College news
• The following local students were honored for academic achievement at Community College of Vermont during the spring 2022 semester: Named to the President's List were Ada Brown of Brattleboro, Ethan Gray of East Dummerston, Madison Anyan of Townshend, and Kestrel Voulgarakis of Wilmington. Named to the Dean's List were Monique Carson, Emily Hurley, India Martin, and Ellery Witman of Brattleboro, Lacy Slade of Guilford, Noah Sherrill of Putney, and Dawn Cutter of Vernon. Named to the Student Honors List were Melissa French of Bellows Falls, Chelsea Hormor, Christina Howe, Danielle Labrecque, Celine Morin, Jade Newton, Katherine Ray, Simon Reynolds, Rachael Rooney, Jason Shatney and Rebecca Tatkovsky of Brattleboro; Brooke Chaney and Ilene Sweeney of Guilford, Sarah Eberhard of Londonderry, Paolo Simeti of Newfane, Lori Morse of Putney, Paul Jerz of Townshend, and Alexis Grisales and Hannah Hoffman of West Dover.
• Emma Elizabeth Griffith of West Halifax received a master of business administration and a certificate in innovation & new venture management from Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
• Rhys Glennon of Brattleboro graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Middlebury College. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and received the Johnson Prize for excellence in History of Art.
• Gus Williams of Guilford was named to the spring 2022 Dean's High Honors list at Connecticut College in New London, Conn.
Obituaries
• Frances M. Gallagher, 97, of Bellows Falls. Died June 13, 2022. She was born Jan. 4, 1925 in Chester, the daughter of Lloyd and Edith (Glazier) Martin. She grew up in Chester and graduated from Chester High School in 1943. On Sept. 20, 1947, she married James J. Gallagher, who predeceased her in 2008. She received an associate's degree from Green Mountain College and worked for many years as a dietician at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Bellows Falls. Her hard work and dedication were noted when she received the “Employee of the Spring Quarter” award in 1985. She retired from Rockingham Hospital in 1988. She was a sweet, kind lady who loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. She enjoyed cooking and baking and was famous for her chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies which she baked every Saturday. She also enjoyed playing Bingo, especially when she won, and very much enjoyed sharing her knowledge of the history of her beloved Chester. She is survived by one son, Timothy Gallagher, and his wife, Catherine Gihlstorf of North Carolina; three daughters, Patricia Mark, and her husband, Robert, of Westminster, Terry Obuchowski, and her husband, Paul, of Bellows Falls, Marty Gallagher, and her husband, Bill Stevens, of Westminster; her beloved 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; her niece and best friend, Maureen Caskin along with many other nieces and nephews. Besides her husband, she was predeceased by her daughter, Christine Murphy, and her sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and James Jardine. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls on June 22. Donations to Springfield Humane Society, 401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT 05156.
• John Bart Jones, 66, of Winchester, N.H. Died suddenly at home on June 7, 2022. He was born on April 26, 1956 to Elizabeth (Bartholomew) and the late Thomas Bebb Jones in Van Wert, Ohio. John graduated from Spencerville (Ohio) High School with the Class of 1974 and attended Ohio Northern University, earning his bachelor's degree in music performance in 1978. John played trumpet professionally for most of his life as an avocation. He performed with Southside Rhythm & Blues, Buddy Young Orchestra, Ed Williams Big Band, Stormwatch, Cotton Mouth, Raider Eddie and the Skeletones, the Vermont Jazz Center Big Band, Joe V Laltin Big Band, Keene Jazz Orchestra, and The No Sax Trumpet Quartet. Over the years, in between gigs, John enjoyed his time working for Tucker Transportation, Brattleboro Taxi,. Hilltop House, (now Bradley House), Blue Mountain Produce, and Hobson's Choice, among others. John had a love for motorcycles, going boating, and playing games. He enjoyed playing the trumpet, camping, having cookouts, spontaneous road trips, and just hanging out with his family. He is survived by his mother, Elizabeth “Bartie” Jones of Sandusky, Ohio, partner/fiancee Rhonda Aither of Winchester, his sister Lynn A. Jones and her husband, Thomas Dewhirst, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and his brother-in-law Mike Muhn of Sandusky. He is also survived by his “acquired” children, Arnold Tirrell, Lacy Daly, Amanda Woodward, and Ben Aither, and lots of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends. He was predeceased by with his father, Thomas Bebb Jones, in 1999, and his sister Judy Muhn who died on Feb. 26, 2022. Memorial information: John had a knack for storytelling and made many of us laugh with his tales. His family would welcome your stories of John if you will add them to his Cheshire Family Funeral Home web page at www.cheshirefamilyfh.com. In honor and memory of John's love for music, they request that you play a song by Tower of Power, plant a peony bush in your yard, and/or make a contribution to the John Bart Jones Memorial Chime Fund, Salem Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 678, Venedocia, OH 45894.
