College news
• Grace Wilkinson of Bellows Falls, Lucy Daly of Jamaica, Annabelle Gray of Londonderry, and Althea Holzapfel of Marlboro were all named to the fall 2023 Dean's List at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts.
• Jessica Tatro of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2023 semester at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.
• Audrey LaMorder of Guilford was named to the Dean's List at St. Michael's College in Colchester for the fall 2023 semester.
• Maria Carfora of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2023 semester at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.
Obituaries
• John Terrell Bennett III, 68, of Colrain, Massachusetts. Died on Feb. 29, 2024. He was born in Boston on June 14, 1955, the son of John T. Bennett Jr. and Ellen (Dunnell) Bennett. He was a warm and humorous man who loved his family above all. A diehard Patriots fan, flannel connoisseur, and dedicated civil servant, he drove with the windows down year-round. He had an unmatched affinity for nature and spent every spare minute in the woods. His hobbies included hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, map reading, and cooking outside. John is survived by his wife, Katherine Montague-Bennett, son Sam (Hannah) Bennett, daughter Margaret Bennett, granddaughter Eleanor Bennett, sister Caroline (Todd) Grady, and brother George (George Patsouris) Bennett. He was preceded in death by his father John Bennett Jr., mother Ellen Bennett, brother David Bennett, and uncles William Dunnell III and Jacob Dunnell. John graduated from St. Mark's School and went on to receive his bachelor's degree from Colby College and his master's from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He dedicated more than 20 years of his career to the Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro, and nearly 40 years of volunteer work to the Franklin County Conservation District. Memorial information: A celebration of John's life was held on March 9 at Hitchcock Brewing Company in Bernardston, Massachusetts. Donations to Betsy's Park Foundation in Holderness, New Hampshire; Squam Lakes Conservation Society, Squam Lake Natural Science Center, the Connecticut River Conservancy, or the Deerfield River Watershed Association. To offer condolences, visit smithkelleherfuneralhome.com.
• Donald H. Campbell, 89, of Putney. Died on Jan. 18, 2024. Born Sept. 12, 1935, to the late Linnie Mae Campbell and Donald Campbell in Westmoreland, New Hampshire. As a child, Don was known around town going door-to-door selling homemade chocolates and was quite successful. He knew honey would get you farther than vinegar. Don graduated from Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in 1949. There, he learned what a hard day's work was in the print shop and developed a good work ethic and what it meant to be part of a team. He graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1953, and earned school credit while working in a couple of local print shops. Don then served in the Army from 1954 to 1956, and was stationed in Germany as a military policeman. He married June T. Garfield on Sept. 8, 1956. After graduating from Bryant College in 1957, completing his four-year business degree in two years, he worked for the Metropolitan Life insurance company in Brattleboro for 12 years. Selling life insurance door-to-door, Don quickly became integrated into the community on such a level that folks would often leave their insurance premiums on the kitchen table for him to pick up. At Metropolitan Life, he met future business partner Dennis Boyd and, in June 1981, they started Campbell and Boyd Insurance Services in Brattleboro. They became best friends and had many humorous stories and adventures to share over the years. Don always had a way of retelling a story that kept you hanging on every word. Sometimes, you weren't sure if he was pulling your leg or just sharing a fact you didn't know about. You looked for the twinkle in his eye to tell the difference. Don was known for his radio ads for Campbell and Boyd with his native twang and spoofs of the people and doings around town such as Luther and his "pick 'em up truck, Bessy the Cow, the "Putney Road puzzle," and the tourist's $30,000 "Me'r cedes" car stuck in the snow pulled out by the farmer's $60,000 John Deere tractor, to name a few. Don was a hard worker on their homestead, helping June keep Debonair Riding School going and giving a happy home to various farm animals over the years. There was always something to build, fix and create. They had abundant gardens where Don would pass on his great work ethic, sprinkled with humor, while digging harder for potatoes to find the craziest looking ones. He started the "Great Family Pumpkin Contest" that over the years involved all sorts of mischief which he instigated. Don and June took a new interest and adventure in flying. They became members of the Southern Vermont Flyers at "Dummerston International Airport," where they flew their powered parachute, and then their ultralight plane. Don was quietly but strongly protective of family and always made newcomers feel welcomed. He taught all the grandchildren, and their friends, that a firm handshake and proper eye contact with no smirking (which he made almost impossible) was the price to pay to cross the threshold entering the house. Don took an honest interest in everyone and always could see the good in them. He saw the humor in every situation and took it that direction every chance he could. He leaves his wife of 68 years, their daughters Deborah Hardy and husband Steve, Bonnie Kimball and husband Mark, Christine Kowalski and husband Mark, and Jennifer Wood and longtime boyfriend Mike Cavanagh. They leave their grandchildren Timothy Campbell and wife Brianna, Daniel Butler and wife Shirley, James Kimball, Jessica Lambert and husband Elias, Gretchen Lachance and husband Nate, Stephanie Ludlow and husband Jarrett, Sarah, Jason, and Peter Hardy, and Trevor, Jada, and Dakota Wood; 11 great-grandchildren and lots of extended family filled with many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his half brother Francis Lambert and his wife, Barbara. Memorial information: Donations to Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, 708 Kurn Hattin Rd., Westminster, VT 05158.
