College news
• Zinnia Siegel made the Dean’s List at the Early College Program at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
• Lacy Hudson of Grafton was named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2022 semester at Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts.
• Sydney Henry of Brattleboro and John Peloso of Brattleboro were both named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2022 semester at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts.
• Jonathan Griffin, a sophomore business administration major from West Townshend, was named to the fall 2022 President’s List at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Marielle Meyer, a health science/pre-PA major from Brattleboro, was named to the Dean’s List for academic excellence for the fall 2022 semester at Springfield (Mass.) College.
• Wyatt Keith, a health science major from Vernon, and Elizabeth Day, a communications major from Brattleboro, were named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2022 semester at American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Owen Wesley Ameden, a junior majoring in civil engineering from Jamaica, Jesse Peter Dykes, a freshman majoring in computer science from West Wardsboro, and Liam Ian Allan McNeil, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering from Brattleboro, were all named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2022 semester at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.
Obituaries
• Winifred J. “Winnie” Amarosa, 92, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, and a patient at Applewood Rehabilitation Center in Winchester, New Hampshire since October 2019. Died Jan. 7, 2023 at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, New Hampshire from complications of an infection. She was born in Brattleboro on Aug. 3, 1930, the daughter of the late Guy and Helen (Lombard) Bouchie. She was raised and educated in Hinsdale and graduated from Hinsdale High School with the Class of 1948. After high school, she proudly worked at the former Montgomery Ward store in Brattleboro. On Sept. 9, 1950, she was married to her first love, Frank J. Amarosa, Jr., who predeceased her in 2002. For many years beside her husband, she assisted with the day-to-day operation of the family business, F.J. Amarosa Jr. & Sons Plumbing, Heating, and Hardware Store in Winchester. After retirement as the storekeeper, she continued to share her talents at High Hopes and Harlow’s Sugar House. She also had been employed for several years working the lunch program at Hinsdale Elementary School. A devout Catholic who was steadfast in her walk of faith, she was a lifelong communicant of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hinsdale and was a charter member of the Catholic Daughters Court at St. Joseph’s Church since 1958. She was also a member of the Hinsdale Parent Teachers’ Association during her children’s school years in the 1960s and 1970s. Winnie was a co-founder and served as treasurer of the Winchester Star, a newspaper published monthly in Winchester, maintaining friendships to this day. Winnie enjoyed collecting family heirlooms, Shirley Temple memorabilia, and postcards of local towns and covered bridges. Winnie joined the Hinsdale Historical Society and shared her knowledge about the town’s history. In 1981, she joined the Northfield Quilters, proudly quilting all by hand and gained lifelong friendships. Family reunions were important to Winnie to keep up relationships with her cousins in Maine and New Hampshire. Survivors include a daughter, Sharon Amarosa of Hinsdale; sons Frank Amarosa III of Ashuelot, New Hampshire and Thomas Amarosa of Winchester; a brother, Albert Bouchie and wife Mary Ellen of Smyrna Mills, Maine; a sister, Barbara Benjamin of Zephyr Hills, Florida; and three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by a son, David Amarosa; a brother, Guy Bouchie, Jr.; and a sister, Martha Duggan. Memorial information: A funeral Mass will be celebrated at a later date in the spring, to be announced by Atamaniuk Funeral Home of Brattleboro. Donation to the Guy X. Bouchie Scholarship Fund, in care of the Hinsdale Fire Department, 13 Depot St., Hinsdale, NH 03451; or to The Gathering Place Adult Day Care Services, 30 Terrace St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To share a memory or send condolences to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Francis