Obituaries
• William Martin “Bill” Aiken, 92, of Putney, died Dec. 26, 2017, at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Linda Aiken, following a battle with cancer.
He was born at home in Westminster on Aug. 7, 1925, the son of Guy and Villa (Cater) Aiken. He attended Westminster schools through the eighth grade, dropping out to go to work to help support his family. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II, stationed in the European Theater of Operations in Great Britain.
He worked as a heavy equipment operator for the Dummerston Highway Department, retiring in 1990. Previously, he worked for the Putney Highway Department and, for many years, for Green Mountain Orchards in Putney.
In his early years, he assisted with the day-to-day operation of the family farm.
He was a member of the Putney Volunteer Fire Department for more than 30 years.
“He was a devoted family man and cherished time spent with his family. An ardent outdoorsman, he enjoyed haying, cutting firewood, puttering around his home, and operating one of his prize possessions - a 1957 Ford Major tractor that was purchased new by his family 60 years ago. He was also an avid NASCAR fan,” his family writes.
In 1952, he married Mary Elsie Blood, who survives. He leaves four sons: Leonard Aiken and his wife, Jeri, of Pawleys Island, S.C.; Roger Aiken and wife, Linda, of Putney; and Bruce Aiken and William Aiken, also of Putney. He leaves two brothers, Delbert Aiken of Springfield, Vt., and Henry Aiken of Buffalo, N.Y. He also leaves four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Five brothers - Lyle, Roy, Wallace, Robert, and Lee Aiken - died earlier.
Memorial information : Graveside committal services with full military honors will be conducted in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Putney in the springtime when the cemetery reopens, along with a memorial gathering. Donations to the Putney Volunteer Fire Department, 14 Main St., Putney, VT 05346.
To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• David Baldwin D.V.M., 93, of Silver Springs, Fla., formerly of Dummerston, died Dec. 5, 2017.
He was born Jan. 18, 1924, in New Haven, Conn., to Harrison and Mary Baldwin, and he spent many of his formative years with relatives in Delaware, where he developed an interest in veterinary medicine, and at age 15, performed his first surgery: de-scenting a skunk for a pet.
After high school, he enlisted in the 10th Mountain Infantry Division and trained with the “ski troops” for a winter season. With the arrival of D-Day, he was shipped, with 10,000 other infantry-trained soldiers, to England to join the Army's 69th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Bulge.
After fighting across Germany, his unit met up with the Russians, and he spent a year in the army of occupation.
Returning to University of Connecticut to finish his undergraduate degree in 1946, he began dating Phyllis Black, and in 1947, they married and landed in Philadelphia - Phyllis for occupational therapy training school and Dave to enter Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon graduation, the couple settled in Dummerston, where they established the Vermont-New Hampshire Veterinary Clinic. During these years, they raised two boys and two girls, along with numerous foster children.
While in Vermont from 1951 to 1981, he served on the local school board, as an elder in church, and as a member of the Gideons and the Brattleboro Rotary Club, where he served as president in 1963.
He was also active as a teacher at Windham College in Putney, a ski instructor, president of the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, a state representative to the American Veterinary Medical Association, and as Justice of the Peace.
In 1982, he sold the veterinary practice and moved to Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI), where he served as veterinary officer for the Department of Agriculture for two years and established the Cane Garden Bay Veterinary Clinic.
In the BVI, he continued to be very active in Rotary with the Rotary Club of Tortola, where both he and Phyllis were honored as Paul Harris Fellows.
In 1985, the couple established Agape Cottages in Cane Garden Bay as a modest bed-and-breakfast, which expanded over the next 30 years into an eight-cottage vacation rental property. They delighted in starting many community activities.
In 2000, daughter Donna and her husband, Tom Abraira, took over the running of Agape Cottages so Dave and Phyllis could enjoy more worldwide travel.
After Phyllis's death in 2002, Dave Baldwin could be found guiding archery hunters in Montana with son Jay, visiting his missionary daughter Diane and her husband, Jon, in Kyrgyzstan, and helping his son Scott and his wife Kate build a dock on Lake Champlain.
In 2007, Dave bought property in Silver Springs, Fla., and quickly settled into a variety of local activities. He married Catherine Swain in 2011.
