Obituaries
Editor's note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge.
• Nicolas Adam Apgar, 92, of Brattleboro. Died March 9 at Thompson House. Husband of the late Nancy Ellen Lonergan. Father of Nancy A. Olson and her husband, Victor, of Putney; and Jonathan Mitcalfe Apgar, and his wife, Bonnie, of Roanoke, Va. Born in Gaillon, Eure, France, son of Agatha Mitcalfe, an Englishwoman, and Theodore Higgins Apgar, of New Jersey. When he was four, his mother and newborn brother died during childbirth. He also lost a younger sister, Mary, during this time. His father remarried, wedding Beatrice DeKok, of Johannesburg, South Africa, and in 1927, moved the family, which now included a brother, Stuart, to Albany, N.Y. He was an Eagle Scout by the age of 14, and sang in the select boys' choir of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Albany until he was 18. The Saturday art classes he took at the Albany Institute of History and Art as a youth got him seriously interested in painting and drawing. He eventually taught children's classes there from 1948 to 1953. He graduated from Albany High School in 1937 and attended Syracuse University on scholarship from 1939 to 1942. From 1942 until 1962, he was a medical illustrator for the New York State Department of Health, first in Albany and later in Syracuse. He returned to Syracuse to complete his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (magna cum laude) in 1959 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1961, all the while employed full-time. He later joined the Art Department faculty of Richmond (Va.) Professional Institute (now Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy) in 1962, retiring in 1994. His students appreciated his comprehensive knowledge and technical skills, and his wisdom about life. He moved to Thompson House in 2004 to be near his daughter. In January 2006, at the age of 87, he had a one-man show of new works at Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe in Brattleboro. His art work, exhibited regionally and nationally over his 70-year career, has been acquired by numerous museums, universities, churches, and private collectors. Memorial information: A memorial service was held at Thompson House on March 14. Donations to the Thompson House Activities Fund or to the charity of one's choice.
• Linda Lou Grant Busteed, 69, of Wilmington, N.C. Died March 6. Wife of Kenneth T. Busteed for 49 years. Mother of Larry of Coventry, R.I.; Warren of New Harbor, Maine; and Roger of Winnabow, N.C. Sister of Ethel Syverson of Asheville, N.C.; Irene Peterson of Lexington, Va.; Robert Grant of Cary, N.C.; and Charles Grant of Oro Valley, Ariz. Born on Staten Island, N.Y., the seventh and youngest child of Harold and Esther Grant. She was educated in New York City public schools and was a graduate of St. Mary's Hospital for Children School of Nursing in Bayside, N.Y., her career goal at the time. Later attended the New York School of Interior Design and for several years was employed as a design consultant at B. Altman & Company in Paramus, N.J., and the House of Meridian in Indianapolis. In 1982, she and her husband ended their respective careers, and with their life savings, bought the Windham Hill Inn in West Townshend. Her natural gregariousness, combined with her design and culinary skills, was key to the inn's success. The inn received national recognition and awards for excellence in the 1980s and 1990s. Following the sale of the inn in 1993, the Busteeds continued working in the hospitality field for several years as a management consultant team. Memorial information: A memorial service was held March 13 in North Carolina. At a later date, a celebration of her life will take place at the Bradley Inn in New Harbor, Maine. Donations to Elderhaus/Pace, 2222 S. 17th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com
• Virginia F. Clemens, 94, of Bellows Falls. Died March 1 at Springfield Hospital. Wife of the late John Clemens for 33 years. Mother of Paula Collins and her husband, Paul, of Bellows Falls. Predeceased by her brother Robert Griffin and sister Mary E. Griffin. Born in Fitchburg, Mass., the daughter of George and Eleanor (Crotty) Griffin, she was a graduate of Bellows Falls High School and Farren Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Montague City, Mass. She was a private duty nurse , and later, a medical supervisor at the former Rockingham Hospital. She was a member of the Rosary Society, the Bellows Falls Senior Center and a former member of the Catholic Daughters. She was an avid fan of the Celtics and Patriots, and followed politics with a keen mind. Memorial information: There will be a funeral Mass at St. Charles Church on Saturday, May 7, at noon, with burial to follow in St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster.