• Donald Merton Hazelton, 93, of Dummerston. Died peacefully, surrounded by family members, on March 8, 2024. The son of Hazel (Carr) and Merton Hazelton of Dummerston, he graduated from Brattleboro High School with an Austine Prize for being one of the top four students. He was an electrician in the Air Force in Biloxi, Mississippi, before returning to Dummerston. He worked at the Scott Farm and was a delivery man before joining the family farm, H&M Orchards. Don grew "happy" strawberries, the highest quality apples (particularly his large Macouns), and made hundreds of gallons of maple syrup each year. In the late 1980s, he gave up the farm and began working at the School for International Training in the maintenance department. He loved meeting people from all over the world and retired at age 82. Don married the love of his life, Carolyn "Bunny" Jones, while on leave from the Air Force and they shared many adventures. They raised a loving family while tirelessly serving their community. Don volunteered on the Dummerston Fire Department and Rescue and was honored as Rescue Person of the Year by the Vermont State Firefighters Association. He was a leader for 4-H groups and summers at Camp Waubanong in Brattleboro. The Evening Star Grange awarded him and Bunny Citizens of the Year for their involvement. At the Dummerston Apple Pie Festival, he organized parking for the hundreds of cars and motorcycles attending. For the Grace Cottage Fair, he would annually donate time setting up and taking down booths. He served as custodian for the Dummerston Center Cemetery. He and Bunny were officers for the Maple Leaf Squares western square dance club. Even in his 80s and 90s, Don was a vital part in running a "wood kitchen," splitting and delivering wood for those in need, earning him Super Senior designation by WCAX-TV. In 2023, he was honored by the Dummerston Historical Society with a Don Hazelton Day for his years of service to the town. He spent his final year at Valley Cares Assisted Living in Townshend, and was lovingly cared for by staff there and from Bayada Hospice. Above all, Don was a true family man who loved spending time with others playing cards, appreciating nature, or working outside, especially at a camp on Putney Mountain. He is survived by sons David (Karen) of Dummerston, Steven (Barbara) of Mount Holly, and Ted (Joan) of Vassar, Kansas; daughters Phyllis (Dominic) Isbell of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Jeanette (Allen) Fairhurst of Thornwood, New York, as well as his many cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many "adopted" family members. He was predeceased by his wife; a son, Michael; and a granddaughter, as well as his beloved sisters and their husbands, Mary (Robert) Bolster and Carol (Raymond) Bessette. He leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, resiliency and common sense. Memorial information: Services will be held in the summer. Donations to Valley Cares Assisted Living, P.O. Box 341, Townshend, VT 05353; Grace Cottage Hospital, P.O. Box 216, Townshend, VT 05353, or Evening Star Grange, 1008 East-West Rd, East Dummerston, VT 05346. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Hildamarie Hendricks, 97, of Putney. Died peacefully in her home on Feb. 29, 2024. Born on Jan. 2, 1927, she was a trailblazer in progressive education and a staunch advocate for social justice. She founded a pioneering school in Edinburgh, Scotland, and served as regional director at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, dedicating her life to experiential learning and global understanding. Her legacy of impact on education and community service continues to inspire today. She is survived by her daughters Janet Meynell (Jay Pittard), Katharine Meynell, and Selina Rutovitz; her son, Philip Rutovitz (Bettina Rutovitz-Kraft); her brothers Jon Hendricks (Joanne Hendricks) and Nat Hendricks; as well as six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. Memorial information: Services will be held at the Putney Friends Meeting House at a date to be determined. Donations to Doctors Without Borders at donate.doctorswithoutborders.org, or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at give.unrefugees.org.