He is also survived by his sisters, Marjorie Godwin and Eleanor Higgins, of Phoenix, Ariz. and daughters-in-law Sandra Baldwin of Wasilla, Alaska, and Sally Perry of Dummerston. His life is also celebrated by his 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
Memorial information: A military committal service will be held at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla., on Jan. 19. Donations to the Rotary Club of Tortola Relief Fund will help restore and equip the Ivan Dawson Primary School in Cane Garden Bay, still devastated from the effects of hurricanes Irma and Maria. Contributions should be mailed to Lynette Harrigan, in care of the BVI Tourist Board, 1 West 34th St., New York, NY 10001.
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• Martha Ann Hastings Barnard, 89, of Brattleboro. Died Dec. 25, 2017 at Vernon Green Nursing Home.
Born in Topeka, Kan., on March 29, 1928, the daughter of Clyde and Martha Ella (Nelson) Hastings, she was raised and educated in Santa Ana, Calif., graduating from Santa Ana High School.
In 1946, she married Earle Ayer Barnard Jr., who died in 1996.
She was the lunch program manager for the Hinsdale (N.H.) School District from 1981 until her retirement in 1994. Previously, she worked with her husband at the former Television Vermont in Brattleboro for several years and, during her younger years, worked on the family farm.
Her relatives describe her as “a devoted homemaker whose life centered around her family.” They describe her as an avid reader who enjoyed sewing, gardening, and camping.
She was a member of First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro and was active with several committees within the church. She also held membership years ago in the former Dennis Rebekah Lodge #1 in Brattleboro.
For more than 20 years, she was an active volunteer at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital in the transportation department, a position she found thoroughly rewarding.
Survivors include two daughters, Susan B. Pelloni and her husband, Greg, of Hinsdale and Wendy Barnard of Brattleboro; four sons, Earle E. Barnard and his wife, Brenda, of Williamston, N.C., Paul H. Barnard and his wife, Rebecca, of Hinsdale; Gary L. Barnard and his wife, Carrie, of Swanzey, N.H., and Edwin C. Barnard and his wife, Kathy, of Mission, Texas; one brother, David Hastings and his wife, Carolyn, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial information: A funeral service was held Dec. 30 at First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro. Burial in Sunny Plain Cemetery in Sutton, N.H., will take place in the spring. Donations to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, 17 Belmont Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• Kathleen J. “Judy” Bell, 79, of Guilford, died Dec. 14, 2017 at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro, following a period of declining health.
Born in Ashuelot, N.H., on February 22, 1938, the daughter of Walter R. and Alta H. (Graham) Smart, she attended schools in Winchester, N.H., and was a graduate of Thayer High School. In 1956, she married Alden A. Bell, who died in 2006.
She worked for more than 20 years at the former Book Press in Brattleboro. For a number of years, she lived with her husband on a dairy farm in Pharsalia, N.Y., and volunteered to assist disabled people in Norwich, N.Y.
She was a member of the West Brattleboro Baptist Church, and over the years held membership in the Broad Brook Grange in Guilford and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Auxiliary, Brattleboro Aerie #2445.
She enjoyed bird watching, crocheting, reading, and puzzles.
A son, Robert F. Bell, died earlier.
Kathleen Bell leaves a sister, Ramona Hudson, and four brothers, Walter, Albert, Stanley, and Marvin Smart. Survivors also include three sons: Peter A. Bell, of Anaconda, Mont., Alden A. Bell Jr. and his girlfriend, Kathy Kidd Rink, of South Plymouth, N.Y., and Russell A. Bell and his fiancée, Cindy Molitoris of Guilford.
She also leaves a sister, Geraldine McCullock of Dummerston; two daughters-in- law, Holly Davidson of Pharsalia, N.Y., and Carolyn Bell of Billerica, Mass.; and seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Memorial information: A memorial service in celebration of her life will be conducted on July 21, 2018, during the weekend of the annual Bell family reunion, details to be announced at a later date. Donations to the Guilford Free Public Library, 4024 Guilford Center Rd., Guilford, VT 05301. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• Hugh “Hug” James Bronson, 90, of Vernon, formerly of Brattleboro, died Dec. 24, 2017 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following a period of declining health.
