College news
• Lisa Young of Vernon has earned a B.S. in Nursing from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City.
• Anika R. Kapral of Dummerston was named to the fall 2019 Dean's List at St. Michael's College in Colchester.
• Tuckerman Wunderle, a member of the Class of 2021 from Bellows Falls, and Maxwell Spicer, a member of the Class of 2022 from South Newfane, were both named to the fall 2019 Dean's List at Emerson College in Boston.
• The following local students received academic honors from Vermont Technical College for the fall 2019 semester: Jamie Buffa of Brattleboro, a student in the Bachelor of Science Nursing program; Meka Dearborn of Brattleboro, a student in the Associate of Applied Science Equine Studies program; and Meghan Forrett of East Dummerston, a student in the Bachelor of Science Business Technology & Management program, were all named to the President's List. Kaitlin Haskins of Brattleboro, Ilana Newton of West Townshend, and Nicholas Primeau of Brattleboro were all named to the Dean's List.
• The following local students were named to the Dean's List at the University of New Hampshire for the fall 2019 semester: Katrina Ewens of Londonderry, earning High Honors and majoring in applied animal science; Tyler Germain of Brattleboro, earning High Honors and majoring in business administration: marketing; and Nicholas Nilsen of Wilmington, earning Honors and majoring in economics: public policy and sustainability.
• Gabrel Vanni-Phillips of Newfane achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA during the fall 2019 semester, earning a spot on the Provost's List at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
• The following local students from the Class of 2022 were named to the Dean's List at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, for the fall 2019 semester: Keagan M. Dunbar of Saxtons River and Middlebury, Lillian A. Fisher of Brattleboro, and Skye O. Rhomberg of Putney.
• The following local students were named to the Dean's List at Champlain College in Burlington for the fall 2019 semester: Christine Downs of Brookline, Connor Greene of Westminster Station, Alexander Houk of Brattleboro, Hailee Mattson of Dummerston, Trina Reynolds of Brattleboro, and John Wright of Brattleboro.
• Alissa Walkowiak of Whitingham was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2019 semester at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.
• Preston Stachelek of Stratton and Chulie Vinton of Brattleboro were both named to the fall 2019 Dean's List at the University of Rhode Island.
• Paige Starkweather of Brattleboro and Whitley Neumeister of Vernon were both named to the fall 2019 Dean's List at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass.
• Caya Greenspan-Layman of Wilmington was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2019 semester at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa.
• Lia Clark of Saxtons River was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2019 semester at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.
• Sophia Cardini of Saxtons River was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2019 semester at Emmanuel College in Boston.
Obituaries
• Henry James Blouin, 87, formerly of Hinsdale, N.H. Died unexpectedly Jan. 29, 2020 at Prisma Health-Richland in Columbia, S.C., from injuries he sustained from an accidental fall while enroute with his wife to Florida. He was born in Hinsdale on Aug. 18, 1932, the son of Beatrice (Bourgeois) and Marshall Blouin Sr. He was raised and educated in Hinsdale, graduating from Hinsdale High School with the Class of 1950. He went on to proudly serve his country in the Navy, enlisting in 1952 and serving onboard the USS Cassin Young DD773. He was honorably discharged from active service in 1956 and returned home to Hinsdale. He had been employed by the New Hampshire State Liquor Commission, working in both Hinsdale and Winchester, retiring in 1995 as manager of the Winchester store location following 30 faithful years with the state. He was a member of American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro, a lifetime member of the Hinsdale VFW, and was a lifelong communicant and active member of St. Joseph's Parish in Hinsdale. For many years, he enjoyed wintering with his wife on Pine Island, Fla. In 1953, he married Helen Sikoski, who predeceased him in 1998. In 2008, he married Patricia Sederstrom, who survives. Besides his wife of 11 years he leaves: three children, Diane Cate of Bow, N.H., Robert James Blouin (Cheryl) of San Antonio, and Donna Schaub (Scott) of Suffield, Conn.; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Additionally, he is survived by two sisters, Theresa Blouin and Mary Ann Jacques of Winchester; two sisters-in-law, Marilyn Blouin of Florida and Carolee Blouin of Brattleboro, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by four brothers: Napoleon, Marshall, Jr., Robert and Nelson; one sister, Alice Hudon; and a son-in-law, Bradley Cate. Memorial information: A funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated later in the springtime at St. Joseph's Church in Hinsdale, followed by burial with military honors in St. Joseph's Cemetery, to be announced by the funeral home. Donations to the Winchester Ambulance Association, 6 Parker St., Winchester, NH 03470. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Emily Louise de Coninck, 88, of Jamaica. Died Jan. 25, 2020 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Daughter of William A. and Emma O. (Sedahl) Kelley, of Temple City, Calif., she was a 1948 graduate of El Monte Union High School in Los Angeles. She went on to earn a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Southern California after completing her associate's degree at Pasadena City College. She trained to become a Registered Nurse at Los Angeles County General Hospital. While nursing, Emily was asked to represent LA County in the 1953 Rose Bowl Parade. Emily moved to New York City at the age of 24, where she met and married Thierry de Coninck. While living in New York, Emily pursued her nursing career at New York Hospital and the Cornell Medical Center. She was also a part-time model for Ford Models. Emily had an urge to travel and left nursing to work for Pan American World Airways as a stewardess. She was soon promoted to purser, in charge of the cabin crew. While living in New York, Emily also had her first child, Michel. At the age of 28, Emily moved to Brazil with her husband, where she lived for nearly three years and had two more children, Lorenzo and Diane. After several more moves to Holland and Belgium, Emily made her home in East Jamaica during the summer of 1966, where she raised her three children. In 1972, Emily and her family began building their own home, with Emily helping on much of the construction effort. After her divorce in 1975, she developed an interest in real estate and pursued her broker's license. She then joined Berkley and Veller Real Estate, and was soon promoted to manager of its Wilmington office. She remained there for nearly 10 years. Emily then started her own firm, Emily de Coninck Real Estate, at her home in East Jamaica and kept active in real estate through 2018. In 2014, the National Association of Realtors honored Emily with the status of Realtor Emeritus. When not pursuing her real estate career, Emily enjoyed spending time with her four grandchildren, whom she loved very much. She was also a gourmet cook who adored Julia Child. In addition, she was an accomplished seamstress, who made her own prom dress, among many others throughout her lifetime. Emily also enjoyed current events and reading her beloved Sunday New York Times. Emily is survived by her sons, Michel of Arlington, Va., and Lorenzo of Jamaica; her daughter Diane Newton of Windham.; and her four grandchildren. Jenny, Jesse, Kadin, and Jonah. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother William. Memorial information: A memorial service for Emily will be held in the late spring.
• Dr. Ralph Dell, 84, of Jacksonville and New York City. Died peacefully at his home in New York City on Feb. 11, 2020, from progressive dementia. His wife and soulmate, Karen Hein, and his children and grandchildren, were with him when he died. A Columbia University research scientist and biomathematical modeling expert, he was also a lifelong outdoorsman and craftsman, and a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was born and raised in Alaska, where he spent many formative years in Skagway on the state's panhandle northwest of Juneau, as well as in many small villages along the Kuskokwim River. At age 14, he climbed Denali (then named Mount McKinley) to help with the U.S. Geological Survey. Thanks to his capabilities and love of the wilderness, he was known by friends and colleagues throughout his life as “Alaska Mountain Man.” As a teenager, he obtained and read the classic book Microbe Hunters by Paul de Kruif, and decided to become a research scientist and physician. He graduated from Pomona College in 1957, and from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1961, paying his way through college and medical school by repairing tube radios and TVs. He became a full professor at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center/Columbia University Physicians and Surgeons, one of the youngest people ever to be so appointed. He spent 37 years at Columbia before retiring in 2000. Dr. Dell performed biomathematical modeling for a variety of research studies, publishing dozens of academic papers. Together with Robert Winters, MD, Ralph co-authored the medical bestseller Acid Base Physiology in Medicine. He was a patent holder with Columbia on a chemical formula to promote growth in prematurely-born infants. Nicknamed “Ralph's Pretty Good Baby Food” by a friend, the formula was given to his own grandchild, Milo Hein, in the neonatal intensive care unit when Milo was born prematurely. Dr. Dell was a champion of the