Transitions
• Gaurav Chawla, MD, has been appointed the new chief medical officer (CMO) at The Brattleboro Retreat. Dr. Chawla served as CMO at Providence Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke, Mass., where he has worked since 2012 in various roles including Chief of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Services. He began his official duties at the Retreat on Sept. 30. He is a certified physician executive who received his medical degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh, India. In 2001, he completed a residency program in Psychiatry at the Medical University of Ohio followed by the completion of a residency program in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Tufts New England Medical Center in 2003. Dr. Chawla resides in Longmeadow, Mass., with his wife who is also a physician specializing in cardiac anesthesiology. They have an 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son.
• Jim Picone, PA, has joined Grace Cottage Family Health as a primary care provider. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Picone received his Physician Assistant degree in 1990 at the University of Iowa. He is experienced in orthopedics, emergency and urgent care. He has worked most recently at Valley Regional Hospital Orthopedic Group in Claremont, N.H. Prior to that, he has worked at Green Mountain Orthopedic Surgery, Central Vermont Medical Center, University of Vermont Medical Center, and Clear Choice MD. Picone and his wife have relocated from Calais, Vt.
Obituaries
• Judith Ann (Botnick) “Judy” Carmody, 79, formerly of Brattleboro. Died Sept. 18, 2019 at Avenir Senior Living in Scottsdale, Ariz., after a long battle with frontotemporal dementia. She was born in Binghamton, N.Y., on Oct. 18, 1939, to Amelia Botnick and Saul Botnick. She attended local schools and then went to Abbot Academy in Andover, Mass., for high school. She spent two years at Hollins College in Roanoke, Va. Not caring for the South during the turbulent 1950s, she moved to Boston in 1959. Judy's first job was registering the runners for the Boston Marathon. She then went on to a five-year career in the financial industry as an executive assistant at Keystone Mutual Funds. Judy and John Carmody were married in 1964 and lived in the Boston area and in Aberdeen, Scotland (1968-69) until John's completion of his surgical residency at the Boston City Hospital. They relocated to Great Falls, Mont., after the birth of two daughters and a son, where John served as general surgeon at Malmstrom Air Force Base from 1972-1974. Judy and John then moved their young family to Brattleboro where, over the next 30 years, Judy ran the household, raising three children. She enriched the entire community with her tireless commitment to many endeavors, including managing the hospital gift shop and founding and running the town's summer swim team. Judy possessed many exceptional talents. Besides being a wonderful, loving mother and spouse, she excelled at skiing, golf, gourmet cooking and interior design, and she was passionate about knitting. Upon retirement, John and Judy moved to Carefree, Ariz., and then in 2013 to Scottsdale. Judy will be greatly missed by us all, but now she is resting in peace and free from a difficult disease. She is survived by her husband; daughter Courtenay Carmody and spouse Knox Todd of Mendoza, Argentina; daughter Kimberly Carmody and spouse Samantha Schutz of Kerhonkson, N.Y.; son John Bradford Carmody, his spouse Valerie Reiss and grandson, Hudson Carmody of Leeds, Mass.; brother Richard Botnick and spouse Dorothy Botnick of Moultonboro, N.H.; and many nieces, nephews and friends. Memorial information: A private ceremony is planned for October. Donations to Advanced Hospice; 2045 S Vineyard Ste 127, Mesa, AZ 85210, or Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden at dbg.org.
• The Honorable Warren Eginton, 95, of Redding Conn. Died Oct. 7, 2019 at his home at Meadow Ridge. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Feb. 16. 1924, he graduated from Loomis School in Windsor, Conn. His undergraduate years at Princeton University were interrupted in 1944 when he was commissioned at Fort Sill, Okla., and then became an armored officer at Ft. Knox, Ky. He was sent to the Philippines with the 716th Tank Battalion, and then became a war-crimes investigation officer for the trials of Japanese Generals Yamashita and Homma. While awaiting transportation back to the U.S., he was caught in a crossfire involving Filipino Constabulary and Japanese prisoners, so his return was delayed by six months for hospital convalescence. He arrived back in Princeton in the fall of 1946 and received a degree from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton in 1948. He then attended Yale Law School and, upon graduation in 1951, spent brief periods with the New York law firms of Donovan, Leisure and Davis Polk, after which he became a partner of Cummings & Lockwood in Stamford, Conn., and then a U.S. District Judge in Bridgeport, Conn., where he served as an active and, later, senior judge until his death. For two decades, he visited Arizona and New Mexico for an annual stint as a visiting judge. He was the longest-serving federal judge in the history of the U.S. Courts in the District of Connecticut. He served on many boards, including the Leadership Development Council, which sponsored the annual Medina Seminar at Princeton, the Hilla von Rebay Foundation, and Pine Island Camp in Belgrade, Maine. In 1951, he married the former Marjorie Barr, who predeceased him after 40 years of marriage. He later married the former Mary Leonard, who died in 2013. He is survived by his daughter, Andrea Seaton and her husband Mike of East Dover; his son, John Eginton and his partner Patrice Beck of Mystic, Conn., and his granddaughters Katherine Seaton of Durham, N.C. and Sarah Seaton of Fort Myers, Fla. Memorial information: Gifts in his memory may be made to Grace Cottage Hospital, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353.
