Obituaries
• Katherine Apostoles, 92, of Clearwater, Fla., and formerly of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 2, 2018 at Belleair Health Care Center in Clearwater, following a brief illness. Born in Boston on May 22, 1926, the daughter of Peter and Maria (Benos) Carangias, she resided in Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, and Miami as a youth. She graduated from West Philadelphia (Pa.) High School, Class of 1944. In 1947 she married George Apostoles in Brattleboro. The majority of Katherine's employment years were spent with New England Telephone and AT&T. Following many years of service, she retired from the telephone company in 1978. Katherine loved adventure, people, animals, music, her independence, and traveling. Her favorite travel destination was the Caribbean, and she enjoyed reminiscing about her travels there. She often expressed much gratitude for being able to travel when she had the opportunity to do so. Remarkably, Katherine lived independently until shortly before her passing. She is survived by her three children and their spouses: Peter Apostoles (and Cindy), John Apostoles (and Sandra), and Maria Apostoles (and Keith Hinrichsen). She is survived by her grandchildren Nicholas, Alicia, Jonathan, and great-granddaughter Ivy. A twin brother predeceased her at birth. Memorial information: An Orthodox Christian funeral service was held Nov. 12 at Atamaniuk Funeral Home in Brattleboro, with burial in the Apostoles family lot at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro.
• Linda (Houghton) (Wessel) Arsenault, 69, formerly of Brattleboro. Died unexpectedly from complications of a stroke on Oct. 13, 2018 in Fort Myers, Fla. Born in Brattleboro on Aug. 22, 1949 to John and Mildred (Mortimer) Houghton, she was the third of four siblings, including Ruth, George, and BettyAnn. She attended schools in Dummerston and Brattleboro. In 1966, Linda married her high school sweetheart, Bill Wessel. They had two children, and later divorced. While in New England, Linda worked many places, most memorable of which were The Vermonter Candy in Putney and Chittenden Trust Company in Bennington, VT. There, she met her second husband, Larry Arsenault, and married in 1979. Prior to moving to St. James City, Fla., Linda also lived in Williamstown, Mass., and Stonington, Conn. In Florida, she worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier since 2005, driving her signature purple mail Jeep. At Christmastime, she was often seen wearing a Mrs. Santa outfit at work! She was also well known to her friends, neighbors and postal patrons for her daily running, riding her purple bicycle, and kayaking. An active member of the American Legion Post 136 and the Ladies Auxiliary, Linda was also a member of the VFW Post 4353 Ladies Auxiliary of Pine Island, and the Women of the Moose, Pine Island Chapter #1843. An organ donor, Linda's corneas were able to be saved in the hopes of being matched to a candidate in need. She is survived by her son, Eric Wessel of Walpole, N.H., and daughter, Tami Wessel and husband Burr Sniffen of Amsterdam, N.Y.; granddaughters Alicia and Trixie; and great-granddaughter Bexley. She is also survived by two sisters, BettyAnn and her husband, Robert Hayden, of Westfield, Mass., and Ruth and her husband, Merrill Barton, of Dummerston; many nieces and nephews; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by Larry Arsenault, both her parents, John and Mildred Houghton, her brother George Houghton and her sister-in-law Donna Houghton. Memorial information: A celebration of Linda and all things purple will be held at the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center on Sunday, Nov. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. Linda would ask you to celebrate and remember all the laughs you had together.