• Susan Goepp Kryger, 80, of Putney. Died on June 13, 2022 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital after a period of failing health. Susan was born on Dec. 13, 1941, in Philadelphia to Philip Henry Goepp II and Ada Hoell Goepp. She spent her childhood first in Rochester, N.Y., and then, along with her younger brother Philip, in Monson, Mass. She graduated from Monson High School in 1959. After graduation, she moved to Switzerland to study French at the Montreux École Normale and piano at L'institut de Ribeaupierre. She then attended Goddard College in Vermont from 1961-63. After college, she moved to New York City where she worked as a publicist for Random House, and then for MGM on the film Dr. Zhivago. She was thrilled to have accompanied its stars Julie Christie and Omar Sharif to the film's premiere. She worked as a copywriter at Ted Bates Advertising from 1965 to 1972. Among her many accounts was Hostess - she and her team created the characters “Twinkie the Kid” and “Captain Cupcake.” She also wrote ads for the Captain Kangaroo television show, and got to know the stars. She loved that. Her memories of that time came rushing back when, years later, she watched the television series Mad Men. In 1968, Susan met and married Ole Wangel Kryger. In 1972, their daughter Ellen was born in New York. Shortly thereafter, they moved to London, England. Their son Christian Philip was born there in 1974. After her marriage ended, Susan and her children moved to Brattleboro. Susan was passionate about the written word and loved books. She worked in marketing and promotion at Stephen Greene Press in Brattleboro and Stillpoint Publishing in Walpole, N.H., as an editor at NewsBank in Chester, and finally as a book proofreader at NK Graphics in Keene, N.H., until her retirement in 2008. She was particularly tickled to have proofread the revised Joy of Cooking, and got to read Harry Potter before anyone else in the United States. She enjoyed quiet time with family, reading cozy British mysteries with a cat curled up on her lap, and creating intricate needlepoint designs. She had a gift for languages, and in addition to French, she studied Danish and Italian. She also loved playing cards, particularly cribbage, Bridge, and Whist with her friends in Putney, and word games, especially her regular crossword puzzles with her brother. After she triumphantly conquered her fear of flying at the age of 74, she particularly loved her visit to Vienna, Austria with Christian to visit Ellen and her husband, Mario. Susan is survived by her son, Christian, and daughter, Ellen and her husband Alvino-Mario Fantini; by her brother, Philip Goepp and his wife, Michelle Cherrier of Dummerston; and her granddaughter Makayla Miller of Greenville, S.C. She also leaves her nieces Christine Goepp and her husband Todd Davidson, and Katharine Goepp; her nephew Daniel Goepp and his wife Jennifer; and her stepbrother, Julius Goepp and his wife Elizabeth. Memorial information: Memorial services will be kept private at Susan's request. In lieu of donations, Susan would want you to treat yourself and splurge on the “fancy” olive oil.