Edward (Pete) Atkins, 82, of Cabot, formerly of Brattleboro. Died on Jan. 6, 2023 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. He was born on July 6, 1940, in Brattleboro, the son of Alfred Winslow and Priscilla (Snelling) Atkins. He was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School in 1958, and joined the Air Force in 1958, training in Texas and assigned to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., where he spent his military career. While in North Dakota, he met and married Sandra Menge, and they were married for 62 years. He first worked for Burrows Sport Shop in Brattleboro after leaving the military, and was a ski mechanic on weekends at Mount Snow. Pete worked at the Vermont Guide Service for several years. He drove delivery trucks throughout New England for C.E. Bradley Laboratories in Brattleboro, and later worked for St. Johnsbury Trucking in Westminster, and drove for Stow Mills (later United Natural Foods) in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. He drove more than a million miles throughout New England and the East Coast during his driving career. He owned and operated the Trading Post Sport Shop in Bellows Falls with his family. He was a member of the Bellows Falls Elks Lodge 1619 for many years. Pete was an accomplished bare-bow archer and, with his family, was a member of Abenaqui Archers of Brattleboro and the Vermont Bowmen, regularly competing in state and New England archery tournaments. He placed second in the New England Field Archery Tournament in 1963. Trap shooting was another competitive sport he enjoyed and he earned many trophies in trap shooting competitions. Pete hunted extensively with family and friends in Newfoundland, Canada, for moose, Montana for mule deer and pronghorn antelope, Idaho for elk, and Anticosi Island, Quebec for whitetail deer; Cape Cod and the lakes and ponds of northern Vermont for ducks, Minnesota for whitetail deer, as well as every deer and bear season in Vermont for more than 70 years. His last hunting season was November with friends in Middlesex. Pete and his family took up bird hunting in the early ’80s, and with their trained bird dogs enjoyed hunting woodcock, ducks, geese, partridge and pheasant. An avid fisherman, and he fished on Cape Cod, Maine, Florida, California, Quebec and the brooks and rivers of Vermont. An accomplished canoeist, he led canoe trips as a member of the Vermont Guide Service, as well as joining canoe trips on the St. Johns and Allagash rivers in Maine. With his son Michael, he participated in white water canoe races on the West River in Jamaica and on the White River in Vermont. Having lived with his family in Brattleboro for many years, the family bought land in Cabot, building a small off-the-grid hunting camp on a trail. The camp was expanded with more solar power and became a retirement home in 2003. Pete is survived by his children Michael Peter (Anne Corey) Atkins, Marie Atkins Blackwood, Erik Mitchel (Karen Freitas) Atkins, and Kristen Rae Atkins; a sister, Ann (Snelling) Magrone; six grandchildren, his best dog Lizzie, and nieces and nephews. Memorial information: No services are planned at this time, but a memorial gathering will take place this summer. Memorial contributions may be made to the Cabot Emergency Ambulance Service, 2947 Main St., Cabot, VT 05647.
• Marshall Ellis “Marty” Goodell, 73, of Wilmington. Died peacefully on Jan. 10, 2023 at the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington, ending his 11-year battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Born March 28, 1949 in Gardner, Massachusetts, Marty was the son of Marshall Terrance Goodell and Helen Mildred Ellis. He grew up in Athol, Massachusetts, where he attended local schools, played ball with other neighborhood children and enjoyed episodes of “Howdy Doody,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Gunsmoke.” He began his military career in 1969 and spent time overseas in Germany in the Army. Upon his return, he accepted employment at Mount Snow as a lift operator, eventually becoming a welder. Later, he ventured out as a private contractor welder and took jobs in California, Colorado, Michigan, and the Dominican Republic. In more recent years, he enjoyed making deliveries for FedEx as a custom critical driver. Marty volunteered for the Wilmington Fire Department for 33 years, where he formed many close friendships and shared