• Margaret Anne (Hiner) Crespo, 73, of Brattleboro. Died March 9 at Pine Heights Nursing Home in Brattleboro. Mother of Dr. David Crespo and his wife, Christine; Richard Crespo and his wife, Erin; and Jeanette Detch and her husband, Skip. Predeceased by siblings David Hiner, Jane Gay, and Annie Hiner. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of Frederick and Angelina (Losossa) Hiner, she was a graduated of St. Michael's School in Brattleboro. She was a homemaker and considered this her career. She loved people of all kinds, and she will be best remembered for her love of children. Was a longtime member of St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held March 14 at the St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery in Brattleboro later this spring. Donations to the St. Michael's Catholic Church, Walnut Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Mary M. Ford, 57, of Westminster. Died Jan. 24, in Merritt Island, Fla. Wife of the late Peter Ford. Mother of Mathew, Christopher, Joseph, and Meghan Stuart. Sister of Susan Nelson, Laurie Croal, and Nancy Heinle. Born in Fargo, N.D., the daughter of the late James and Mary (German) Croal, she graduated high school in Rockland, Mass., and attended three years at Howard Community College. She was an accredited real estate manager from the Institute of Real Estate Management and was a member of the Polish American Club in Bellows Falls. Memorial information: A memorial service was held on March 12 at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls.
• Josephine A. Gully, 92, of Vernon, formerly of Jamaica. Died March 4 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Edward Joseph Gully for 49 years. Mother of Madeline Arms of Vernon; Sean Gully of Jamaica; Angela Gully of Beverly, Mass., and Edward Gully, Jr. of New York City. Sister of Marie Marinelli of Brielle, N.J.; Olympia Barca of Point Pleasant, N.J.; and Luke Antonacci of Princeton, N.J. Born in Hoboken, N.J., the daughter of Antonio and Angelina (Bramante) Antonacci, she was raised and educated in Hoboken. The Gullys began coming to Jamaica in the 1950s for summers and holidays, and in 1965, they purchased the Jo-Mary Motel and moved the family home to Vermont. The Gullys were familiar faces around the Jamaica area and were involved in many town activities. She was a long time member of the Jamaica Benefit Society. She was also a wonderful cook who loved preparing Italian specialties and cooking large meals for her family, friends, and even town events. Memorial information: A funeral Mass at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro, followed by burial in Saint Michael's Cemetery, will take place in the springtime. Donations to Brattleboro Area Hospice, P.O. Box 1053, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Condolences to the family may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home in Brattleboro at www.atamanaiuk.com.
• Maureen (Finnell) LaFlam, 53, of Bernardston, Mass. Died Feb. 25 at home. Partner of Kenneth Remillard. Mother of Mark LaFlam, Jr. of Brattleboro and Jody LaFlam and his wife, Diana, of Chester. Predeceased by her sister, Karen Latham. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of the late John and Florence LaValley Finnell, she was a 1975 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, and furthered her education by earning her degree as an LPN. She enjoyed gardening, motorcycling, snowmobiling, and other outside activities. Memorial information: Funeral services were March 12 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro.
• Judith Overton-Jones, 67, of East Dover and Stamford, Conn. Died Feb. 26. Wife of the late E. LeRoy Heer. Mother of Ted Krum and his wife, Maria, of Long Island, N.Y. Daughter of Edward and Catherine Overton-Jones, she was born in New York City. The family later moved to Darien, Conn., where she graduated from school. She attended Skidmore College and worked as an administrative assistant, office manager, interior designer, and broker's assistant in Connecticut. Following the death of her husband, she retired to East Dover where she enjoyed gardening, handicrafts, entertaining, and volunteer work at the East Dover Public Library and Grace Cottage Hospital. Memorial information: A memorial service was held March 6 at the Cathedral of St. Paul's in Hempstead, NY. A Vermont memorial will be planned for mid-April. The family welcomes condolences and stories to be emailed to: [email protected]. Donations in her memory to help children with autism in memory to the Krum Family Charitable Fund, PO Box 204, Mineola, NY 11501.
