College news
• Aaron Boles of Wilmington, Acesta Frye-Panther of Marlboro, and James Surfus of Brattleboro all were awarded bachelor's degrees with the Class of 2022 at Emerson College in Boston.
• The following local students graduated after the spring 2022 semester at Champlain College in Burlington: Jacob Lazarek of Westminster, B.S. in game art and animation; Jane Young of Brattleboro, B.F.A in filmmaking; Thomas Szpila of Brattleboro, B.S. in computer science and innovation; and Barbara Yanke of Wilmington, B.S. in business management.
• The following local students were honored for academic excellence at Champlain College for the spring 2022 semester: Hailee Mattson of Dummerston and Jane Young of Brattleboro were named to the President's List and Ashley Bolton of South Londonderry, Jayden Crawford of Wilmington, John Wright of Brattleboro, and Mark Hunnewell of South Londonderry were named to the Dean's List.
• Tyler Millerick, a general business major from Vernon, was named to the spring 2022 Dean's List at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass.
• The following local students were named to the spring 2022 Dean's List at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Receiving first honors were Morgan K. Brooke-deBock of Brattleboro, Freddie G. Learey of Brattleboro, Nicholas M. Mitchell of Putney, Max H. Spicer of South Newfane, and Julianne L. Liebow of Townshend. Receiving second honors were Abbe K. Cravinho of Bellows Falls, Lydia Hazzard-Leal of Brattleboro, and Julia S. Foster of Putney.
Obituaries
• Geoffry Brown, 91, of Marlboro. Died peacefully and unflinching at his home on July 21, 2022, with his neighbor and friend Megan at his side. He lived his life exactly as he wished, right to the end. As he recently said, “I have done everything I wanted to do, to my satisfaction.” Born in New York City on Jan. 19, 1931 to Ralph and Esther (Davis) Brown, he spent his youth there, except for two years at The Putney School. He continued his studies at Columbia, where he received his batchelor's and master's degrees. After army service in Korea, he worked in the professional theater in New York City as an actor, director, and set designer, and had a two-year stint as the original production stage manager of The Fantasticks. For over 30 years, starting in 1964, he headed the theater program at Marlboro College, directing more than 200 plays and touring them with his students throughout New England. He initiated the film and video department at the college, plus he was a founding member of the Marlboro Theater Company, which performed repertory theater in a large barn in Marlboro. His own plays have been performed at various venues, including The Actor's Equity Library theater at Lincoln Center. After retirement, he dedicated himself to writing a collection of well over 120 dramatic monologues on quintessential Americans from every period of our history from 1640 to the present. Many of these he performed, but his ultimate goal was to get these into the hands of young adults to generate interest in history by the dramatic reading or production of their stories. These scripts are available for download at geoffrybrown.net/home. Looking at the life of this remarkable man, it is clear that he recently wrote, directed, and performed his ultimate one-person play about the end of life. He never wavered from the script and performed to the end without distraction, just as he wanted it to be. He is survived by his brother Longstreth “Cooper” Brown, his sister Eleanor Nelson (Frank), and his extended family. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Nathaniel. Memorial information: He was laid to rest, per his wishes, in a Green Burial on MacArthur Road, where he resided for over 50 years.
• Hermon W. “Herm” Canedy, 75, of West Halifax. Died unexpectedly on July 21, 2022 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a procedure. Herm was born at home on the family farm on Green River Road in West Halifax on June 26, 1947, one of three children of Clarence Levi and Verna Ellen (Parsons) Canedy. Herm was a lifelong small cattle farmer carrying on the family tradition from his parents. He thoroughly enjoyed and took much pride in his cows and loved the companionship of the many dogs he had over the years. He was a devoted member of West Halifax Bible Church and enjoyed attending Sunday services and seeing his church family. Herm will be remembered as a kind, considerate, and caring person who loved his family, his animals, and cared about others. He leaves behind family members Marion Canedy, with whom he lived; aunt Shirley Crawford of Wilmington, and his many cousins. He was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Philip “Jake” Canedy. Memorial information: Funeral services were held July 27 at West Halifax Bible Church, with burial at Hatch Cemetery. To send personal condolences to the family, visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• William E. “Billy” Davies Jr., 69, of Brattleboro. Died July 21, 2022. He was born on Oct. 23, 1952 to the late William E. Davies and Lucille Davies (Stringham). William took great pride in his military service in the Marine Corps. He would often wake his children up in the morning with bugling and cadences. He served active duty from 1970 to 1973 and was charged with several important roles, one being the Corporal of the Guard for President Richard Nixon's helicopter security detail. From 1976 to 2001, he was a dedicated member of the Binghamton (N.Y.) Police. “I'm really proud of the work we did. We weren't perfect, but we kept Binghamton safe for people to work, live, and enjoy themselves,” William recently said when reflecting on his life and career. William retired from his position and moved to Vermont where he served on the Brattleboro Police Department for the next 12 years. He also spent one year using his experience in law enforcement as Chief of Police in Weathersfield, Vt. He ended his career as part of the U.S. Marshals Service in Rutland for 6 1/2 years. William was known for his remarkable work ethic and dedication. His family and children were very important to him, which was evident in his involvement in their recreational and sporting activities, his frequent visits after moving to