stories of comedic proportion. Marty enjoyed hiking, skiing, the ocean, road trips, good books, and peanut butter cookies. Some of the happiest memories of his life were formed on the shores of Rye Beach, his time with the fire department, and in the company of his devoted family of which he was immensely proud and vigilant. An exemplary son, brother, husband and father, Marty is survived by his devoted wife, Catherine Esther Goodell (Boyd); his daughter, Jennifer Dawn Goodell; his son, Craig Michael Goodell; his sister Mary Jane Spencer (Goodell) and her husband, Maurice; grandchildren Brialyn Renee, Ethan Michael, Keiron Christopher, and Ellyanna Lea; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his loving parents and his sister Marjorie Goodell. Memorial information: Services with military honors will be held at the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m. A memorial reception will follow the service at the Wilmington Fire House. Donations can be made to the Wilmington Fire Department or the Vermont Veterans’ Home in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363. To send personal condolences, visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• Joyce Ann (Thompson) Hudson, 80, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Died peacefully, with her daughter by her side, on Jan. 8, 2023 at Thompson House in Brattleboro. She was born on April 15, 1942, in Keene, New Hampshire to the late Barbara (Whitcomb) and Lynn Thompson. Joyce was the wife of the late Rodney Hudson of Hinsdale. They were married on April 21, 1973 in Winchester, New Hampshire at the South Federated Church. She graduated from Thayer High School in Winchester, Class of 1960, and worked at the National Grange Mutual Insurance Company in Keene until 1976. After leaving the insurance company, Joyce worked as a homemaker and helped her husband on the family’s dairy farm in Hinsdale. Joyce enjoyed volunteering with her sister Jane at the United Church of Christ in Keene, where she would help with cleaning and events held at the church. She enjoyed baking and crocheting and loved butterflies, listening to music, and being a grandmother. Survivors include her daughter Kimberly Hudson of Hinsdale, her son Lynn Hudson and his wife Angel (Farnum) of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, grandchildren Blake Hudson and Grace Hudson, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her parents, Joyce was predeceased by her husband Rodney in 2014, her only sister Jane Harris in 2016, and nephew Mark Harris in 2009. Memorial information: Services will be held in the spring at the convenience of the family. Family and friends will be invited to attend. Donations to the Thompson House Activities Fund, 80 Maple St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send condolences, visit www.phaneuf.net.
• Jane Rice Lawrence, 86, of Westminster. Died peacefully at her home on Jan. 8, 2023. She was born July 3, 1936 to John and Beaulah Rice. She graduated from Bellows Falls High School in 1955. On Nov. 4, 1955, she married the love of her life, Floyd W. Lawrence Sr. Together they raised their three children: Toni Collins (Charles Hancock) of Westminster, Tracy Smith (Gary) of Charlestown, New Hampshire, and Floyd Jr. (Sue) of Westminster. She also leaves behind her grandchildren Jacob Lawrence, Tiffany Smith Potashnick (Adi), Aaron LaPlante (Victoria), Brittany Smith Putnam (Derron), Joshua Lawrence (Kirsten), and Devin Collins (Lindsey); her great-grandchildren Phenix Putnam, Velvet Lawrence, Maddox Putnam, Lita Lawrence, Nila Lawrence, Taylor LaPlante, Axl Floyd Lawrence, Kieran Collins, and Ivy and Finn Potashnick, and her brother Jack (Madeline) Rice of Saxtons River. Jane loved to bake and kept family and friends well stocked with breads, muffins, cookies, and more. She enjoyed knitting and making hats and mittens for her great-granddaughters. She always looked forward to visits from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Floyd, her parents, and her sister, Joan R. Sumner. She leaves behind many in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins, family and friends. Memorial information: Per her wishes, there will be no services. A private burial will be held in the spring at the convenience of the family. Donations to the Bellows Falls Senior Center, 18 Tuttle Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101, or the charity of your choice.
