College news
• Anna Pettee of Guilford recently graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University. She has joined the Peace Corps and is now in China.
• Wynona Meyer of Guilford and Keith Walsh of Marlboro both received A.A. degrees in liberal arts from Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Mass. Meyer was also named to the school's Dean's List for the spring 2017 semester.
• The following local students were selected to the President's List for the spring 2017 semester at Castleton University: Alex Derosia of Brattleboro, Casey Gould of Brattleboro, Alison Kearney of Londonderry, Kevin Paciulli of Brattleboro, and Robert Simeon of Putney.
• The following local students were selected to the spring 2017 Dean's List at Southern Vermont College in Bennington: Bridget Bolster of East Dummerston, Kara Corlew of Londonderry, Darion James of Brattleboro, and Morgan Kaeppel of Vernon.
• Brennen Zolnoski of Brattleboro and Tyler Clement of Vernon were both selected to the Dean's List for the spring 2017 semester at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass.
• Todd Beyer of West Dover was named to the spring 2017 Dean's List at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.
• Madeleine Fulkerson of Bellows Falls was named to the spring 2017 Dean's List at the University of Connecticut.
• Sarah Forrett of East Dummerston was selected to the President's List for the spring 2017 semester at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, N.H.
• The following local students earned academic honors for the spring 2017 semester at Husson University in Bangor, Maine: Stephanie Greene of Westminster was selected to the President's List and Judy Brennan of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List.
• Allison V. Stamler of Brattleboro was named to the spring 2017 Dean's List at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y.
• Jacqueline Elliott of Brattleboro earned the distinction of Faculty Honors for spring 2017 at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have a 4.0 academic average for the semester.
Obituaries
• Christine Forbes-Corriveau, 49, of Windham. Died June 9 at her home. Born Feb. 21, 1968, the daughter of Ruth Beekford and Azariah Forbes, she worked in health care as a CNA. She is survived by her husband, Lyndon E. Corriveau, as well as two sons in Jamaica and a daughter in Vermont. Memorial information: Services will be held on Saturday, July 1, at Calvary Church in West Townshend, with burial to follow at Valley Cemetery in Athens.
• Charles R. Cummings, 87, of Brattleboro. Died June 12 at his home. Memorial information: A funeral Mass will be held Saturday, July 1, at 11 a.m., at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, with burial to follow in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Calling hours will be at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the start of the Mass. A complete obituary will be published in an upcoming edition of The Commons. Arrangements are under the direction of Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro.
• Jacqueline Edna “Jackie” Johnson, 71, of Guilford. Died June 16 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a period of declining health. A native of Brattleboro, she was born on March 27, 1946 to Cedric E. and Beatrice L. (Wright) Johnson and was educated in local schools. A 1965 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, she received her A.S. in business from Daniel Webster College in 1978. She enlisted in the Army on Aug. 31, 1967 and served honorably as a medical dental specialist until her discharge on Oct. 1, 1969. She left at the rank of specialist fourth class, and was awarded the National Defense Medal. She was employed as a nurse's aide for several years, having worked at Thompson House in Brattleboro, Vernon Green Nursing Home, and for a rehabilitation center in Tupper Lake, N.Y. She was also a truck driver for a period of time. Her love of her family was most important to her, along with her affection for her cats. An adventuresome soul, she lived in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Colorado, Arizona, and Washington State during her lifetime. She loved the outdoors, gardening, bird watching, collecting porcelain dolls, and the art of fine custom sewing and quilting. She is lovingly remembered by her children: Lenora Myers and Christine Mason; her constant companion, George Belcher of Aurora, Colo., and her dearest friend, Alice Bozeman, of Denver, Colo. Additionally, Jackie leaves her siblings Yvonne Serrell, Elaine Kies, Sharon Caples, Pamela Amidon, and James Johnson, as well as five grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her son Travis, as well as by two sisters: Barbara Powling and Pauline Johnson. Memorial information: A funeral service with full military honors took place June 26 in the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, 916 West River Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Richard Garrison Phelps, 95, of West Dover. Died June 22 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington. He was born in Readsboro on March 9, 1922, the son of Howard and Lillian (Tatro) Phelps. He grew up in Readsboro, where he attended local schools. He then joined the Army and proudly served his country during World War II. After returning from the war, he worked for 38 years at Deerfield Glassine in Monroe Bridge, Mass., retiring in 1986. After retirement, he worked as a park ranger for 15 years at several Vermont state parks in southern Vermont. He was a member of American Legion Post 29 in Readsboro, bowled in the senior league in Wilmington, and was an avid Red Sox fan. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening, producing maple syrup, traveling throughout the United States during the winter months, and camping with his family. He is survived by his daughters Patricia Knight and her husband, Ronald, of Jamaica, and and Pamela Boyd and her husband, Leon, of West Dover; his sons Gordon Phelps and his wife, Peggy, of Sheffield, Howard Phelps and his wife, Kathy, of Colrain, Mass., and Michael Phelps and his spouse, Rodney Soucier, of Enfield, Conn.; brother-in-law Leonard Brown of Rowe, Mass.; sisters Mildred Brewer of Marlboro, Elizabeth Trombley and her husband, Floyd, of Hinsdale, N.H., Mary Ann Moon of Readsboro, and Barbara Birch of Readsboro; eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and eight great great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Myrtle Arlene (Ellis) Phelps, in 2010; his sisters Norma Brown and Marjorie Phelps; and his brothers Clayton and Ronald Phelps. Memorial information: A funeral service will be held at Readsboro Baptist Church on Saturday, July 1, at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Readsboro Village Cemetery. Calling hours will be held at Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home in Wilmington from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 30. Donations to the Readsboro Baptist Church, in care of Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215 Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Barbara Ann “Barb” Smith, 87, of Brattleboro. Died June 12 at her home. Born on March 23, 1930, the daughter of Addison H. and Greta M. (Fiske) Wilson, she was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1948. She went on to attend Westbrook Junior College in Portland, Maine, where she graduated in 1950 with an associate's degree in secretarial science. She was employed in the business office at the Brattleboro Reformer from 1950 to 1967. She was a dedicated member of the Girl Scouts of America for 60 years and was active in councils in Florida, Texas, Washington State, and Vermont. She served as president of the Friends of the Library and library volunteer in Bay City, Texas. A member of All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church in Brattleboro, she served for 18 years in the capacity of convenor of the building and grounds committee. She served as a volunteer at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital coffee shop. She was an avid gardener who enjoyed knitting and needlework. She loved traveling and meeting new people along the routes of her many bicycle, hiking and camping trips. She was a faithful communicator who wrote beautiful letters to people she had met around the country and the world. She loved the home she and her husband, Hank, built together, facilitating many gatherings there of neighbors and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Henry Lawrence “Hank” Smith, and her sister, Dorothea Joan Wilson Kelso. She is survived by her brother, Arnold and his wife, Christine; and three nephews. Memorial information: A remembrance of her life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the All Souls Unitarian-Universalist Church in Brattleboro, time to be determined. Doantions to the Remembrance Fund, All Souls U.U. Church, P.O. Box 2297, West Brattleboro, VT 05303 or to The Nature Conservancy, Vermont Field Office, 27 State St., Montpelier, VT 05602. To leave messages of condolence for the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.