens Falls Hospital, when it began under Bill Philion. She was an avid traveller and lifelong learner who was always involved in her community, and served as a volunteer for the American Red Cross, Crandall Library, Glens Falls Hospital, the Sagamore Great Camp and the Hyde Collection Art Museum from 1988 until 2010. She was predeceased by both of her husbands, her sister Alexandra Walsh and brother John Tuck. She loved to garden and entertain on her screened porch. She was a generous spirit and shared her knitting, crossword puzzles, garden bounty and storytelling with friends and neighbors at 9 Lincoln for 60 years. She loved nature, reading Thoreau, exploring the world and, above all, her family. As she stated, “I missed nothing and leave with no regrets and no unfinished business. I hope your lives will be as joyful and fulfilled as mine.” She moved to Wilmington in 2012 and Bennington in 2013. She leaves her four children - Alexandra Northrop of Rochester, N.Y., Katharine of Arvada, Colo., John of Boulder, Colo., and Holly of Wilmington - eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors, friends, orchestra family, and caregivers. Memorial information: A service was held May 30 at the Glens Falls Presbyterian Church, with a private burial in Glens Falls Cemetery. Donation to the Hyde Collection, 161 Warren St., Glens Falls, NY 12801, or to the Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum, 4800 Lake Shore Dr, Bolton Landing, NY 12814.
• Leon C. Boyd, Jr., 77, of Brattleboro. Died May 22 in the emergency department at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. A lifelong resident of Brattleboro, he was born on May 27, 1939, the son of Leon Carroll and Mildred Mae (Houle) Boyd. He was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating with the Class of 1957 from Brattleboro Union High School. After graduation, he proudly served in the Marine Corps. He worked his entire career as a truck driver. He was employed for many years at Brattleboro Haulage, where he was the recipient of a safe driver award after 30 years of driving without an accident. Previously, he worked for Pepsi Cola Bottling of Brattleboro. He was a former member of Rescue Inc., and served as a board member at the high school for Windham Southeast Supervisory Union. A devout Catholic, he was a lifelong communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church and was a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, Leo Council #917. He enjoyed woodworking, music, playing the guitar, and time shared with his family. He was a former CB radio operator known throughout the airwaves as the “Friendly Ghost.” In 1963, he married to the love of his life, Nancy Tanner. Besides his faithful and devoted wife of 54 years, he leaves three daughters, Kelly Gray and her husband, Castello, of Brattleboro, Sandra Hamilton and husband, Kevin, of Brattleboro, and Patricia Veaudry and her husband, Jason, of Vernon; a sister, Eleanor Powers and her husband, Howard, of Summerfield, Fla.; two brothers, Kenneth Boyd of Hinsdale, N.H., and James Boyd and his wife, Brenda, of Guilford. Additionally he is survived by many grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two sisters, Kathleen Powers and Linda Amidon. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held May 27 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with committal rites and burial with full military honors in Tyler Cemetery in Vernon. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Donald M. Hall of Wardsboro. Died May 16 at his home in Wardsboro. He was the son of Orrin and Lilla Hall. He attended school in Jamaica, and graduated from Leland & Gray High School in Townshend. He had many friends from his firewood and caretaking business. He will be missed by his family. In November 1991, he married Michele Lane, who survives along with son Adam, daughter Amy, and five grandchildren. He also is survived by his mother Lilla, his sister Sally Collins of Virginia, his brother Brian of Jamaica, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Memorial information: At the request of the family, funeral services will be private. Condolences may be left at www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• Christopher S. Hewey, 37, of East Alstead, N.H., formerly of Townshend. Died May 16 in an accident. He was born at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend on Jan. 25, 1980, the son of Laurie Bickford and Richard Hewey. He was raised by his mother Laurie and Mitchell Putnam, whom he considered his father until the end. He was educated in Townshend and Brattleboro. He was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing, hiking, sugaring, ATV's, snowmobiling, motorcycles, animals and, most of all, being around family and friends. He was a jack of all trades as a carpenter and equipment operator, and he loved working in the woods. In his younger years, he was an avid baseball player, involved in Little League and Babe Ruth baseball. He was a loving son, brother, father, cousin, uncle and nephew. He is survived by his three children: Jonathan Grady, Aliza Hewey and Bodhi Hewey; his fiancée Jennifer Ritchie and her three children Kyle, Courtney and Marcus; his mother Laurie Bickford; Richard Hewey and his father Mitchell Putnam; his sister Jessie (Bickford-Bishop) Putnam, grandfather Irvin Stowell, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members and friends. Memorial information: A celebration of his life was held May 29 at Oakwood Cemetery in Townshend.