• Richard “Dick” Lucier, 90, of Townshend. Died unexpectedly from pneumonia on Jan. 8, 2023 at Grace Cottage Hospital, surrounded by his family. Dick was the oldest of six children and was born Dec. 12, 1932 in Williamsville to Harry and Alice (Burrington) Lucier. He attended local schools and graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1952. He was very proud to be on the 1950 state champion football team. After high school Dick enlisted in the Army and served his country for four years during the Korean War era. After an honorable discharge, Dick married Frances Alta Cole on January 19, 1957 in Wardsboro. Fran predeceased him in 1990. During his life, Dick served as a Selectman and later a Lister for the town of Townshend. He was also a member of the American Legion, Maple Leaf Square Dancers Club, and Townshend Snowmobile Club. Dick was a logger for many years and retired as a Master Plumber, running a business with his son and grandson. Dick enjoyed a BIG bowl of ice cream (especially maple walnut), skiing, ski jumping, sugaring, woodworking, hunting, and attending his children’s, grandchildren’s and even great-grandchildren’s activities. He spent a lot of time at the Big Averill camp in Averill, fishing off his boat and swimming. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother Donald and sister Sandra Beichner. Surviving are his brothers Frank (Barbara) of Florida and Harry (Marilyn) of Hinsdale, New Hampshire and a sister, Janice Bills of Brattleboro. He is also survived by a son, Daniel (Janet) of Townshend, and daughters Debra (Greg) Record of Newfane, JoAnn (Theodore) Grussing of Surry, New Hampshire, and Susan Lucier of Brookline. He leaves grandchildren Caleb Record, Sadie Hallock, Teresa Bernard, Devan Lucier, Riley Lucier, Tabitha Hadvab, Tucker Bumps, Thacher Winot, and Tanner Winot, and great-grandchildren Abriella and Sophia Hallock, and Ripken, Easton and Tate Bernard. He also leaves many nieces and nephews. Dick often spoke of what a lucky and fortunate man he was to have such a family. Memorial information: Dick gifted his body to the University of Vermont College of Medicine Anatomical Gift Program. A celebration of life will be in the spring on a date to be determined. Donations to Grace Cottage Hospital, P.O. Box 216, Townshend, VT 05353.
• Theadora “Chickie” W. Macie, 77, died peacefully on January 7, 2023. Theadora was born on May 15, 1945, in St. Johnsbury to the late Dorothea (Coleman) and Thaddeus W. Holcomb. She completed her schooling locally, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School in 1964. It was during high school where she fell in love with Chester “Chet” A. Macie, and they were married on April 3, 1965. Their marriage lasted 51 years until Chet’s death in 2016. In her free time, Chickie liked to crochet and sew for her family, and anyone who knew her, knew about her famous donuts. She also enjoyed decorating the yard and house for the holidays. In addition to being predeceased by her beloved high school sweetheart Chet, Chickie was also predeceased by her sisters Mildred in 1947 and Sadie Cooke in 1984. She will be greatly missed by her three loving sons, Chester Jr. of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, Jerry, also of West Chesterfield, and Randy of Marlborough, New Hampshire; one granddaughter, Megan, and two great-grandchildren, two nephews, and many cousins. Memorial information: Services will take place in the spring at the convenience of the family. Donations to the American Cancer Society. To send condolences to the family, visit phaneuf.net.
