Obituaries
• Neil Joseph Goodemote, 89, of Marietta, Ga. Died Nov. 22, 2019 at his home after an extended illness. Neil is survived by his wife of 69 years, Joan P. Sanzo; seven children, including Gary (Mary Shedd) Goodemote of Brattleboro; and 13 grandchildren, including Riley Goodemote of St. Paul, Minn. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 30 at 10 am at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Marietta, Ga.
• Carolyn “Bunny” Hazelton, 89, of Dummerston Center, Died peacefully Nov. 25, 2019 at Thompson House in Brattleboro. Bunny was born in Springfield, Mass., on Aug. 8, 1930, the daughter of Robert and Marjorie (Pier) Jones. She was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro High School with the Class of 1948. She went on to graduate from Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in Boston, where she received her RN degree. In 1951, she married Donald M. Hazelton, who survives. She had been employed at Grace Cottage Hospital and Stratton House, both in Townshend, and performed home care nursing in the greater Brattleboro area. Bunny also was a feeder-line school bus owner and driver in Dummerston and later drove school buses for Laidlaw Transportation in Brattleboro. In addition to helping run H&M Orchard for many years, she was deeply devoted to raising her family. Bunny served as a board member at the Thompson House, was head counselor at Camp Waubanong in West Brattleboro for several years, and was a longtime member of the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center. With her husband Don, she was the recipient of the annual Citizen of the Year Award in Dummerston. She enjoyed square dancing and clogging and was a member of the Maple Leaf Squares, Green Mountain Square Dance Club and Cloggers. Bunny also enjoyed collecting seashells of which she amassed a spectacular collection. She was known for her delicious pecan pralines. She also liked playing the piano and accompanied school choruses. A woman of faith, she was a member of Dummerston Congregational Church and sang in the church choir for many years. Besides her faithful and devoted husband of 68 years, she leaves five children: David (Karen), Steven (Barbara), Ted (Joan), Phyllis (Dom) Isbell and Jeanette (Allen) Fairhurst; and three sisters, Eleanor “Twinkle” Murley (Bill), Katie Terzakis, and Priscilla “Tilla” Lindberg (Lorens). Additionally, she is survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by a son, Michael, and a brother, Robert Jones. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held Friday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m., at Dummerston Congregational Church. Burial will be in the Hazelton family lot in Dummerston Center Cemetery. A memorial open house at the Evening Star Grange in Dummerston Center will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, from noon to 3 p.m. Memorial contributions to The Gathering Place, 30 Terrace St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or to the Evening Star Grange, 1008 East-West Road, East Dummerston, VT 05346. To sign an online guestbook with messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Carole J. Melis, Esq., 65, of Townshend. Died of lung cancer on Nov. 23, 2019 at her home. Carole was born in Jamaica, N.Y., on December 24, 1953, the daughter of F. Kenneth and Frances (Esson) Melis. She graduated from high school in Garden City, N.Y. At Castleton State College, she graduated with high honors and then earned her law degree from Suffolk Law School in Boston. Carole served her clerkship in the office of T. Hans Russell in Townshend and became well-acquainted around southern Vermont towns while researching land records. She opened her own solo law practice in Townshend, where she served the community for 27 years. She was a member of the American Bar Association, the Vermont Bar Association, and the Windham County Bar Association, where she particularly enjoyed meeting so many members of the bar while serving as the treasurer. Carole will be remembered for her commitment to her clients and her community. Her first stint as a Selectboard member was served in Wardsboro, followed by multiple terms in Townshend. She was particularly proud of bringing the construction of the new Townshend town barn to a successful conclusion. Other activities that she enjoyed included her membership in the Grace Cottage Hospital Ethics Committee, coordinating E-911, and acting as a trustee for the Howard Fund. Carole is survived by her brothers, Richard Melis and his wife, Marily, of Huntsville, Ala., and Gerald Melis and his wife, Gwenndolyn, of Wardsboro; and her sister Darleen Melis and her husband, Irving Ingraham, of Salem, Mass.; and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents and her sister, the Rev. Jeanne Mills of Dorset. Memorial information: A celebration of life was held on Dec. 1 at the Townshend Town Hall.
• Helen Pleisch, 92, of Bellows Falls. Died Nov. 23, 2019 at Pine Heights in Brattleboro. She was born Aug. 28, 1927, in Mount Holly, the daughter of Henry and Alice (Silloway) Lackey. She attended school in Wallingford and Bible College in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1958, she married Niklaus Pleisch in East Wallingford. Mrs. Pleisch worked as a transportation coordinator for SEVCA. She was a member of Beth-El Church in Surry, N.H., serving on the mission board and Word of Life Clubs. Survivors include her sons Henry and Timothy Pleisch, both of Charlestown, N.H., and Norman Pleisch of Granby, Mass.; her foster daughter, Edith Pollard, of Sussex, N.J.; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband; her son, Stephen Pleisch; and her brother, Warren Lackey. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Nov. 30, at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls, at the convenience of the family.