College news
• Suzanne Allen of Stratton, a member of the Class of 2022 at Connecticut College in New London, Conn., has been named to the Dean's List for the fall 2018 semester.
• Benjamin Janis of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., for the fall 2018 semester.
• Nina King of Bellows Falls, who is in the hospitality and tourism management program, and Cesar Augusto Rabello Borges Filho of Brattleboro, who is in the biomedical engineering program, both made the Dean's List at Rochester (N.Y) Institute of Technology for the fall 2018 semester.
Obituaries
• Gerald “Gerry” Bittner-Taylor, 74, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Feb. 9, 2019 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H., following a period of declining health. He was born in Valparaiso, Fla., on Aug. 11, 1944 the son of Elwin and Lona (Smith) Taylor. He was raised and educated in New Haven, Conn., where he graduated from high school. He went on to serve his country in the Army and was stationed in Korea prior to his honorable discharge from active service. Gerry had been employed at the Brattleboro Retreat for more than 10 years and later worked for Code 3 Products in Brattleboro. He was a volunteer firefighter with the Hinsdale Fire Department and a former member of the Windsor Fire Department. Active fraternally, he was a member of the F&AM, Brattleboro Lodge #102 and held membership in the Brattleboro Shrine Club. Additionally, he was a member and past president of the Brattleboro Lions Club, was a member of American Legion Post 5 and VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 in Brattleboro, and held membership in the John Blake Chapter of Disabled American Veterans of Windham County. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating and riding his Harley-Davidson. In 1991, at the Guilford Fire Station, he married Linda Bittner, who survives. Besides his devoted wife of 27 years he leaves three daughters, Donna LaGrave of Wolcott, Conn., Lori Fortier of Waterbury, Conn., and Kathleen Plante of Alva, Fla.; one son, Keith Dakers of Hinsdale, a brother, Michael Taylor of New Haven, Conn.; seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, Feb. 22 at American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street from 2 to 6 p.m. Those who plan to attend are encouraged to bring a dish to share. Donations to Shiners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104. Atamaniuk Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
• Charlotte Sophia Evans, 4, of Bradford, Vt. Died unexpectedly on Feb. 10, 2019 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. She was born on Sept. 18, 2014 in Lebanon, N.H., to Richard “Rick” and Caroline E. (Curtis) Evans. “Sweet Princess” Charlotte was full of joy and happiness. She was loved by everyone who met her or those fortunate enough to see her shining smile. She loved her brothers and her cat, Monkey. She attended Caring Community Preschool in Post Mills. Among her favorite things were the colors pink and purple and owls. She enjoyed camping, skiing, and summer activities including growing vegetables and flowers, eating veggies from the garden, mowing the lawn with daddy and baking with her mama. She loved making forts and playing outside with her brothers. She loved her many friends. She is survived by her parents, Rick and Caroline Evans; her two brothers, Alexander Colton Evans and Bodhi Makena Evans; maternal grandparents, Carol and Alexander Curtis of Columbia, Md.; paternal grandparents, Linda and Gordon Evans of Dummerston; two aunts, Wendy Sanders and husband Brett Sanders of Irvine, Calif., and their daughters Gwen and Abby; and Jenny Evans and husband Justin DeSantis of San Francisco; an uncle, Matthew Curtis and wife Eileen of Castle Rock, Colo., and their children, Heidi, Greta, and Elsa; along with other cousins and family members. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Feb. 16 at Grace United Methodist Church in Bradford. Donations to Caring Community Preschool, P.O. Box 47, Post Mills, VT 05058, or Upper Valley Ambulance, 5445 Lake Morey Road, Fairlee, VT 05045.
• Brian Nelson Hanson, 70, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 6, 2019 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H., from cancer. Born Aug. 23, 1948, in Baraboo, Wis., to the late Donna Marie Nelson and Robert John Hanson, he spent most of his childhood in Claymont, Del., with siblings Robert, Barry, Sandra, and Laurie. An avid athlete in high school, Brian played both varsity basketball and baseball and swam competitively on the Radnor Green Swim Club. In 1969, he was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam, where he earned the Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and other medals. He was a proud veteran, and spent some time volunteering at a Vet Center in the 1980s. After his discharge from the Army, Brian earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Delaware. It was in Delaware that he met his wife of 45 years, Arlene (née Hash). They married in 1973, and welcomed their son Eric in 1981, and daughter Jill in 1983. Brian began his long, successful career as a fisheries biologist at Ichthyological Associates in Summit, Del. He published several academic papers in the 1970s and 1980s, and distinguished himself as a regional expert in radio telemetry. His career brought him and his family to Marlboro in 1991, when his then-employer, Normandeau Associates, moved into a new office in Westmoreland, N.H. Moving to Vermont awakened in Brian a fervent love for the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, and he enjoyed watching both teams play. Most recently, Brian enjoyed his retirement with his wife and getting to know his two grandchildren. When not spending time with his children and grandchildren, Brian enjoyed golfing with friends, playing pool at the VFW, going to monthly trivia nights with the Sunrise Rotary Club of Brattleboro, and reading. Brian was loved by many and will be greatly missed. Besides his wife, children, and grandchildren, he is survived by his four siblings, 26 nieces and nephews, and 20 great-nieces and nephews. Memorial information: Brian's wife and children will host a celebration of his life at American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro in late March. For any who would like to share remembrances, the family would be honored to read your words at www.atamaniuk.com on Brian's obituary page.