• John Charles Martel, 73, of Greenfield, Massachusetts, formerly of Brattleboro. Died suddenly and unexpectedly on Jan. 3, 2023 at Hartford (Conn.) Hospital after being stricken ill. John was born in Brattleboro on Oct. 30, 1949, the son of Lourio and Elizabeth (Lazelle) Martel. He attended Brattleboro public schools and graduated from Brattleboro Union High School with the Class of 1967. He went on to proudly serve his country in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was the recipient of the Purple Heart, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Navy Achievement Medal, and a Combat Action Ribbon. He was honorably discharged at the rank of corporal on June 26, 1970. Upon his return home, he went to work at Boise Cascade where he earned his license as an electrician. The company eventually became Fibermark and he retired from the company as a manager following 42 dedicated and faithful years of service. He was a member of American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro and the Greenfield (Mass.) Moose Club. With his wife, he was a communicant of Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenfield, and was a former parishioner of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, and spending time, including reunions, at his family’s camp on Holland Pond in Vermont. He also liked to go dancing with his wife and took a keen interest in genealogy and tracing his family roots. On Dec. 21, 2002 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Greenfield, he was married to Christina Peralta, who survives. Besides his wife of 20 years, he leaves one son, John L. Martel of Dummerston; five step-daughters: Anavelcis and Yurix Peralta of Amherst, Massachusetts, Yelbix Hill of Northfield, Massachusetts, Eslovenia Schuyler of Gilbert, Arizona, and Lilly McEnaney of Bernardston, Massachusetts; sisters Betty Davison of Essex Junction, Diana Bedard of Hinsdale, and Dora Sprague of Brattleboro; and a brother, David Martel of East Alstead, New Hampshire. Additionally, he is survived by six grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. John was predeceased by one brother, Robert Martel. Memorial information: A funeral Mass will be held St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m. Burial with military honors will take place at a later date in the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. Donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517 or www.woundedwarriorproject.org. To send condolences, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Mario J. Martocci, 70, husband of Barbara Martocci and father of Sairy Martocci, died on Jan. 5, 2023, after a long illness brought on by cancer and lung issues. Mario was born in Brattleboro to June (Harris) Martocci and Nicholas Martocci. He was the youngest of seven children and is survived by his wife, daughter, and brother Nick (Laurie), and several nieces and nephews. Mario served in the Army during the Vietnam War era, and his career was as a carpenter, building his Vermont home and then working as a handyman/contractor for a motel in later years in Tennessee. He loved riding his Harley-Davidson, camping, and traveling around the states seeing new sights. His hobbies were woodworking, barbecuing and smoking food, partying with friends, and spending time with family. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Donations to to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
• Jane McCauley, 101, of Stowe, formerly of Brattleboro. Died peacefully, with family at her side, on Jan. 1, 2023. Born in Dansville, N.Y., on February 10, 1921, she lived most of her life in Brattleboro before relocating to Stowe in her later years. As part of her legacy, she leaves a son, Harold Nordstrom II and daughter-in-law Mary Jo of Reading, Massachusetts, and a daughter, Cajsa Nordstrom Schumacher of Morrisville, as well as grandchildren Justin Nordstrom, Angela Nordstrom Jennings, Erika Schumacher, Heidi Schumacher, and Ryan Schumacher, and their spouses. She leaves seven great-grandchildren: Ava and Abigail Jennings, Levi Nordstrom, Elsa and Sigrid Hogate, and Oliver and Adelaide Picard, as well as many loved nieces and nephews. Jane was a proud non-commissioned officer in the Navy during World War II, after President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Navy Women’s Reserve Act into law, creating what was commonly known as the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). As a Yeoman First Class, she was stationed in Washington, D.C., during the war years and oversaw a team of 13 women whose job was to type code which Jane then transmitted to the Pacific Fleet. On April 14, 1945, she was honored to be among military women and men who escorted FDR’s horse-drawn funeral cortege from Union Station to the White House. It was during her service time that she met her future husband, Marine Corps Sgt. Major Harold Nordstrom, of the Third Marine Division. Jane and Harold raised their children in Port Allegany, Pennsylvania, and later Brattleboro. Until her retirement, she continued community employment, including many years as executive secretary to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital director and board. After the end of her first marriage, Jane found love again with John “Jack” McCauley of Brattleboro, with whom she enjoyed 21 years of travel and good times. Jane remained active in her retired years, especially with advocacy for military women, including being co-founder and president of the Vermont WAVES chapter, and subsequently a board member for WAVES-National. She was instrumental in the naming of part of Vermont’s Interstate 91 to honor women veterans. Before his recent retirement, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy honored her with a letter commending her years of service. For over 50 years, Jane was active in many capacities at Trinity Lutheran Church, in Brattleboro, until she moved northward. Additionally, she was a Red Cross volunteer, a van driver to the Veterans Hospital in White River Junction for those without transportation, a vote-counter on election days, a volunteer at BMH, and a member of the hospital auxiliary. She was loved by many and will be missed. Memorial information: A graveside memorial event will be held in the spring. Donations to Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Ave, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Patricia Neer, 98, of Brattleboro. Died peacefully in her sleep on January 4, 2023 from complications of influenza. Pat was born in Richmond, Virginia, the daughter of Charles and Alma (Mett) Stainton, and lived in Englewood, New Jersey until she moved to Brattleboro in 1998 to spend more time with her grandchildren and Vermont daughter. Both homes are places full of wonderful memories. Pat thought of others first and will be remembered for her thoughtful, kind, giving and caring nature. She was a friend to many throughout her life. She will be missed by her family and friends. Pat earned a master’s degree in nursing from Colombia University and practiced nursing until 1956 when her twin daughters were born. Pat loved being a mother and grandmother. She was active in numerous volunteer activities, and enjoyed riding horses, swimming, playing tennis, and ice skating with her family and friends. She became an avid golfer after moving to Brattleboro and enjoyed golfing with her friends and daughters. She loved music and animals; all her pets were rescues and she was often heard singing to herself. In addition, she was a talented artist, and enjoyed painting, sculpting and interior design, and her friends and fellow artists in the Brattleboro area. She was a faithful member of the First Presbyterian Church in New Jersey and Centre Congregational Church of Brattleboro. Pat loved living in Brattleboro and was in awe of the incredible friendships she made there. Pat will also be remembered as a strong and resilient woman, who just kept moving forward and bouncing back. Pat had many blessings in her life, but also some difficult times. Her father died when she was in high school and she went to work at the soda fountain counter at Woolworth’s in Englewood to help support her mother and younger sister. Her younger sister also had some health problems, and Pat cared for her, which she describes as leading her to a career as a nurse. She put herself through college and nursing school, and spoke about the hardships during World War II. After an unwanted divorce, she strived forward, and made a new life for herself. She made it through two bouts of COVID, but, even though she fought it, finally succumbed to the flu. Pat was predeceased by her only sister Barbara Albertson of Irvine, California, and her former husband Charles S. Neer II of Vinita, Oklahoma. Pat leaves behind her two daughters and their husbands Charlotte and Glenn Annis of Dummerston, and Sydney and Peter Rowland of Haddam, Connecticut. She also leaves behind her two precious granddaughters, Kathryn Annis and her husband Ben Crosby of Brattleboro, and Elizabeth Annis, of Dummerston. Memorial information: In consideration of the health of Pat’s friends during this time of COVID and flu, Pat’s celebration of life will be held on Saturday, April 22, at 10 a.m., at Centre Congregational Church, 193 Main St., Brattleboro. Her daughters encourage you to wear some of Pat’s favorite colors (variations of pinks and blues) and, of course, a scarf, which Pat was rarely seen without. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society (Brattleboro) or Centre Congregational Church’s “Samaritan Fund.”
• Percy Frederick Powling, 92, of Williamsville. Died Jan. 7, 2023 in the comfort of his home, with his devoted wife at his side, following a period of declining health. Percy was born in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts on July 2, 1930, the son of George and Mildred (Baxter) Powling. He was raised and educated in Marlboro, attending a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade. At age 16, he went to work in his family’s logging business, Powling Brothers Logging. Percy retired in 2001 after 50 years as a logger. For many years, he held membership in the Modern Woodmen Association. An ardent outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, competing in and attending area draft horse pulls, and time shared with his family. Some of his proudest moments was seeing his grandson pulling draft horses at area competitions, of which he won the Northeast Draft Horse Association Championship in Swanzey, New Hampshire in 2015. On August 16, 