• Arthur D. “Art” Campbell Jr., 68, of Keene, N.H., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 1, 2018 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, following a period of declining health. Born in Brattleboro on March 17, 1950, the son of Arthur and Nancy (Benjamin) Campbell, he attended St. Michael's Parochial School and was a graduate of St. Michael's High School, Class of 1968. He went on to proudly serve his country in the Army during the Vietnam War. Following his honorable discharge from active service, he returned home and started his apprenticeship to become an electrician. A licensed electrician, he owned and operated his own contracting business, Arthur D. Campbell Electric, based in Newfane and Brattleboro. Prior to establishing his own business, he had been employed at A.L. Tyler & Sons and Dompier Electric in Brattleboro. Art enjoyed riding his Harley, golfing, and playing softball. He was active for several years with the Greater Brattleboro Men's Softball League and a member of several teams that were state champions. He also enjoyed spectator sports and was an avid Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, and Boston Celtics fan. Survivors include his three daughters, Rachel Jones, Sarah Campbell, and Hannah Sweeney; two sisters, Susan Campbell and Nancy Kerylow and her husband, Jeffrey, of Brattleboro; two brothers, Christopher Campbell and his wife, Alyson, of East Dennis, Mass., and Mark Campbell of Brattleboro; four grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and a sister, Mary Eva Campbell. Memorial information: A celebration of his life, followed by a luncheon, will be held at the B.P.O. Elks Home on Putney Road on Saturday, Dec. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. Burial with full military honors in the Campbell family lot in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery will be held at a later date. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book with messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Eugenia G. “Jeanne” Cross, 88, of Wilmington. Died unexpectedly on Nov. 3, 2018 in Keene, N.H. The daughter of the late Leo and Irene (Soltys) Rubazewicz , she was born in Rego Park, Queens, N.Y., on April 12, 1930. She graduated from Forest Hills High School and then went to work on Wall Street in investment banking. She later worked in finance in Brattleboro and Lackeys' Garage in Wilmington. She retired from G. S. Precision in Wilmington. Jeanne was a strong woman who enjoyed her family immensely, She was devoted to her Catholic faith and enjoyed shopping, visiting the ocean and camping with her family. She leaves three daughters: Deborah Cross and Kevin Robinson of Stratton, Donna and Mark Yule of Wilmington and Amanda Cross and Kevin Butler of Whitingham; a son, Randolph Cross and Nancy Hofer of West Glover; beloved daughter in law Sally Cross of Brattleboro; eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband, Myron Cross, in 2005; her sons, Michael and Stephen; and her sister, Rose-Marie Fabian. Memorial information: Graveside funeral services were held Nov. 8 at Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington. Donations to Windham County Humane Society or Deerfield Valley Rescue in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Jackson C. Emery, 92, of Vernon. Died Nov. 10, 2018 at the Vernon Green Nursing Home. Born in Brattleboro, Vt. on July 6, 1926, the son of Clinton and Martha (Jackson) Emery, he was educated in Brattleboro schools and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School. He was very proud of serving in the Army Air Force during World War II. In 1951, he married his first wife Mary “Tootsie” Nesbitt, who predeceased him in 1973. He married his second wife, Sandy Calouri, in 1974. Sandy predeceased him in 2013. He worked as an operator for New England Power Co. for 40 years, retiring in 1988. He was a charter member of the Vernon Volunteer Fire Dept. and was also a member of American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro. When his children were young, he coached Little League in Vernon. He prided himself in canning hot peppers. He was an avid fisherman, hunter, and gardener, and was considered a very good cook. He was passionate about his Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. He is survived by his children, David and his wife, Shirley, of Brattleboro, and Douglas and his wife, Brenda, of Vernon, and Jackson P. and his wife, Carlene, of Buzzards Bay, Mass. He is also survived by his stepson, Robert McAuliffe and his wife, Stella of Lowell, Mass.; stepchildren Terri Barrett and her husband Will of Brattleboro, Donnell Moore of Peterborough, N.H., Michael Grimes and his partner, Michael, of Brattleboro, and Jeffery Moore of Venice, Fla.; his sister, Barbara Mosley of Vernon; and 19 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a stepson, Paul C. McAuliffe. Memorial information: A graveside service with full military honors will be held in Tyler Cemetery in Vernon on Friday Nov. 16, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street. There are no calling hours. Donations to the Red Knights Firefighters Motorcycle Club, Vermont Chapter 2, P.O Box 8032, Brattleboro, Vt. 05304. These donations will go towards the purchase of gas cards for oncology patients. Kidder Funeral Home of Northfield, Mass., is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences, visit www.kidderfuneralhome.com.