• John I. “Jack” Hinckley, 75, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 31, 2019, following a month of declining health. Born in Brattleboro on Feb. 1, 1944, he grew up in several towns throughout the Northeast. and spent many joyous summers at the family cottage on Spofford Lake. He attended Vermont Academy in Saxtons River and McGill University in Montreal. He served in the New Hampshire National Guard, and then in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. He enjoyed reading, jazz and traveling in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. One of his most memorable, and sometimes harrowing, experiences was a solo cross-country trip on his Honda motorcycle in 1971 from New Hampshire to California. He was a talented craftsman and builder across many diverse fields of endeavor. His first business venture was the Hinckley Foundry in Newmarket, N.H., where he cast and assembled the Hinckley Shaker Box Wood Stove and the Hinckley Super Heater. He reveled in the process as much as the product and always had a project going, An avid sailor, he built his own 20-foot Cat Catch and 26-foot Sharpie. The Sharpie was brought to Marathon Key in Florida in 1976. Jack had many tales of the times that he spent sailing in those gorgeous but frequently unpredictable waters. He returned to New Hampshire where he met his wife, Jeanne, in 1983. They eventually settled in Eden, Florida. He worked as a Master Scenic Carpenter for Jupiter Scenic in Jupiter, Fla., for more than 24 years building sets, props, and displays for museums and trade shows and all things theatrical including the opera, ballet, plays, television, and movies. While in Eden, Jack's most special boat project was a 25-foot fiberglass lime green electric launch that he completed in 2011. He was a volunteer for the U.S. Sailing Center in Jensen Beach, Fla. Jack returned to Brattleboro in 2014, where he started making wind sculptures for the yard and garden. The retirement hobby became a small business, “Apex Whirl Winds.” He was a member of Artrageus Artist Collective and a vendor at the Brattleboro Area Farmers' Market. He participated in a variety of festivals across Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as online venues. He was a household member of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Jeanne Lauziere; by family and friends, and by his sister, Susan Opasik and her husband David Opasik of Jensen Beach. He was predeceased by his parents, Mary Clapp Briggs and Gardner Hinckley. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held at the Living Memorial Park pavilion in Brattleboro on Saturday, May 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. Donations to Doctors Without Borders at donate.doctorswithoutborders.org.
• John Chester Kawaky, 81. Died Feb. 1, 2019 at his winter home in St. James City, Fla. He was born on Aug. 21, 1937 in Bellows Falls to Helen T. Prokulewicz and John Carroll Kawaky. He grew up in Bellows Falls and attended a post-graduate year at Vermont Academy, where he was an avid downhill skier and racer. Growing up, he was a great outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was on the ski patrol at Okemo Mountain, and was a talented musician playing trumpet, piano, and saxophone. He was also a caddy at Bellows Falls Country Club and Vermont State Champion golfer in high school and, when he attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., he was on the ski, basketball, and golf teams. After studying geology at St. Lawrence, and later attending the University of Vermont, he returned to Bellows Falls to help run his father's garage. He also served in the Vermont Air National Guard and on the Marine Patrol of the Vermont State Police on Lake Champlain. After college, he worked at National Research Corp. in Cambridge, Mass., as a mass spectrographer and acquired Connecticut Valley Orchard in Westminster West in 1960, commuting between the two. He married Elizabeth Mae Chaisson of Bellows Falls in 1965. He and Elizabeth then ran a Hereford cattle farm in Oakham, Mass., while he worked as a ceramic engineer in the Abrasives Division of Norton Company in Worcester, Mass. Always an entrepreneur, he also started and ran Northeast Abrasives, an abrasive recovery business. In 1983, they returned to Vermont and established Green Mountain Marine on the Connecticut River in Rockingham so he could enjoy being on the river with his many local friends. He still consulted for Norton Company, traveling the world and working in such places as Somalia and France. He was an amateur pilot with an instrument rating and served for many years on the board of the Westminster Institute. He was fluent in the Polish, Russian and German languages and was a gourmet cook known for his game dinners and colorful stories of his hunting expeditions and world travels. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his partner Pamela Paddock, daughter Karol, sons John and Justin, and his grandson Tristan Kawaky. Memorial information: A service in his name will be held at St. Peter's Catholic Church in North Walpole, N.H., on Saturday, March 23, at 4 p.m. Donations to St. Peter's Catholic Church.