Vermont, and the pearls of wisdom he offered from his own life experience. William had a passion for exercise and, while in Binghamton, was known for running his route in combat boots as opposed to sneakers. He was still doing pull-ups and push-ups on a regular basis at the age of 69. William had a love for pizza that started at a very young age. Later, this love for pizza would be spread to each of his children and it became a common and very welcome main course at many family gatherings. William also loved farming and working outdoors. Lastly, William was a loyal friend who would never hesitate to help someone in need. He has touched many lives, in particular, those closest to him. Most notably, William was a peaceful warrior to the end of his days. His strength was shown not just in how many pull-ups he could do, but in his deep and abiding faith. William is survived by his three children, William E. (Patti) Davies III, Emily (Hal) Stewart, and Amanda (Dan) VanVolkinburg; grandchildren Jacob Ashman, William E. Davies IV, Alex Davies, and Elizabeth VanVolkinburg; siblings Sharon Leahy, Melody (Jeff) McDonald, Holly (Eugene) Posniewski, as well as his cousins, nieces, and nephews and many dear friends, along with his brothers and sisters he served with during his 38-year career in law enforcement. He was predeceased by a brother-in-law, Brian Leahy; a sister, Robin Davies; and a brother, James Davies. Memorial information: A funeral service was held July 29 at Green Mountain Chapel in Brattleboro. Interment will take place in Binghamton at a later date. To share a memory or send condolences to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• James G. “Jimmy” Dulude, 69, of West Brattleboro. Died unexpectedly on July 20, 2022, after being taken ill at his workplace. Jimmy was born in Bristol, Conn., on Jan. 28, 1953, the son of James E. and Clare (Theriaque) Dulude. He was raised and educated in Wilbraham, Mass., graduating from Minnechaug Regional High School with the Class of 1971. He went on to attend Springfield Technical Community College. A resident of Brattleboro for the past 40 years, he worked as a printer for the former Zinn Graphics, Inc. and Griswold Printing. At the time of his death, he was employed at Minuteman Press. Previously, he worked at the former State Line Potato Chip Co. in Wilbraham. Jimmy enjoyed fishing, boating, music, playing the guitar, and time shared with his family. He also loved to travel and visited his favorite destination, Ireland, a total of eight times throughout the years. Survivors include one son, Matthew Dulude, and wife, Jennifer, of Raymond, Maine; two grandchildren, Eli and Lucy; and two sisters, Deborah Maloney of Palmer, Mass., and Maryann Musiak of Wilbraham. Additionally, he leaves one niece, three nephews, several cousins and his beloved cat, Rodel. Memorial information: In keeping with his final wishes, there are no funeral services scheduled. Donations to Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To share condolences, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Clifford E. Hastings, 52, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died peacefully on July 18, 2022 at Memorial Sloane Kettering in New York City, due to complications from cancer treatment. Cliff was born in Hinsdale on Jan. 27, 1970 to Eugene and Georgina (Willette) Hastings. He attended Hinsdale schools, where he met his future wife. Cliff was something right from the start. He was precocious, inventive, and wildly enthusiastic, even as a small child. These traits never let up for a moment in his 52 years. His gift of gab served him well both professionally in his career in industrial sales, and personally as he made lifelong friends everywhere he went. He could be incredibly profound, was unapologetically profane, and could make anyone wince, gasp, and ultimately laugh until they cried. Cliff had a great love of family. He married Cynthia Nebelski on Sept. 16, 1989; they had two children, Stephen and Spencer, of whom he was immensely proud, and never missed an opportunity to brag about to anyone within earshot. His great love for his granddaughter Addison was what most sustained him as his disease progressed in the past year. He was a ham radio hobbyist and loved to connect to strangers in other parts of the world. His ability to make a personal connection never failed him. His other love was to take long rides on his Harley-Davidson for what he called wind therapy. He was a deeply compassionate person moved to help others, especially those in crisis. He spent 29 years as a firefighter and EMT and was Emergency Management Director for 10 years. These experiences gave him an understanding and compassion for people in the medical professions that fueled a commitment to the way he would carry himself through his cancer journey, staying positive and doing his best to entertain the nurses and hospital staff with his jokes, antics and tongue-in-cheek threats of writing bad Yelp reviews. He wrote near his death, “I find that attitude is as important to recovery as anything you can do. Cancer has the great feature to put your mortality in front of your face, but one has to remember that tomorrow is not guaranteed no matter what your health currently is. I might have cancer, but I won't let it have me.” He never did let it bring him down. Cliff is survived by his wife Cindy, his daughter Spencer, son Stephen and wife Tierney (whom he adored as a second daughter), and his beloved granddaughter Addie Grace. Also surviving are his parents Georgina and Marvin Carley; sisters Serena and husband George Benedict; Dawn Hastings and husband Aaron Betts; Monica Hastings and husband Dana Sprague; Laura, and husband Troy Santerre; and nephews Troy (Rachael) Benedict, Tristan (Caitlyn) Benedict, Taran (Allison Fiske) Benedict, Laol Short, Cameron Santerre and Parker Santerre. He was predeceased by his father Eugene C. Hastings. Memorial information: Funeral services will be private. Cliff's dying wish was to find ways to support other families navigating a cancer diagnosis and treatment, and to give to the American Cancer Society. Kidder Funeral Home of Northfield, Mass., is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences, visit www.kidderfuneralhome.com.