• Robert L.“Bob” Greene, 90, of Wilmington. Died at his home on Nov. 4, 2018. The son of Merrill and Florence (Wood) Greene, he was born in Brattleboro on February 24, 1928. Bob grew up in Wilmington where he graduated from Wilmington High School, Class of 1946. His father established Greene's Service Center, a fixture in Wilmington where Bob began his career in the automotive repair business. He purchased the business in 1963, and operated it until his son John purchased the business. He married Evelyn S. Canedy in 1946. Bob was a longtime member, Past Master and Treasurer of Social Lodge #38 F&AM in Wilmington. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling, and producing maple syrup. He leaves his wife Evelyn, of Wilmington; sons Robert Greene of Bennington, John Greene of Wilmington, and Peter Greene of Williamsville, daughter Susan Cann of Allenstown, N.H.; three sisters: Mary Sabey of Seattle, Wash., Polly Qua of Valatie, N.Y., and Carol West of Great Barrington, Mass.; 10 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, two great-great- grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his son, Joel. Memorial information: The family will honor his memory and life in private. Memorial gifts may be made to Social Lodge #38 F&AM in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Dorothy “Dot” Hogan, 83, of Westminster. Died Oct. 21, 2018, after several months of declining health. She is survived by her four sons and their three spouses (all surnamed Wickberg from her first marriage), Richard, of Carmichael, Calif., Robert and Lynn, of Westminster, Russell and Britt-Marie, of Hullaryd, Aneby, Sweden, and Charles and Jennifer, of Cottonwood, Calif.; five grandchildren and a sister, Shirley Skow, of Shrewsbury, Mass. Born on Jan. 29, 1935 in Boston to Florence and E. Russell Crane, she spent most of her childhood in Newton, moving with her family during high school to Dedham, Mass. There, she met her future husband, Bertil F. “Bert” Wickberg. She graduated from Dedham High in 1953. She trained and worked as a dental assistant, marrying Bert when he graduated college in 1956. They settled briefly in Springfield and Chester, Vt., before purchasing a home in Athens in 1960. Dot settled in to raise four boys and was active in the Ladies Aid Society, the PTA, and especially the Athens Methodist (later Community Christian) Church. A generation of Athens and Cambridgeport children will remember her leading song time during Sunday School. She served the town of Athens as town clerk, treasurer, and lister and/or auditor almost continuously for the next five decades. She took on part-time work outside the home to supplement family income from time to time, and returned to full-time work in 1976 for Gerry's IGA, later Buffums, supermarket in Bellows Falls, running the cash register and then serving as office manager. She worked there until her retirement in 2000. Bert's health and business suffered greatly in the latter part of the 1970s, and the strain took a heavy toll on their relationship. They separated in 1978, and divorced in 1982. Bert died in 1983. Dot got to know a great many residents of Bellows Falls during her tenure at Gerrys/Buffums, including one she took a particular liking to, William Ernest Hogan (“Bill” to his family of origin, “Ernie” to friends and other acquaintances). They married in 1987. They lived for a time in Dot's house in Athens, but Ernie preferred town life to the country, so he bought a house on Kissell Hill in Westminster, and they moved there, where they lived until Ernie's death in March 2016. Dot continued to live there until declining health forced a move to more supportive facilities in the spring of this year. Following Dot's retirement in 2000, Dot and Ernie were very active in the Senior Center in Bellows Falls, for years each driving separate routes for Meals on Wheels five days a week, and Dot serving as the Senior Center's treasurer. They won several awards for their volunteer spirit, including one certificate presented by the Governor at a reception in Montpelier. Dot will be remembered for her strong faith and work ethic, her fierce loyalty to the people and causes she favored, her love for family, especially her grandchildren, the way she loved to play cards (and loved to win!), and her devotion to (and frequent exasperation with) the Boston Red Sox. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Memorial information: Calling hours will be at Fenton and Hennessy Funeral Home in Bellows Falls on Nov. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held Nov. 20, at 11 a.m., at the Community Christian Church in Athens. All are invited to join her family at the reception to follow.