• Malcolm S. Jones, 90, of Putney. Died March 8. Husband of Barbara M. Aiken for 67 years. Father of Pamela and her husband, Randy Morse, of Jaffrey Center, N.H. Born in Connecticut, the son of the late W. Bryant and Gladys (Sutton) Jones, he moved to Vermont at two months of age. Graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1939. After working a year to pay for further education, he graduated from Brattleboro Business Institute in 1941, and later from the Amos Tuck School of Credit and Financial Management at Dartmouth College. In 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the Finance Division, and was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant in 1945. Worked at Dunham Brothers Co. in Brattleboro, starting in 1946 as an accountant and later becoming comptroller. He retired in 1973 when the company was sold, and then worked at Marlboro College and Famolare Co. He was Assistant Judge of Windham County Superior Court in Newfane, and served Putney in a variety of roles from 1946 to 1983, including Town Auditor, School Director, and Selectboard member. Other civic roles included Scoutmaster of Troop 21; president of the Putney Community Chest, the Putney Community Center, and the Putney Credit Union; chairman of the Republican Town Committee and vice-chairman of the Windham County Republican Committee; and commander of American Legion Post 83, which has since been disbanded. He had also been a life member of American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro, a representative to the Windham Regional Commission, president of Windham World Affairs Council, director of Holton Memorial Home, and a member and past president of Family & Child Guidance Services of Windham County. Memorial information: There will be no funeral services. Donations to Alzheimer's Research Association, Vermont Chapter, P.O. Box 1139, Montpelier, VT 05601; or the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, DHMC, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamanaiuk.com.
• Aden Earl “Pete” Parker, 66, of Bellows Falls. Died March 10. Father of Penny Parker Pearce, Winnifred Parker, and Aden Schillinger. Brother of Allen and Elvin Parker, and Rita Parker. Predeceased by brothers Clarence and Wayne Parker. Born in Bellows Falls, the son of the late Leonard and Winifred (Hall) Parker, he grew up and attended schools in Bellows Falls. Worked as a rewinder operator for the Robertson paper mill and also the White Mountain Paper Co. After retirement, he loved to help others by driving his friends at the Canal House to many appointments. Memorial information: A funeral service was held on March 15, at the Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. Burial will be in the spring in the Simmonsville Cemetery.
• Donald Everett Precourt Sr., 79, of Westminster West. Died March 5 at Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, N.H. Husband of Grace Sands for nearly 60 years. Father of Susan Burke of Westminster; Donald Precourt Jr. of Westminster West; Gail Precourt Smidutz of Rockingham; and Ronald Precourt of North Walpole, N.H. Brother of Robert Precourt of North Carolina; Hank Precourt of Massachusetts; and Marianne Precourt of Yonkers , N.Y. Born in Bronx, N.Y., son of the late Frank and Helen Precourt and his stepmother Mariam Precourt, he started and ran his own business, Precourt Electric, in Tenafly, N.J. Was a charter member of the Elks club in Tenafly, N.J. for years. In the early 1960s, he moved his family to Vermont, which he loved so much. He had several hobbies, and was a hunter and a collector of guns. Derved on the Board of Directors of Parks Place for several years, and also served in the New Jersey Army National Guard. Worked at the now-defunct Windham College in Putney for a good part of his life, but then he returned to his own business with his two sons. Memorial information: A memorial service was March 10 at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. Donations to the Maplewood Nursing Home, 201 River Rd., Westmoreland, NH 03467.
• Virginia Fioravanti Wall, 85, of Casselberry, Fla., and Hinsdale, N.H. Died March 8 at her daughter's home on Long Island, N.Y. Wife of the late Albert (Shon) Wall for 58 years. Mother of Dennis Wall and his wife, Candida; Michael Wall and his wife, Diane; and Lucille and her husband, Albert Bongiorno. Sister of Marge Vitale; JoAnn and her husband, Joseph Colleran; and Mary and her husband, Thomas Dillon. Daughter of the late Salvatore and Lucy Fioravanti of Brooklyn, N.Y., she was a graduate of Bushwick High School. She was employed by the City of New York in the Department of Consumer Affairs for 20 years before retiring to Florida. Loved to crochet, knit and needlepoint, in addition to challenging herself with crossword puzzles. Was a parishioner of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Casselberry, and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hinsdale. She was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of Hinsdale, N.H. Memorial information: A memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, March 26, at 11 a.m., at Assumption Church in Centereach, N.Y.