• Dr. Joseph Ivan “Joe” Mandell, 87, of Williamsville. Died peacefully in his sleep at his home on Feb. 7, 2019, with his family by his side. Joe was born in Jersey City, N.J., raised in New York City, and moved to Vermont with his wife Phyllis, in 1958, where they owned and ran a small ski lodge in South Newfane. Joe was an elementary school teacher and principal in Dover, Vermont in the 1960s and, later, teacher and principal at Putney Central School. He served as Dean of Students at the former Windham College in the 1970s. He later served as Dean of Students in the Connecticut state college system until his retirement in 1997. Joseph was active in civic and community affairs throughout his life, and served as a Selectboard member in Newfane in his retirement. He received his B.A. from Windham College, his master's degree from New York University, and his doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. He was a talented artist, musician, and carpenter, and was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his children, Jonathan and his wife, Karen, Susan and her fiancé, Phil, Elisabeth and her husband, Tim, and Daniel and his wife Dolly; his sister, Joan; and three grandchildren and three nephews. He was a mentor to many, and loved by all who knew him. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held in late spring. Donations to the NewBrook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.
• Kathleen Kelley “Kit” McAllister, 80, of Arlington, Vt. Died Feb. 10, 2019, at her residence. Kit attended elementary school in Richmond, Mass., and graduated in 1958 from Fox Hollow School in Lenox, Mass. She was an avid gardener and perennial caregiver. In 1998, she and her second husband, Alfred McAllister, bought and operated the Arlington Manor House, a small resident care facility. The couple later converted the business into a quaint New England-style bed & breakfast, which also operated under the same name. Kit was an active member of her community. She supported local schools and their sports teams as well as civic and religious organizations. An early marriage to Robert H. Miller Jr. ended in divorce. In addition to her husband of 36 years, Alfred, she is survived by her daughters Deborah Porcarelli (Tony) and Carol Massoni (Donald); her grandson, Max Massoni; her brother, Edward Kelley; and her sister, Joan Kopperl. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 19 at the Federated Church of East Arlington. Donations to the Second Chance Animal Center, 1779 VT Route 7A, Arlington, VT 05250, or Deerfield Valley Community Cares, P.O. Box #5, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Millard Martin, 86, of Newfane. Died Feb. 6, 2019, after a period of declining health, with his daughter Susie and his granddaughter Angela by his side. He was born on July 27, 1932 to Millard Martin and Pearl Rowe. After retiring from several years at area paper mills, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and ice fishing with his son, Gary. He also enjoyed traveling, the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and going to the casino with his daughter and granddaughter. Millard is survived by his daughter, Susie Fletcher of Hinsdale, NH and Jack Ito (ie: Todd Martin) of Georgia. He is also survived by five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Millard is predeceased by his wife, Lucille Martin, and his son, Gary Martin. Memorial information: Per his wishes, there will be no services. There will be a private family burial in the spring.
• Angeline J. “A.J.” McNeil, 105. Died in Roswell, Ga., on Feb. 10, 2019. She was born Oct. 5, 1913, in Chicago to Michael and Josephine Novak. She attended business college, receiving a secretarial certificate. In 1940, she married widower Ralph McNeil and helped raise his daughter, Helena. During World War II, while her husband served at the Pentagon, she was a nurse for the Red Cross. Their only child together, Joanne, was born there. After moving to Naperville, Ill., A.J. worked in medical administration. Post-retirement, she resided for twenty years in Phoenix, then Keene, N.H., Memphis, and finally Atlanta. She is predeceased by her parents; brothers Michael, Joseph, and John; her husband and step-daughter. A.J. is survived by her daughter, Joanne McNeil Hayes of Brattleboro; granddaughter, Stefanie (and Chandler) Johnson and great-grandson, Derrick Johnson, of Marietta, Ga.; and grandson, Andrew (and Wednesday) Hayes, of Valley Glen, Calif. Additionally, she is survived by four step-grandchildren: Brenda Marcy, Judy Silvers, William Terrill and Elizabeth Whitaker, and their families. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 13 at Northside Chapel in Roswell, Ga.
• Norman A. “Bud” Stetson, 89, of Bellows Falls. Died Feb. 8, 2019 at his home. He was born in Houlton, Maine, on March 31, 1929, the son of George and Beatrice (Philbrook) Stetson. He attended school in Westminster West and worked at the paper mill in Putney and, for many years, as a roofer for Dexter Roofing. Bud was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose and a former member of the Polish American Club, both of Bellows Falls. He was predeceased by his first wife, Freida Amidon, and his second wife, Wynona Morrill. In 1990, he married Julia Mae Keck, who survives. Also surviving are his sons Norman Jr., George and his wife, Lenita, and Richard and his wife, Donna; his daughters Ada Monette and Cindy Richardson and her husband, Dennis; daughter-in-law Denise Stetson; stepson John F. Ellis and his wife, Virginia; stepdaughters Sandra Louise Sokantalie and Susan Jean Hernandez and her husband, Mario; and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. Besides his parents and first and second wives, Bud was predeceased by his son James, his brother Richard, his sisters Beatrice Shatney, Luella Rhoades, and Bessie Dunham, and his granddaughter Brandi Stetson. Memorial information: There will be a graveside service Saturday, Feb. 23, at 1 p.m., in Walpole (N.H.) Cemetery. A reception will follow the service at the Moose Family Center in Bellows Falls. Arrangements are in the care of Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home.