1980, in the Chapel of the Pines at the top of Living Memorial Park in Brattleboro, he was married to Nancy Rice, who survives. Besides his faithful wife of 42 years, he leaves one stepdaughter, Wannetta Powling and husband, Mark, of Williamsville; a sister, Violet Howard of Marlboro; a special niece who he considered a younger sister, Hazel Brown of Jacksonville; 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Additionally, he is survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. He was predeceased by three stepsons, Leon Knapp, Milo Knapp, and Alonzo “Peter” Gilbert; three brothers, Lester, Calvin, and George Powling; three sisters, Leone Beam, Irene Bourn, and Hazel Powling; and a grandson, Jason Gilbert. Memorial information: Graveside services and burial in the family lot in South Newfane Cemetery will take place in the springtime when the cemetery reopens. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302; or to the Newbrook Fire & Rescue, P.O. Box 77, Newfane, VT 05345. To send condolences, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Brian Philip Trottier, 73, died at home, surrounded by his family on Jan. 7, 2023. He was born March 23, 1948, in Hanover, New Hampshire to Philip and Vera (Flint) Trottier. Brian graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1967, where he was a three-sport athlete. He went to the Franklin Institute in Boston graduating in 1968 with an associate degree in drafting. Brian continued his education at Peru (Neb.) State College and graduated with a B.S. in education in 1971. Brian married Patricia Neumeister in Brattleboro on August 15, 1970. In 1972, when they returned to Vermont from Nebraska, they moved to Milton, where Brian taught industrial arts and coached soccer at Milton High School. In 1975, they moved to Wilder, and Brian taught industrial arts and coached track, basketball and softball at Hartford High School. In 1989, Brian became assistant athletic director at Hartford High School and, after nine years in that position, he was promoted to athletic director. In 1998, at their national convention in San Antonio, Texas, Brian was inducted into Epsilon Pi Tau International Honor Society for Professions in Technology. Brian was honored to be named Vermont Athletic Director of the Year in 2000. After 34 years in the teaching profession, he retired in 2006. All through Brian’s life, sports were important to him. He always encouraged students to make sports a part of their lives because he felt sports taught worthwhile skills and valuable lessons for a successful life. Brian officiated school softball and baseball games in the Upper Valley. He was a certified basketball official at games across southern Vermont for over 40 years. He ran the clock at the Hartford football games for 13 years following his retirement. He was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and, of course, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Brian was a former member of the Hartford Volunteer Fire Department, White River Lions Club, and served on the Hartford Recreation Board for several years. He is a member of the West Lebanon Congregational Church. Brian deeply loved his family, especially being a proud and supportive father to his daughters, Sara and Abby. One of his greatest joys was becoming “Papa” for his four grandchildren. Brian was there to cheer on his grandsons in their school activities, sports, Boy Scouts, and any other interests they participated in. He was so proud of each of his grandsons for all their accomplishments no matter how big or small. Brian was a loving husband, father and “Papa” who will be so dearly missed. Brian enjoyed spending time in his woodworking workshop building beautiful furniture and other projects for his family and friends’ homes. He also liked adding to their gardens, birdhouses, and other handmade wooden décor. His greatest pastime in the last few years was sitting on our porch and visiting with family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patty; daughters Sara Rice of Sharon and Abby Spina (Charlie) of White River Junction; grandsons August Branch (Traci and her daughter, Isabel Davis), Connor and Braedon Rice, and Carson Spina; sister Teresa Fisher of Fair Haven; brothers-in-law David (Betsy) Neumeister of Sarasota, Florida, and Warren Neumeister and Barbie Sundling of Summerfield, Florida; sister-in-law, Lyda N. Snodgrass of Lincoln, Nebraska; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also leaves very dear family friends, Jill and Chetan Huded and their three children of Leawood, Kansas. He was predeceased by his parents, his father and mother–in-law, Roy and Cenith Neumeister, brothers-in-law Michael Fisher and Dave Snodgrass, and sister-in-law April Neumeister. Memorial information: A visitation will be held at the Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction on Friday, Jan. 20, from 4 to 6 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the West Lebanon (N.H.) Congregational Church on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. Donations to Cornerstone Care of New England, P.O. Box 943, Wilder, VT 05088; Bayada Hospice, P.O. Box 1590, Norwich, VT 05055; or Hartford High School Athletic Department, c/o Jeff Moreno, 37 Highland Ave., White River Junction, VT 05001.