appropriate use and treatment of animals in research, a frequent speaker and public resource on the topic, and an overseer of Columbia's animal use activities. At the National Academy of Sciences, where Ralph served from 1995 to 2000, he headed the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), where he was responsible for updating federally-required guidelines that govern the care and use of animals in research, teaching, and testing across the country. When Dr. Dell was diagnosed with progressive dementia (probable Lewy body dementia) in 2011, clinicians asked if he wanted upon his death to donate his brain for dementia research. He readily agreed, noting that he had always “donated” his brain to science, and wasn't about to stop. True to form, Dr. Dell and his wife, Karen, also a physician, shared the goal of finding meaning in and learning from the experience of progressive dementia. Their approach was captured in a short video documentary, “Ralph and the Gift of Alzheimer's Disease” (vimeo.com/162835203). Ralph had first met Karen at Babies Hospital at Columbia, where they collaborated on a series of innovative research projects, including mathematical modeling for the emerging adolescent HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. That partnership launched a decade of work together in the Adolescent AIDS Program at Montefiore Medical Center, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Dr. Dell returned to his rural roots when he and Karen retired to Vermont in 2003. They lived in an 1826 farmhouse that he and many friends rebuilt using all of the elements of the old house, transforming it into a close replica of the older home with plenty of room for family and friends. With a few close friends, they also built a post-and-beam barn for their small herd of cashmere goats and a Mongolian-style “ger” outbuilding, both inspired by visits to Mongolia. Dr. Dell became an active member of the Whitingham Lions Club and the Windham World Affairs Council, in addition to many other professional associations and organizations. When not in Vermont, Ralph and Karen hiked, camped, kayaked, and explored every continent, often in conjunction with their extensive volunteer activities. Their commitment to improving the health and well-being of people around the world led them to a variety of settings, including Burmese refugee camps along the Thai border, post-tsunami relief work in Tamil Nadu, and several projects and activities in Mongolia. In addition to his wife, Dr. Dell is survived by his four children and their partners, Laura Dell (Hugh Carter), Kenneth Dell (Nadia Barker-Dell), Ethan Hein (Anna Pomykala), and Molly Hein (Dan Griffin); five grandchildren, Olivia, Zoe, Milo, Bernadetta, and Ramona; and two sisters, Dorothy Hopkins and Mary Louis, as well as countless family, friends in New York, Vermont, and around the world. Memorial information: Gatherings to honor his life will be held in New York City and in Vermont in the coming months. Donations to The Gathering Place (gatheringplacevt.org/get-involved/donate), an adult day program that Ralph attended for five years, or to the Alaska Conservation Foundation (alaskaconservation.org/take-action/donate/ways-to-give/donate-gift).
• Kevin L. “Kev” Jay, 34, of Guilford. Died unexpectedly Feb. 10, 2020 at his home. Kevin was born in Malden, Massachusetts on Oct. 5, 1985, the son of Kevin and Susie (Annis) Jay. He was raised and educated in Vernon and had attended Brattleboro Union High School. For the past 14 years he resided in Guilford and previously lived in Putney and Pompano Beach, Fla. At the time of his death, Kevin worked as a mechanic for Parker's Auto in West Chesterfield, N.H. He previously had worked for Omega Optical in Guilford. Kevin loved cars and was an active and founding member of VTStance Car Club, based in Brattleboro. His pride and joy was his VW R32. He enjoyed attending regional car shows along the East Coast and won numerous awards. An ardent outdoorsman, he also loved fishing and boating. In 2010, he married Samantha “Sam” Franklin, who survives. Besides his wife of nearly ten years he leaves his mother, Susie Pratt (Don) of Vernon; his father, Kevin Jay (Nancy) of Cambridge, Mass.; one sister, Lisamarie Scott and fiancé John Winter of Brattleboro; two nieces, Tessa and Jenna Scott; a great niece, Izabella, and a large host of friends. Memorial information: Friends are invited to call at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home in Brattleboro on Thursday, Feb. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. A celebration of life service will be held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles on Chickering Drive on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 4 to 9 p.m. Donations to Central VT Recovery Center, 275 Brooklyn St., Suite #2, Morrisville, VT 05661. Friends have also started a GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-expenses-for-kevin-jay to help his wife with his funeral expenses.