• Irene Helen Long, 95, formerly of West Brattleboro. Died May 23 at the MeadowBrook of Granby Nursing Home in Granby, Conn., after a series of illnesses. She was born in West Brattleboro in 1922, the third child of Ray Osborne Sprague and Amy Bird Newcomb. She married Wesley John Long in 1941 and settled on Cornwall Street in Hartford, Conn., where they raised their four children: Robert W. of Port Charlotte, Fla.; Nancy I. Kniss, of Fort Wayne, Ind.; the late David C. Long; and Karen A. Dean of Cambria, Calif. After her husband's death in 1983, she moved to East Granby, Conn,, where she continued to provide life care for her son David until his death in 2001. She worked as a retail clerk at for 14 years at Walgreens until her retirement at age 85. She was an active member of the The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.She is preceded in death by her sister, Doris Amy Sprague, and brother, Donald Raye Sprague, both of Brattleboro. In addition to her three surviving children, she leaves seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Memorial information: Interment will be at Mather's Cemetery in West Brattleboro at a date to be determined by the family. Donations to the American Cancer Society, 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, or your local food bank.
• Malcolm Lewis Richardson, 95, of Rawsonville. Died May 23 at his home. Born in Landgrove on Oct. 30, 1921, the youngest son of Amasa Earl and Mary Elizabeth (Charles) Richardson, he was predeceased in 2013 by his wife of 63 years, Anita Phoebe (Landman) Richardson. He attended the Landgrove village school and Burr & Burton Seminary. He enlisted in the Army in 1942, and served in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. He worked as a carpenter and in many building trades until his retirement in 1986. He loved the woods, and nature, and his extensive gardens, and the Boston Red Sox. He lives on in his five children: Linda, Mary Ellen (Ken), Terry, Barbara (Terry) and Annie, and in his four grandchildren. Memorial information: Services will be private. Donations to Grace Cottage Hospital, Jamaica Fire & Rescue, South Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad, or the VNA/Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire.
• Susan Ross, 71, of Easton, Conn., formerly of Putney and Westminster West. Died May 17 at her home after valiantly battling both pancreatic and breast cancer for over seven years. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, she spent the past 45 years living in Putney and Westminster West, and Wilton and Easton, Conn. She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her M.A. from Boston University. A senior nonprofit executive for more than 40 years, she served as the president/CEO of the Fairfield County Community Foundation from 1996 to 2011, focusing on improving public schools, increasing affordable housing, improving the lives of low-income working women and children, and building the capacity of area non-profit organizations. During her tenure, the foundation's assets grew from $10 million to over $150 million, and community grants totaled more than $125 million. Prior to her position with the foundation, she served as CEO of the United Way of Windham County and on the boards of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, the Connecticut Council for the Advancement of 21st Century Skills and Careers, the Vermont and Connecticut Planned Parenthood affiliates, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. and the Brattleboro Retreat. She is survived by her husband Charles MacCormack, president emeritus of Save the Children; her sons Cameron and Fraser; and her granddaughter Harper. Memorial information: Services will be held at The First Church of Christ, Congregational, 25 Cross Highway in Redding Center, Conn., on Saturday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by a reception at the Church Hall from 12:15 to 2 p.m. Donations to the Fairfield County Community Foundation's Fund for Great Leadership, Save the Children's Ainsley Ross-MacCormack Fund, or Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.
• Georgia Mae Boyd-Willette, 76, of Putney. Died May 21 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Born Jan. 4, 1941, in Burlington, the daughter of George and Mabel (Zeno) Thirsher, she received her early education in Huntington. She worked in food service at Brandon Training School for many years. She owned and operated a cleaning service in the Putney area and volunteered at the Putney Food Shelf. She enjoyed bingo, music, and was a self-taught accordion player. Survivors include three children, David Boyd of Brandon, William Boyd of Rutland, and Brenda Burt of Sarasota, Fla.; her former husband and father of her children, Ralph Boyd, of Putney; 11 grandchildren, several great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by four siblings, Shirley Amidon, Beverley Thomas, Richard and Edward Thirsher. Memorial information: A celebration of her life will be held at a later date to be announced. Donation to the Putney Food Shelf, 10 Christian Square, Putney, VT 05346.