• Rufus “John” Morse, 78, of Orlando, Fla., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Sept. 28, 2019 at Select Hospital in Orlando, following a period of failing health. John was born in Bethel, Vermont on Aug. 5, 1941, the son of John and Phyllis (Dumas) Morse. He was raised and educated in Claremont, N.H., where he graduated from Stevens High School. He went on to proudly serve his country in the Navy, enlisting in 1958 and was honorably discharged from active service in 1962. A resident of Orlando for more than 40 years, he had been employed by Samflax Art & Design, which he retired from in 2004 following 17 years with the company. While a resident in Brattleboro he drove a cab for the former “The Other Taxi Service” of West Brattleboro and worked as a nurse's aide at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. John loved music, was an accomplished vocalist, and played in several area Country & Western bands as lead singer in Brattleboro, the Boston area, and in Orlando. He was a member of American Legion Post 5 and a lifetime member of VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034. In 1974, he married Ruth Agnes Reynolds, who survives. Besides his faithful and devoted wife of 45 years, he leaves a stepson, Michael Payne of Lawrence, Mass.; two granddaughters, Rebecca Bustillos of Northfield, Mass., and Amanda Cooke of Hinsdale, N.H.; one grandson, Bruce Thomas; and a special cousin, Frank Farnsworth of Saxtons River. Additionally, he leaves five great-grandsons, one great-great grandson and several nieces, nephews and cousins. John was predeceased by a stepdaughter, Nancy Bustillos and a grandson, Justin Bustillos. Memorial information: A Liturgy of the Word service will be conducted at Atamaniuk Funeral Home on Walnut Street on Saturday, Oct. 19 at noon with Fr. Justin Baker, pastor of St. Michael's Catholic Church, officiating. Committal rites and burial with full military honors will follow in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Alice M. Powers, 102, of Bellows Falls. Died peacefully on October 2, 2019. She was born Alexandra Maria Woynar on Feb. 26, 1917, in Bellows Falls, the daughter of Andrew and Bernice (Niemczura) Woynar. A 1935 graduate of Bellows Falls High School, Mrs. Powers worked as a telephone operator in Bellows Falls for five years. On Oct. 27, 1941, she married Dr. Michael F. Powers. Dr. Powers predeceased her in January 1976. Survivors include three sons: Peter A. Powers and his wife, Jane, of North Walpole, N.H.; Timothy M. Powers and his wife, Nancy, of Bellows Falls; Michael D. Powers of Walpole, N.H.; and three daughters: Michele M. Koson and her husband, Peter, of Alstead, N.H., Jane M. Steuwe and her husband, David, of Rockingham, and Mary A. Powers of Bellows Falls. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two brothers, Bernard and Stephen Woynar, and two sisters, Stella Belaski and Adeline Woynar. Mrs. Powers belonged to the Bellows Falls Woman's Club for many years, performed in several of the Club's skits or plays, and was a charter member of the Bellows Falls Historical Society. She also assisted various school and civic organizations as her children were growing up. She was a parishioner of St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, member of the Catholic Daughters, and a choir member. Dedicated to her family, Mrs. Powers also enjoyed many friends and maintained a physically active lifestyle throughout her entire life. She particularly loved swimming in the Connecticut River in her youth; taking her children and cousins to the area's swimming holes she remembered and to a family friend's cottage at the point of Herrick's Cove. In later years, she made an annual swim “to the island and back” at the family cottage on Lake Warren, N.H., until her early nineties. For more than 30 years, she regularly attended the adult swim at the Rockingham Recreation Center pool every summer. She volunteered at the Rockingham Recycling Center and also assisted at the Old Rockingham Meeting House during the summers. Proud of her Polish heritage and immigrant parents, she was an excellent cook and retained many fond memories of growing up and raising a family in the village of Bellows Falls, a place she loved her entire life. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Oct. 12 at St. Charles Church, with burial rites in St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster. Donations to the Bellows Falls Woman's Club, in care of Ruth Keefe, 15 Tower Rd., Bellows Falls, VT 05101 or to the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