Born in New Haven, Conn., on June 21, 1927, the son of Henry G. and Maude K. (McGowan) Bronson, he was raised and educated in New Haven and Chicopee, Mass., graduating in 1945 from Chicopee High School.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
In 1949, he married Iris Lee Allen, who died in 2015.
A former resident of Andover, Mass., he moved to Brattleboro in 1969. An independent licensed real estate agent, he owned and operated Hugh Bronson Realty. For several years, he worked with his brother-in-law in the real estate business, Don Long Real Estate, in Brattleboro.
Previously, he worked in his family's automobile business, Bronson Chevrolet in Lawrence, Mass., and also an auto dealership owned by his family in Chicopee.
He served as a member of the Brattleboro Selectboard for 12 years, including several terms as chairman. For many years, he was an active member of Rescue Inc. and was a certified Vermont emergency medical technician.
He was a past member of the Brattleboro Rotary Club and the Brattleboro Country Club, and was a communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church.
“He enjoyed golf and fishing, and loved his two favorite foods, lobsters and chocolate. He also collected stamps for many years. An avid Red Sox and Patriots fan, he also enjoyed watching local sports teams,” his family writes.
Survivors include one son, Keith Bronson of Whitingham; three daughters, Kathy Welch of South Royalton, Marsha Froburg of Haverhill, Mass., and Kimberly Gauthier of Lynchburg, Va.; and nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
His brother, Henry G. Bronson Jr., died earlier.
Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, burial in Jacksonville Village Cemetery will be private for the immediate family. Donations to Vernon Hall Activities Fund, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354, or to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• John Francis “Jack” Fitzgerald Jr., 97, of West Brattleboro, died Dec. 24 at Thompson House, where he had been a resident since November.
Born in Brattleboro on July 5, 1920, the son of John and Marion (Denning) Fitzgerald, he was raised and educated in Brattleboro and graduated from St. Michael's High School with honors. He excelled in baseball and basketball.
During these years, he worked for his father, who owned the Brattleboro Drug Co. He attended Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass., where he received a bachelor's degree in business.
He served in the Army during World War II in the 456th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, and he saw combat in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. In 1945, he returned home to begin his long career as a licensed insurance agent for John Hancock, whom he worked for until his retirement.
In 1947, he married Rosalee Smith, and they were married until her death last March.
After college, Jack Fitzgerald “spent the rest of his life deeply rooted in his love of Holy Cross, taking many trips to attend alumni events and to see games, especially football, a tradition he shared with many notable local sports enthusiasts,” his family writes.
“He played several recreational sports for many years and was a ranked table tennis player in New England, winning many tournaments. He was also a part of the original Brattleboro Maples baseball team, serving as its business manager.
“For more than 40 years, he enjoyed daily coffee outings with several of his close friends in various local downtown establishments.
“He was a lifelong avid reader and, other than his love of family, his greatest devotion was to the Roman Catholic Church.”
He is survived by his daughter Sharon (Peter Leavens) of Newark, Del., Janet (Peter Stern) of Garberville, Calif., and Dennis (Maria) of Brattleboro; three grandchildren, a great-grandson, and five nieces.
His sisters Ann and Claire, and son, Kevin, died earlier.
Memorial information: A funeral Mass will be held at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro later in the spring, with burial in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to St. Michael's School, 45 Walnut St., Brattleboro VT 05301, Attn. Elaine Beam, principal. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• Warren I. “Pinky” Green, 91, of Brattleboro, died Dec. 14, 2017 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following a period of declining health.
Born in Oxford, Mass., on June 19, 1926, the son of Cyrus and Katherine (Weidlich) Green, he was raised and educated in Brattleboro and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School.
He served in the Army during World War II in the 141st Infantry Regiment in the European Theater of Operations. He was discharged from active service in 1946.
He owned and operated Lawton Flooring from 1950 to 1978 and Best Muffler & Auto Care Center until 1986.
He was a member of Brattleboro Lodge #102 F&AM, a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason, a member of Cairo Shrine Temple of Rutland, and was a life member of the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge 1499. Additionally, he held membership in American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro.
In 1949, he married Marion Whipple, who died in 2016.
Survivors include two sisters, Fannie Speno of Brattleboro and Viola Williams of Centralia, Wash., and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A brother, George Green, and three sisters, Winifred Andrews, Alma VanWorner, and Katherine LaPalme, died earlier.
Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, graveside committal services were conducted Dec. 19, 2017 at the Green family lot in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery, where he was laid to rest next to his wife. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• Rose “Tiny” Juaire, 65, of Putney, died Nov. 28, 2017, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a period of declining health. Having fought pulmonary fibrosis for several years, she succumbed after several pneumonia infections.
“She died with grace, strength, and resilience - just as she lived,” her family writes.
She was born March 29, 1952. After having been raised and educated in Brattleboro, she was employed at several area businesses, before working for many years as an restorative nurse assistant at the Brattleboro Retreat and at Vernon Green and Maplewood nursing homes.
“She greatly enjoyed her grandchildren and her dog, as well as crocheting and visiting with family and friends,” her family writes.
Her biological parents, Patrick and Virginia McCullough; her adopted parents, Casper and Luna Wilkins; and her brother Merlin “Tracy” Wilkins all died earlier.
In addition to her husband of 25 years, Joseph Juaire, she is survived by her children: Ginger Cavanagh of Saxtons River and Frank Wilkins of Turners Falls, Mass.. She leaves a stepdaughter, Noela, and her husband, Mike Sullivan, of Guilford; siblings Sandy Wofford of Modesto, Calif. and Lucy Smart of Rochester, N.H.; and seven grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial information : A memorial service was held on Dec. 28, 2017 in the chapel at All Soul's Church in West Brattleboro. She will be buried in North (Hunt) Cemetery in Vernon.
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• Paul David Pinger, 67, of Brattleboro, died unexpectedly on Dec. 21, 2017 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital following a brief illness.
Born in Brattleboro on June 1, 1950, the son of Sophie (Bobee) and Roger Pinger Sr., he attended St. Michael's Parochial School and St. Michael's High School until its closing in 1968. He graduated in 1969 from Brattleboro Union High School.
He had been employed most of his working career in warehouse shipping and receiving for several businesses in the greater Brattleboro area.
He enjoyed collecting stamps and time shared with his family.
On July 4, 1987, he married Sandra “Sandy” Tatro, who survives.
He is also survived by two sons: Jonathan Pinger, a student at Norwich University, and James Pinger of Brattleboro. He leaves two brothers, Joseph “Tom” Pinger of San Bernardino, Calif., and Andrew Pinger of Brattleboro; one sister, Kathy Sousy, of Brattleboro; a granddaughter, Ariana, of Putney, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Stephen Pinger and Roger Pinger, Jr.
Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, no formal services are scheduled. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 0530, in care of Elaine Beam, principal; or to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
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• Barbara A. “Barb” Tudda, 77, of Brattleboro, died Dec. 24, 2017 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
Born in New York City on Aug. 5, 1940, the daughter of Walter and Helen (Swain) Valenti, she was raised and educated in Queens and graduated in 1958 from Andrew Jackson High School. She attended the State University of New York in Oneonta, where she majored in elementary education.
In 1979, she moved to the area with her family. She was employed as a paraeducator at Brattleboro Union High School for 10 years and, later, at Brattleboro Area Middle School for seven years.
Previously, she worked at JCPenney in Brattleboro as a sales associate and at the former Avenue Answering Service in Brattleboro.
In 1964, she married Angelo Tudda, who died in 1997.
She was a communicant of St. Michael's Catholic Church, where she was also active with the church's Parish Prayer Group, served as a Eucharistic Minister, and taught religious education. Her family describes her as “steadfast in her walk of faith.”
She was also a volunteer at Brigid's Kitchen and at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's transportation department.
She also enjoyed reading, flower gardening, going for walks, and time shared with her family, “especially her only grandson, Jacob Angelo Scully,” her family writes.
She is survived by three sons, Dr. Christopher Tudda of Arlington, Va., Kenneth Tudda and his wife, Jeannie, of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Michael Tudda of Brattleboro; one daughter, Corinne Scully and her husband, Corey, of Vernon; one brother, Robert Valenti and his wife, MaryAnn, of Keene, N.H.; and one sister, Lorraine Costantino and her husband, Dimmy, of Live Oak, Fla.
Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Dec. 29, 2017 at St. Michael's Catholic Church. She will be laid to rest in the Tudda family lot in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery next to her husband. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, Attn: Elaine Beam, principal or to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.