Weddings
• Ruth Shafer and Ian Goodnow hiked to the top of Mount Mansfield where they were married on Oct. 10, 2020. The bride wore a red jumpsuit with a red and black Johnson plaid shirt; the groom wore black jeans and a vintage Patagonia fleece. Ben Civiletti, a friend of the couple, officiated. The couple met at the University of Vermont, where they graduated in 2014. Since then, they have taught English in Georgia (the country) and Taiwan, and through-hiked both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Currently, the couple resides in Brattleboro. Shafer is a fiber artist and tidying consultant; Goodnow is reading law at the firm of Costello, Valente & Gentry in Brattleboro and serves on the Brattleboro Selectboard and as a Justice of the Peace. A celebration is planned for a COVID-free time in the future.
College news
• Tess Beyer of Stratton is among the 4,483 students who make up the Class of 2024 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Transitions
• Michael Silberman of East Dummerston recently joined Youth Services' Board of Directors. Silberman has worldwide experience in public-private partnership development, training and workshop facilitation, program management, project design, and organization development interventions for Civil Society, in USAID and public service organizations. He has worked in international development, training, and organizational management since 1978, primarily in Asia and Africa. Silberman has been employed extensively with USAID, both as a personal services contractor and a consultant, providing assistance to missions in the major global regions.
• The Winston Prouty Center recently welcomed new board members Elizabeth Harrison and Chris Campany, while Ann Allbee was named board president. Harrison is a clinical nutritionist who runs a private practice in Brattleboro. She is also a commissioner for Brattleboro Housing Partnership and a member of Brattleboro Rotary Club. Campany is executive director of the Windham Regional Commission and was a member of the Winston Prouty Campus Task Force that investigated the sustainability of the campus in 2019. Allbee has been a member of the Winston Prouty Center's Board of Trustees since 2017 and was appointed President at this year's annual meeting.
• Donna Rathbun, Brattleboro Savings & Loan's compliance officer, has just earned national certification as a CRCM - Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager. The CRCM certification is the most prestigious professional achievement a compliance officer can attain. The compliance officer's role is a vital part of any bank's security and trustworthiness, ensuring that the bank operates within all the requirements set forth in the many state and federal regulations.
Obituaries
• Laurence “Larry” Bart, 71, of Rockingham. Died Oct. 13, 2020. Larry was born in New York City in 1949. He was adopted at birth by Max and Rhoda Bart, a Jewish couple. Throughout Larry's life, his Judaism was a comfort and a refuge. Larry attended the University of South Florida, where he flourished. He earned a bachelor's degree, then a master's, and finally a doctorate in psychology. He used to say that one of his experimental psych professors described him as “the monkey who would always figure out how to get the banana.” Larry moved to the College of William and Mary in 1986 to work as a clinical psychologist in the Counseling Center. There he met his future wife, Debra Drown. They soon moved to Vermont and were married in 1987. In 1994, they traveled to China to adopt their daughter, Jessamyn. They had a rich life, full of friends and travels and events and long talks on the deck of their house in Rockingham. Larry worked at the Brattleboro Retreat as a clinical psychologist for 20 years. He truly cared about the patients he worked with, and did all he could to help them. Larry had a big laugh and a quirky mind. He was so very intelligent. He loved to bicycle and kayak and swim. He particularly loved to play the guitar, and did so on his Martin guitar with the rich sound of a bell. Most importantly. Larry had a big and loving heart, and he gave of it freely. He is survived by his wife, Debra Drown; his daughter, Jessamyn Bart; his cousin, Stuart Septoff; and many, many friends. Memorial information: None provided.