• Beverly Major, 84, of Westminster West. Died peacefully Feb. 5, 2020, surrounded by her family. She was born Oct. 6, 1935 in Burlington to Marion and Elmer Bruhn. She is survived by her husband, Randolph “Randy” Major; sister Janet Lum; her children David, Stephen, Christina, and Seth with their families, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Beverly was predeceased by her daughter, Elizabeth Ann, in 1966, and her younger brother Paul Bruhn, who died last September. A founding member of the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association, deacon of the Westminster West Congregational Church, and longtime Westminster school board member, Beverly had many passions that she pursued locally and farther afield. Beverly graduated from Swarthmore College, Phi Beta Kappa, and later went to graduate school at Columbia in international relations and Antioch, receiving a masters in education. She was instrumental in starting kindergarten in Westminster and ran the town's first kindergarten in her home. She was a bibliophile, beginning with a childhood horse book lending library and leading to her late career as librarian and strong supporter of the Westminster West library. A dedicated citizen, she led the county democratic committee for many years. Beverly and her husband served as Vermont delegates to the 1972 Democratic National Convention. She ran for state senate in the early 1990's, driving the family's blue pickup with a big “Bev Major for Senate” sign in the bed. She was active in town politics, serving as Justice of the Peace and missing Town Meeting only once in 60 years when her eldest son David was born in March 1961. Beverly and Randy loved to travel and meet people from China to Newfoundland, Alaska to the Middle East. After their marriage in 1958, they co-led the first Experiment Student Exchange to the Soviet Union. Fifty years later they re-united with their host family in Tbilisi in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia while on a Village Harmony singing trip. A life-long advocate for peace, Beverly helped lead a Bridges for Peace trip to Finnish and Russian Karelia. At home on her family farm, Beverly loved fall trail riding on horseback, gardening, photography, and Scottish Country Dancing. She would celebrate snow days by baking bread with the family and Easter by hosting a town-wide party complete with egg hunt. Passionate about the environment, she served on the Connecticut River Commission and chaired the Pinnacle Board. She passed on her interests through organizing the local 4-H Club, leading horsemanship and recruiting leaders for a diverse range of activities such as wood turning, photography, computer programming, model rocketry, and sheep husbandry. Through her life, Beverly maintained her faith in the goodness of people, delighted in her love of nature, and drew comfort from a sense of the divine in all things. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at the Westminster West Congregational Church on April 4. Donations in her memory may be made to the Windmill Hill Pinnacle Association or the Westminster West Library.
• Charles K. Mansfield Jr., 96, of Rockingham. Died Jan. 26, 2020. He was born Jan. 9, 1924, in East Norwalk, Conn., the son of Ethel (Brown) and Charles K. Mansfield Sr. He was a graduate of Norwalk High School and enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 during World War II, taking part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. He also served during the Korean conflict. He later became a police officer, earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Norwalk Community College and retired as a detective in 1976 from the Norwalk Police Department. He later worked as a self-employed carpenter and craftsman. He was ordained a deacon in 2003 at Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls. Survivors include his wife, the former Gloria Carole Moye, whom he married in 1953; his daughters, Patricia Garavel of East Norwalk, Susan Boyce of LaGrange, Ky., Karen Randmer of Baltimore, Md., and Lisa Stickney of Springfield, Vt.; and five grandsons and two great-grandsons. He was predeceased by his son, Michael Mansfield. Memorial information: A celebration of life service will be announced at a later date.
• Lani Mae Golden Williams, 80, formerly of Chester. Died Feb. 9, 2020 at St. George Healthcare Center in South George, S.C. Lani was born on April 2, 1939 in New Haven, Conn., daughter of the late Cecil H. “Jack” and Treva Mae Holden Golden. She grew up in Chester and was a proud member of the Chester High School Class of 1957. She married Paul Allen Williams in 1958 and moved to South Carolina. Lani received an associate's degree from the Baptist College of Charleston, S.C., and was a retired teacher with the Headstart Center and Director and Manager of Headstart for Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties. She was a member of Memorial Baptist Church. She is survived by her husband; a daughter, Cynthia “Cindy” (Vernon) Kassian, and sons Kris (Connie), Kirk (Cynthia), and Thomas (Donna), all of South Carolina. She also leaves Eli and Elizabeth Canaday; Easton and Owen Williams; a sister, Wanda Golden Eubank of Andover; sister-in-law Susan Martin Golden of North Springfield, Vt.; and eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, brothers Wayne Golden and Jay C. Golden, and sister-in-Law Lois Baldwin Golden, all of North Springfield. Memorial information: In lieu of flowers, the family will choose a memorial. Contributions can be made to Cindy Kassian, in care of Crescom Bank, 5561 West Memorial Blvd., St. George, SC 29477.