• Robert Merz, 92, of Westmoreland, N.H. Died Oct. 25, 2018 at the Maplewood Nursing Home where he was a resident since December 2016. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., on Jan. 23, 1926, the son of Louis and Dorothy Merz, he was raised in the Bronx where he attended public schools. He went on to serve his country in the Navy during World War II, stationed on board the USS Randall, a troop ship stationed in the Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged from active service on March 14, 1946 at the rank of Radioman Third Class. He married Marylouise Graham in 1947 in the Bronx. Upon returning home after the war, he attended a photo engraving school in New York City and followed in his father's footsteps to become a photoengraver working for Knapp's Photo Engraving Company. He worked on several large magazines, including Life and Look, and later continued his career as an engraver after moving to Connecticut in 1964 where he worked at Wilbar Engraving in Darien for several years. Following his retirement from the engraving business, he and his wife moved to Dalton, N.H., and the White Mountains, where he worked as a bartender at the Mountain View House and The Sunset Hill House. He also taught golf and tennis, which he dearly loved. He and his wife, who also worked at the resort as a floral designer, would go back and forth to Florida in the winter where they worked at the Clearwater Beach Hotel. Marylouise predeceased her husband in 1997. Bob also loved oil painting and had several art exhibits of his works, including an exhibit at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro at age 84. He also was very active in promoting peace and attended many rallies in Brattleboro, as well as writing articles for the local newspapers. Survivors include his daughter, Cathy Nilsen of Spofford, N.H., and her husband Kim; daughter Deborah of Danbury, Conn.; two sons, Larry Merz of Weston, Conn., and Robert Merz of Baltimore, Md.; one sister, Dorothy Letuzia of Long Island, N.Y.; two granddaughters and one great granddaughter. Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, there will be no formal funeral services scheduled. He will be laid to rest next to his wife in Lake View Memorial Park, Maryland. To sign an online register book with messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• William R. Peeso, 66, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 3, 2018. Born Oct. 28, 1952 in Bellows Falls, the son of Francis and Ralph Peeso, he attended school in Bellows Falls and was employed at Cersosimo Lumber Co. in Vernon for many years. He was a private person, but loved to hunt and fish. He was predeceased by his parents and sister Mary, and nephew Shane Wetherby. He is survived by siblings Donna Corliss (Norman), Linda Sanderson, Gail Houle (Dean), Sandy Houle (Patrick), Helmer Peeso (Suzanne); brother-in-law Arnold Wetherby; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial information: None provided.
• Janet Elaine Wells (née Rosenthal), 90, was born in Punxsutawney, Pa., in 1928, and ended her life peacefully in the presence of family at her beloved home in Putney on October 27, 2018. She would tell all who knew her (and many who didn't) that she spent most of her life in two towns that both began with “P-U” and ended in “N-E-Y”. She shared endless stories of her vibrant, precocious childhood on a Pennsylvania block in post-war America, opening a vivid window into a different time. She began her undergraduate degree at the young age of 16 at Case Western Reserve University, after which she moved to New York and completed her Masters degree at Teachers College at Columbia University. Janet studied with Isabelle Vengerova and Nadia Reisenberg in New York and would later hold affiliations with the Julius Hartt School of Music, Windham College, and the Brattleboro School of Music. Janet's life was devoted to her prodigal gift of classical piano, which she excelled in since starting at the age of 5, and her beloved husband, David Wells (1927-2012). Her other loves were based in this union: her two sons, her three grandchildren, her home in Putney, and her slew of cocker spaniels. After moving to Putney in 1968, Janet and David started the Yellow Barn in 1969, a source of great joy for them both for many years. Janet was lucky to have cultivated long-lasting, deep friendships over several decades in her beloved Putney community, many of whom were able to visit her in the last days and weeks. The legacy of Janet and David Wells lives on through The Yellow Barn, their son Dana, their three grandchildren Nikolai, Kira, and Louisa, and the loving memories held by every musician and friend who experienced their magnanimous presence and friendship. Memorial information: A celebration of Janet's life is planned for either late spring or early summer of 2019 at the Wells' beloved barn in Putney. Donations may be made in her name to Yellow Barn, P.O. Box 507 Putney VT 05346. Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro is handling the funeral arrangements.