• Ronald Eugene “Ron” Stanclift, 82, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Oct. 5, 2019 in the comfort of his home, following a lengthy illness. His loving wife of 50 years, Judith (Nye) Stanclift, was at his side at the time of his passing. Mr. Stanclift was born in Hinsdale on Dec. 9, 1936, the son of Eugene and Helen (Deneault) Stanclift. He was raised and educated in Hinsdale and was a graduate of Hinsdale High School, Class of 1954. He went on to serve his country in the Air Force for 12 years and was honorably discharged from active service at the rank of staff sergeant. He resided in Keene, N.H. for 30 years and worked for 12 years for the City of Keene Public Works Department. He had also worked for the state of New Hampshire Liquor Commission as a retail clerk in their Hinsdale store. Mr. Stanclift was a member of American Legion Post 5 of Brattleboro and was a Fourth Degree Knight, Knights of Columbus, Leo Council #917. A devout Catholic, he was a communicant of St. Michael's Catholic Church and a former parishioner of Saint Joseph's Church in Hinsdale. He was an avid sports fan and also enjoyed collecting stamps and flower gardening. For several years, he was active with the Hinsdale Little League Program serving as an umpire. Besides his devoted and faithful wife, he leaves a son, Ronald Douglas Stanclift; three daughters, Kelly Savory, Denise Stanclift, and Michele Kershaw; and four sisters, Sandra Jameson, Lorraine Lawrence, Marilyn Brooks, and Joyce Schlicting. Additionally, he is survived by nine grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by one daughter, Sherri Margenson. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Oct. 12 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro, followed by burial with military honors in St. Michaels Parish Cemetery. Donations to St. Brigid's Kitchen, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online guestbook with messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Merrilyn Louise (Greeley) Van Gelder, 90, formerly of Newfane. Died peacefully on Sept. 12, 2019 in Massachusetts. Beloved wife of Paul D. Van Gelder, they celebrated 67 joyous years of marriage before his death last year. Daughter of the late Merrill Lincoln Greeley and Louise Greeley (McKee), she graduated from Leonia High School in New Jersey. Devoted mother of Paula Van Gelder and Betsy V.G. Mariere, both of Cambridge, Mass., Martha Van Gelder of Denver, Colo., and Brett Van Gelder of Winchester, Mass. Loving grandmother of Wesley Mariere, Louis Mariere, Lindsay Van Gelder, and Cole Van Gelder. She is further survived by her extended family, eight nieces and nephews, her many friends, and her church families at both the Newfane Congregational Church and Dunbar Hill United Congregational Church in Hamden, Conn., where she served in many roles including Deacon. An only child, Merrilyn found life-long sisterhood through her friends at Skidmore College, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. For many years, she served as alumna president of the Skidmore Class of 1951. She also volunteered in several chapters of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.), a U.S.-based organization that funds scholarships for women worldwide. After moving to several states across the country for Paul's career, their family settled in Hamden. Raising four children was Merrilyn's greatest joy, creating the big family she never had. She worked as a tutor for homebound students, was a docent at the New Haven Historical Society and served on the board of the local YMCA outdoor center. Always in motion, she enjoyed tennis, swimming and bowling, and could still execute a cartwheel from her Leonia High cheerleading days. Skiing drew the Van Gelder family, to Newfane where they built a small vacation home on Railroad Lane, enjoying every season along the West River. Upon retirement, Paul and Merrilyn moved to Newfane full-time and built their dream home on Route 30, spending thirty years as part of the Newfane community. She owned and operated the “Auntie M's Attic” antique shop in the red barn on their property for 17 years. Her next creative venture was “M's Gems,” handcrafted jewelry made from beads collected at the annual Tucson (Ariz.) Gem Show. An accomplished knitter (dubbed “flashing needles”), crafter, and gardener, she was renowned for her baking skills. Her apple pie recipe is a legacy carried on at the annual Newfane Heritage Festival. Memorial information: A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m., at Newfane Congregational Church. All are welcome. Donations to the Community Table food program at Newfane Congregational Church; or the Grace Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353.