• Robert Bertrand “Bob” Knapp, 72, of Venice, Fla. Died July 24, 2022 at the Tidewell Venice Hospice House, following a courageous 13-year battle with cancer. Bob was born April 20, 1950 in Bellows Falls to Frederick and Jacqueline Knapp. He attended schools in Dummerston and Brattleboro, as well as East Coast Aero Tech in Massachusetts. Bob and his wife, Diane, retired and moved to the Venice area from Illinois where he had been a paper maker for 17 years. He had worked 17 years prior to that in paper mills in Vermont and Massachusetts, but dabbled in carpentry, tinkered on machinery, helped on his dad's dairy farm, cut wood, and mowed lawns in his spare time. Bob loved to ski back in the day, ride his bike, and swim at Manasota beach. He was a hunter and had so wanted to take that camper on one more adventure. He and Diane managed to travel from coast to coast, which is where his sons and their families are, one on each coast. Bob met his wife in high school on a blind date and had been married for 52 years. When asked of his life accomplishments, without hesitation he said it was helping raise two great sons. He was determined to squeeze every last ounce of time on this earth. His family is heartbroken, but so glad he fought so hard to live. Bob was a friend to all and a friend of Bill W. Bob leaves behind his wife; sons Robert, his wife Carrie, and grandson Gavin of Kalama, Wash., and Brian and his wife Kara of Dummerston, and grandson Zeb and his partner Rachel, of Rutland; brother Tim and partner John Bouffard of Dummerston; sister Sue Rogers of Walpole, N.H.; nephew Jordan and niece Jax. His parents preceded him in death, as well as his sister, Deborah. Memorial information: Burial will be in Vermont at the convenience of the family. Donations to Tidewell Venice Hospice House, 220 Wexford Blvd., Venice, FL 34293.
• Richard Emery Parsons, 92, formerly of Wilmington. Died July 23, 2022 at Valley Cares in Townshend, where he was a resident. Richard was born in Wilmington on May 11, 1930, the son of the late Hermon and Ruby Anne (Griswold) Parsons, and attended local schools. Richard worked on the family farm for 36 years and then for International Paper Company for 26 years, retiring in 1992. Along with his wife, Richard enjoyed working at the Flea Market in Wilmington and was known as “The Knife Man” for selling a variety of stainless-steel knives. He enjoyed watching old western movies, telling stories, having a cold beer in the afternoon, and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Richard is survived by his children Sandra Ruby O'Neal of Hinsdale, N.H., and Richard A. Parsons of Brattleboro; his sister Shirley Crawford of Wilmington; grandchildren Michelle Foster, Richard Parsons, Kimberly Gassett, and Sarah O'Neal; and 10 great-grandchildren and three great-great- grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Lorraine Barnett Parsons, whom he married Nov. 11, 1949 in Wilmington. She died on Nov. 27, 2021. He was also preceded in death by his siblings Ralph, Ernest, and Burnerd Parsons, Verna Canedy, and Agnes Pietrunti; his grandson Douglas O'Neal. and his great-granddaughter Jennifer Gassett. Memorial information: Graveside funeral services were held July 28 at Riverview Cemetery in Wilmington. Donations to Valley Cares, in care of Covey-Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
Memorials
• Friends of Leyeyo Kipamba are invited to share memories on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m., at the home of his parents, Sarah Messenger and Paul Weber, on the Common in Townshend. Mr. Kipamba, 24, died on April 18, 2022.
• A celebration of the life of Mary Alice “Mal” Herbert will be held at the Putney Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 6. A memorial for her will take place at 2 p.m., with a reception to follow. Mrs. Herbert, 86, died on May 13, 2021.