• Linda Merrill, 66, of Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Died peacefully on June 20, 2022 at Maine Medical Center surrounded by her family. Born in 1955 in Brattleboro, Linda was the daughter of Richard and Janet (Wallace) Cunningham. Linda was a 1973 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School and later went on to the Thompson School of Nursing where she pursued a career in nursing. She had a career as a nurse at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital before moving to Maine and working for Southern Maine Medical Center, which she retired from in 2021. Linda met her husband David Merrill in 1974 and they later married in 1979. Linda had a love for adventure. She and David spent much time sailing in Burlington and cross-country skiing around New England. Linda and David started their family in Brattleboro, where they raised two daughters, Robin and Sara Merrill. Linda cared deeply about helping others through her 30-year career as a nurse. A career her daughter, Robin also pursued. When Linda wasn't working, she enjoyed being with her family and enjoying the great outdoors. Whether it was planting in the garden of her Vermont home or driving to Maine to watch the storms on the ocean. She found joy in the natural beauty New England has to offer. Linda also loved the holidays, where she would go all out with decorations and meals that brought the family together. Linda prided herself on having the spookiest house on the block during Halloween and played all the classics while baking holiday favorites with her family during Christmas. She relished her retirement, spending much of her time enjoying the Maine coastline and being around her beloved dog Jake. The beach was Linda's happy place. She loved to take long walks on the beach, listening to the natural sounds of the ocean waves, especially catching a big thunderstorm. Linda also enjoyed maintaining traditions. On Sundays, she and David would grab coffee and the Sunday paper by the pier in Old Orchard Beach watching the morning waves. On occasion they would pick up fresh seafood and watch the tall ships - reminiscing on her and David's earlier years sailing. Linda is survived by her husband, David; their two daughters Robin Merrill of Old Orchard Beach and Sara Merrill and her partner Vay Lao and his sons Dylan and Ryder of Biddeford, Maine; her mother Janet Cunningham of Biddeford; her brother David Cunningham and his wife Barbara of Saco, Maine; her sister Diane Olson and her husband Steve of Brattleboro; and many nieces and nephews. Linda was predeceased by her father Richard (Dick) Cunningham and brother Richard (Dickie) Cunningham. Memorial information: Per Linda's request, there will be no formal service. However, a celebration of Linda's life will be scheduled at a later date.
• Richard E. Nash, 86, of Westminster. Died June 9, 2022, surrounded by his family, at the Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington, where he was a resident. He was born May 3, 1936, in Bellows Falls, the son of Stillman and Edith (Sawyer) Nash. He had six brothers and one sister. He attended schools in Langdon and Charlestown, N.H. Richard enlisted in the Army in 1953 and served three years of active duty and five years of active reserve service. He completed aircraft mechanic training at Fort Eustis, Va., and had a one year overseas tour in Germany. While serving on active duty, he achieved the rank of specialist. Awards and decorations included the marksman award (carbine), National Defense Medal, and Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged at the completion of his enlistment. In 1961, he married Joyce Bingham. They went on to have a family of five children. They parted in 1997. He worked for Frank W. Whitcomb Construction for many years. After that, he worked at Silver Forest and then became a “handyman” for many people. Work was an important part of his life and he took great pride in it. He was an avid gardener of vegetables, flowers, fruit trees and shrubs. Additionally, he enjoyed landscaping his gardens and property around his home. Some of his hobbies were buying, restoring, and showing steam engines with his sons, fishing, driving to Greenfield, Mass. to buy lottery tickets with family, and eating out and socializing at local restaurants. He is survived by his former wife, Joyce Nash; his son, David Nash of Gold Canyon, Ariz; his daughter, Tammy Nash of North Walpole, N.H.; his daughter, Donna Kilburn, and her husband, James (a special son-in-law); and his son, Brad Nash of Walpole, N.H .He was predeceased by his son, Tracy Nash. Memorial information: As per his request, there will be no calling hours or graveside service. A small, private memorial will be held at a later date with his immediate family. Donations in his name may be made to: Vermont Veterans' Home, 325 North St., Bennington, VT 05201, Attn: Activities Department.
Services
• A celebration of the life of Agnes Sebille will be held on Monday, July 4, which would have been her 62nd birthday, at 4 p.m., at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC), 1223 Bonnyvale Rd., West Brattleboro. Join with her family and friends to celebrate Agnes, her love of nature, and how she affected the life of everyone she met along her life's journey. Agnes, of Brattleboro, was born on July 4, 1960 and died on Dec. 30, 2021.
• A celebration of the life of Dorothy Richardson will be held on Saturday, July 9, from 3 to 6 p.m., at her home on 98 Aiken Rd. in Putney Rememberances from family and friends will be shared at 4:30 p.m. Mrs. Richardson, 95, died peacefully at her home on March 8, 2022.
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