• Evelyn “Gma” Bills, 81, of Wardsboro. Died of cancer on Oct. 26, 2020 at her home, with her loving family by her side. Evelyn was born in Bellows Falls on Aug. 27, 1939 to the late Vera and Lora (Burbee) Vose. She graduated from Leland & Gray Union High School in 1957. In 1958, she married Eugene Bills, who predeceased her. Evelyn was a housewife and mother for most of her life. She began working when the children started school. Over the years, she was employed at Grace Cottage Hospital, Wardsboro Country Store, Wardsboro Credit Union and did various other odd jobs to help the family. For over 20 years she worked as a substitute mail carrier for the Wardsboro area. She loved working in her flower gardens and bowling with her daughter and grandchildren. She also enjoyed making and decorating cakes, especially wedding cakes, doing crossword puzzles, and cherished her time with her beloved dogs. Christmas was her favorite holiday and her decorations would multiply each year. Evelyn is survived by her children: Eugene Bills II and his partner, Julia Harrington, Dennis Bills and his fiancé, Melissa Young, Wendy Lackey, and Brent Bills and his wife, Colleen, all of Wardsboro. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by a sister and two brothers. Memorial information: There will be no calling hours. A Celebration of Life will be held in late spring or early summer of 2021. Donation to Wardsboro Fire & Rescue, P.O. Box 151, Wardsboro, VT 05355. To share a memory or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Jean Elizabeth (Roche) Fontaine, 86, of Newfane. Died peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 18, 2020. She was born April 26, 1934 in Springfield, Mass., the only child of Norbert and Helen Roche. Jean moved to Newfane at an early age. She met David Fontaine Sr. at Leland & Gray Seminary in Townshend and they married in 1954 in Louisiana, where David served in the Army. They ultimately made their home on Sawdust Alley in Townshend, where they lived together for 65 years. While raising her young children, Jean worked very hard studying and graduating as an LPN from the Thompson School of Nursing in Brattleboro. She worked many years for Dr. Carlos Otis at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Jean and David owned many camper trailers over the years and camped throughout the Northeastern states. They made an extensive camping trip through Canada to visit their son, David Jr., while he was living in Alaska. In earlier years, Jean and David square danced with local groups. Jean enjoyed baking for her family and often spoke of how many freshly-made doughnuts her young children would devour. She was predeceased by her son Douglas in 1975. She is survived by her husband, of Townshend; sons David Jr. and his wife Carol of Lititz, Pa., Daniel and his wife, Margaret, of Townshend, and Donald and his wife, Nancy, of Charlestown, N.H.; daughter Alice Thomas and her husband, Timothy, of Phelan, Calif.; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Memorial information: There will be no services at this time.
• Dianne K. Lawrence, 68, of Westminster. Died Oct. 27, 2020 at the Jack Byrne Palliative Care Center in Lebanon, N.H. following a courageous battle with multiple serious health issues. Dianne was born in Bellows Falls on Feb. 28, 1952, the daughter of Dexter and Arlene (Stockwell) Kathan. She was raised and educated in Bellows Falls and Brattleboro and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1970. She went on to attend Keene State College, where she received her bachelor's in Education. She taught elementary and secondary education at several area schools that included Marlow and Keene, N.H., and Westminster. Her last teaching position was at the Southern State Correctional Center in Springfield. Dianne was an accomplished and talented lead singer and guitarist and was well known for her beautiful voice. With her siblings, she helped form a family band, The Innovations. The group became well known throughout the tri-state area. She also sang and played guitar for several other local bands that included Mike McGee & The Country Cousins, Special Delivery, and Over Easy. In conjunction with her love of music and singing, Dianne enjoyed working in her flower gardens and time spent with her family. A devout Catholic, she was a longtime communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. In 1976, she married Dana Lawrence, who survives. Besides her faithful and devoted husband of 44 years, she leaves her mother, of Bellows Falls; two sons, Arnold of Dummerston and Tyrel of Bellows Falls; three sisters, Deborah Armour of Gilmanton, N.H., Donna Allen of Bellows Falls, and Judy Wolfe of Westminster; one brother James Kathan of Belmont, N.H., and seven grandchildren. Additionally, she is survived by several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Memorial information: A funeral Mass for the immediate family was held Nov. 4 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with graveside committal rites and burial in New Westminster Cemetery. Donations to Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To share a memory or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Dr. David Ashley Patriquin, 93, of West Dummerston. Died Oct. 16, 2020. Born in Saco, Maine, he spent his early years working the local dairy farms or fishing the nearby rivers and streams. Borne of insatiable curiosity and a love of the outdoors, his teens were a whirlwind of 4H, Boy Scouts, and Outing Club events. His interests were wide-ranging, but his overarching focus became medicine. He attended Tufts University, where he was, among other things, involved in the Navy ROTC program, varsity lacrosse and Outing Club activities all while focusing on his pre-med curriculum. Upon graduation from Tufts, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, and continued his service in both the Marines and Naval Reserve for another 37 years. In 1952, he began his medical odyssey at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). A year later, he married his long-time sweetheart, Cynthia Ann Crawford. After graduating from PCOM in 1956, he completed his internship program at the Osteopathic Hospital in Portland, Maine. After practicing a short while in Portland, he opened a family practice in Kezar Falls, Maine. With trepidation, excitement, and a growing family in tow, he accepted a position at the Zeller Osteopathic Clinic in Montreal. His ascension through the professional ranks of both the Canadian (COA) Osteopathic and American (AOA) Osteopathic Associations was impressive. Concurrently, his community involvement was tireless. In 1979, the family moved to Athens, Ohio, where he had accepted a position as Professor of Family Medicine at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUCOM). While in Athens, his pursuits were varied. He served on the boards of other Osteopathic colleges, The OUCOM Admissions Board, and in Kiwanis. He was at once a leader, teacher, and mentor. He was also a father who guided five children through various programs at Ohio University. Following retirement, the plan was to move to Vermont. On a whim, however, and in response to a conversation with a doctor from New Zealand, he applied for a position at a startup Osteopathic college in that country and joyously spent more than two years in Auckland at UNITEC. Finally settling down in southern Vermont, there was time to travel and to attend the various weddings, graduations, and other functions for friends and family. More recently, he had been content to tend his garden, organize his firewood bins, keep up with his reading and emails, watch a good movie, and snuggle with his soulmate. He is preceded in death by his parents, Louis Ashley and Agnes (Wentworth) Patriquin as well as his two brothers, Lawrence and George and his daughter, Lisa. He is survived by his wife of 67 years; his sister, Nancy Wittler: three sons: Allen (Jeanne), Mark (Diana), and Louis (Tracey); three daughters: Beth (David), Wendy (Tim), and Andrea (Matt); 16 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, a number of nieces and nephews, and many friends, associates, and colleagues. Memorial information: No funeral or memorials are planned at this time. Donations to The Arden L. Findlay, D.O. and David A. Patriquin, D.O. Osteopathic Scholarship Fund in care of The Ohio University Foundation, P.O. Box 869, Athens, OH 45701.
• Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joseph Kenneth Wetherell, 70, of Spring Brook Twp., Pa., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 24, 2020, at Geisinger Community Medical Center in Scranton, Pa. Married on Dec. 11, 1971, to the former Cheryl Jean (Sheldon), the couple celebrated 48 years of marriage this past year. Born in Brattleboro, he was the son of the late Kenneth Gould and Doris Marie (Cyrs) Wetherell. Joseph graduated from St. Michael's High School in 1968, earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in 1972 and his master's degree from Florida Institute of Technology in 1981. Joseph proudly served in the Army, and was the commander of the 326th Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, from 1991 to 1993. He retired as a lieutenant colonel after 27 years of service. His service in the Army brought him to the University of Scranton, where he was the director of the ROTC program and most recently, an event organizer. Joseph loved his job and his co-workers at “the U” and the love he had for them reflected right back to him. He was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro, and the Church of St. Catherine of Siena in Moscow, Pa. He also held a membership in VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 in Brattleboro. Joseph loved being outside, just soaking up the sun. He was an avid marathon runner and enjoyed gardening. Most importantly, he was obsessed with being a Papa and cherished making as many memories as he could with his family. In addition to his wife, Joseph is survived by his children, Jessica Jo Hosang and husband Michael of Williamsburg, Va., Jason Wetherell of Richmond, Va., and Justin Wetherell and wife Alison of Mount Laurel, N.J.; his sister, Barbara McGregor, and his brother, Michael Wetherell and wife Holly; and eight grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Theresa Mayotte. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 2 at St. Peter Church in Rutland, with interment with full military honors in Calvary Cemetery in Rutland. Donations can be made to Fisher House Foundation, 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 410, Rockville, MD 20852; or to St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, 500 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18509.
• Linda Jean (Karkut) Zayas, 69, of Bellows Falls. Died at home on Oct. 23, 2020, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. Born Dec. 10, 1950 in Derby, Conn., she was the daughter of Eugene and Ann (Sarna) Karkut, who both predeceased her. She is survived by her husband, Richard; three sons and their families, Jeffrey, married to Amy (Coleman) and grandchildren Keira, Ethan and Zachary of Woodstock, Vt.; Kevin and partner Beth of Concord, N.H.; and David, married to Stephanie (Ciesla) and grandchildren Pierce and Maisie of Boise, Idaho. She is also survived by her sister, Betty Karkut of Norwalk, Conn., and brother Gary Karkut of Southbury, Conn. She graduated from Ansonia (Conn.) High School and attended Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport, Conn., earning her degree in medical laboratory technology. She then went to work at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn. Shortly after getting married in 1972, she moved to Bellows Falls and worked at Rockingham Memorial Hospital. She would later work at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H. and at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, N.H. After retiring from healthcare, she managed her son's jewelry store, Zayas Jewelers in Woodstock. Linda was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Her passion was her family and she devoted her life to her children and grandchildren, selflessly setting aside her own time to be involved in their lives and activities. As a child, she spent numerous summers in Montreal with her beloved Bacci Sarna. She warmly welcomed all into her home and was proud of her Polish heritage. She taught her children and grandchildren about their roots from both Montreal and Connecticut, and ensured that the family carried on numerous traditions that will continue with future generations. She volunteered countless hours of her time to organizations in Bellows Falls, including Little League baseball, Cub Scouts, Project Graduation, and Parks Place Community Resource Center. On Saturday mornings, she was either deeply immersed in the soil of her flower gardens, sewing intricate quilts, beautifying her home, baking, or experimenting with a new recipe. Among her favorite things were Halloween, Christmas, and hosting wonderful parties. Memorial information: A memorial services along with a celebration of life will be planned during the spring/summer of 2021. Donations to Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, P.O. Box 881, Brattleboro, VT 05302.