• Gloria Lee MacDuffie, 94, of Westminster. Died March 3, 2024. She was born to Mary and Floyd Tuttle on November 12, 1929, in Reid, Oklahoma. Her mother had journeyed to her parents' home from Liberal, Kansas, and returned there with Lee when Lee was about two weeks old. So, way back then, Lee ceased to be an Okie and became a Kansan prairie farmer with her skilled farming parents. Lee described cooking for harvest crews of 15 folks when her Mom was ill one year, and also driving grain trucks to the elevator at age 12. Lee was a leader in her tiny Greeley County High School, editor of its yearbook and baritone player in its little marching band. She went to Kansas State University, earning a bachelors degree, and was a baritone player in its marching band. She then married Bill Harper with whom she had three children. They lived in Braintree, and then Walpole, Massachusetts. She was president of the League of Women Voters in Walpole, and also instrumental in promoting educational opportunities and programs at the state prison in Walpole. After her divorce from Bill Harper, she met Bruce MacDuffie, and they built a life together. She pursued graduate work in counseling at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University, and art therapy training at the Chicago Art Institute and Lesley College. She had also become a skilled painter in watercolor, acrylic, and a little oil. Bruce found her a healing support for his own three children and for himself over the years. She practiced psychotherapy and counseling for more than 20 years. Letters from former clients speak of her as the most skillful and supportive of therapists. She also was active in the churches her husband pastored and was much loved in those church communities. Even in retirement, in 2018 to 2020, she helped host a total of five Honduran asylum seekers sharing their home and life with them. Najenyi Domingez, who was age 9 when she came to the U.S. and is now 16, calls her grandmother, expressing the loving relationship that developed. Lee gave of herself to her children and her communities. Two of her now adult children, William Harper III and Karen Davidson, succumbed to cancer last spring and summer. Her youngest child, David, moved from Mississippi to live with his mom and step-dad, and was able to be with her in her last days, as was her stepson, Robert MacDuffie, whom she nurtured and mothered from age 5 on. After years of living with dementia, she passed into continuing her journey in God's loving care. Her family all give thanks for her loving presence in ther lives. She is survived by her husband, Bruce MacDuffie, of Westminster; stepdaughter Elizabeth MacDuffie of Holyoke, Massachusetts, and her husband, Mark Miller; son David Harper of Westminster; stepson Joe MacDuffie and his spouse, Donna Reed, of Westerville, Ohio; stepdaughter Emily Klein of Barrington, Rhode Island; grandchildren Erin Hamann of Easthampton, Massachusetts, and Erin's two sons Finnegan and Killian; Jennifer Higdon of Apex, North Carolina and her husband Ryan and new baby Mairi (born Christmas Day 2023); Andrew Harper and his wife Catie of Mebane, North Carolina; Megan Harper of Cary, North Carolina; Madeleine Darling and her husband Steve Schmelz and their daughter Oona of Philadelphia; grandsons Benjamin and Christopher Davidson of Colorado; great-grandson John Paul MacDuffie Woodburn of Seattle, and his two children, Ramona and Llewyn. Memorial information: A celebration of her life was held at the Westminster Institute on March 10. A funeral service was held March 11 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Chester, followed by burial at Immanuel Church Cemetery in Bellows Falls.
• Marlene Rose (Coon) Simon, 41, died on March 6, 2024 after a short illness. She was born on Aug. 14, 1982, the daughter of Bertha and Robert LeClaire. She was the wife of Matthew Simon. Marlene attended Wilmington Middle High School and graduated with the Class of 2003. She enjoyed watching her two sons ride and race on their dirt bikes, spending time with her family and friends, and running around outside with her dogs. Marlene was survived by sisters Jennifer (Samuel) Abora and Stephany (Kristen) Miller; brothers Bobby and Brett (Yvonne) LeClaire; sons Gavin and Matthew (Amaya) Simon; nieces Gwendelin Cusack and Alexis Johnson, and nephews RJ, Brett, and Max LeClaire. Memorial information: Calling hours will be on March 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., at Ker Phaneuf Funeral Home, 57 High St., Brattleboro. To leave a message of condolence or for more information, visit phaneuf.net.
• Patricia Elizabeth "Pat" Woodard, 90, of Putney. Died peacefully on Feb. 6, 2024, at Charlene Manor in Greenfield, Massachusetts. where she had been a resident for the past three years. She was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on Sept. 21, 1933, the daughter of Julius and Marion (Hunting) Hayward. Pat was raised and educated in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and graduated from East Bridgewater High School. On Nov. 6, 1954, in Brockton, at a small wedding ceremony for family and close friends, she married Daniel E. Woodard, who survives. Pat attended the former Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing in Boston, earning her Registered Nurse diploma. After graduation, she worked as a registered nurse at Brockton Hospital in the nursery for over 30 years. She retired from the hospital in 1986 and moved to Putney with her husband, where they started a new adventure. Sunday mystery rides to new places always included a meal at a local diner. Pat enjoyed knitting, crocheting, puzzles, gardening, and bird watching. She was an avid reader and excellent baker, famous for her sour cream coffee cake, whoopie pies, and rhubarb pies. Her cookbook collection was vast. Besides her faithful and devoted husband of 69 years, she leaves one daughter, Deborah Corthell of Putney; three grandchildren, Kelly Lownds of Assonet, Massachusetts, Patrick Corthell of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Richard Corthell III, of New Zealand; six great-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Hope, Hunter, Ella, Anna, and Hazel; and a half-brother, Mark Hayward of East Bridgewater. She was predeceased by one brother, Julius Hayward. Memorial information: Graveside services will be conducted later in the springtime in Dummerston Center Cemetery at a date and time to be announced. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To share a memory or offer condolences to the family, visit atamaniuk.com.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.