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.
• Roger Martin Davis, Sr., 93, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 31 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Husband of the late Anne Davis. Father of Martin, of Claremont, N.H., and daughter Karen, of Brattleboro. Brother of the late Dr. Richard Barre Davis. He was born in the family house in The Glen, in Readsboro. He continued to live there, and in Wilmington, graduating from Mount Hermon (1936) and the University of Vermont (1940). He worked for Iroquois Beverage Co. as a chemist in Buffalo, N.Y., until he was called to duty four days after Pearl Harbor. He served proudly as an officer in the “Big Red One,” the U.S. Army's First Division, during World War II. He participated in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, and Normandy. Later, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean Conflict. He worked for Holden and Martin Lumber Co. in Brattleboro and Keene, N.H., and later worked for Hadley Lumber Co. in Claremont, N.H. Subsequently, he was a regional salesman of panelized and pre-fabricated homes for Hodgson Houses, New England Homes, and Coastal Structures. He enjoyed working with many local contractors and homeowners in Vermont and New Hampshire. Later, he served as a substitute rural carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in West Brattleboro. He was actively involved with his family in the First Baptist Church, the First Congregational Church, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and on the trail with the Green Mountain Club. He was a 32nd Degree Mason; he served as District Deputy Grand Master for the Eighth Masonic District, and as Past Master of Social Lodge #38 in Wilmington. Scottish Rite Freemasonry honored him with its Meritorious Service Award. He also volunteered with the Red Cross Bloodmobile and Meals on Wheels Program. Memorial information: A memorial service will take place in the spring. Donations to Home at Last, Inc., a nonprofit providing mobile homes locally for homeless veterans, P.O. Box 2266, West Bratttleboro, VT 05303; or Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
• Dr. Philip H. Dunham, 88, of Brattleboro. Died Nov 10 at his home. Husband of Mary Gordon for 62 years. Father of Jeffrey Gordon Dunham and his wife, Betsy Emmel, of Starksboro; Steven Philip Dunham and his wife, Cindy Friel, of Fairfax; Craig Thomas Dunham of Ithaca, N.Y.; and Scott Thayer Dunham and his wife, Mari Ostendorf of Seattle. Brother of the late Marion Dunham Osborn. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late Bertha Penley Dunham and Harold Hiram Dunham, he was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro High School in 1941. He received his dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1946 following two years of pre-dental training at Middlebury College. During his time at Middlebury, he earned varsity sweaters in skiing, ice hockey and tennis. After finishing dental school, he served two years as a Navy dentist in Newport, R.I., and Norfolk, Va. It was during this time that he met his future wife, who was working at Virginia Beach for the summer after she graduated from Hood College. In 1948, Phil was honorably discharged from the Navy and returned to Brattleboro to begin his dental career. He was a well-respected dentist who practiced in Brattleboro for 40 years. He served on the Board of Dental Examiners in Vermont from 1983-1987, and was chairman of the board in 1987. He also served on the Northeast Regional Board of Dental Examiners for 13 years. Outside of the office, he was known as the “Flying Dentist” and was nine times the Eastern Veterans Ski Jumping Champion and National Champion in 1961. He was very active within the community. He was a charter member of the Brattleboro Rotary Club, which was established in 1950. He was president of the club from 1990-1991 and was also a recipient of a Paul Harris Fellow Award. He and his wife were very active with the Brattleboro Outing Club (BOC). Together they were instrumental in the club's ski programs at Living Memorial Park, Hogback Mountain, and the Brattleboro Country Club, and were the main force behind the BOC's popular annual ski/skate exchange. He was also involved with many other community activities in Brattleboro. Over the years, he was a Town Meeting Representative, and served on the School Board, Recreation Board, and Town Finance Committee. He was also a Boy Scout leader, and was a lifelong member of All Soul's Church in West Brattleboro. Memorial information: A memorial service took place on Nov. 19 at All Soul's Church. The Brattleboro Outing Club Educational Foundation (BOCEF) has established a special scholarship fund in honor of the Dunhams' years of service to the Brattleboro Outing Club. The funds will be used for children in the area to be able to participate in BOC programs and other related activities. Donations to BOCEF/Phil and Mary Dunham Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1383, Brattleboro, VT, 05302. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Leonard “Len” G. Goodnow, 60, of Spofford, N.H. Died Nov. 14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Husband of Carol (Pestle) Goodnow. Brother of Alice Landman and her husband Reginald of West Swanzey, N.H.; and a brother, Gary Goodnow and wife Joanne of Swanzey, N.H.. Born in Keene, N.H., the son of Sophie (Budzik) and the late George Goodnow, he was a lifelong resident of West Swanzey and the Keene area. He was educated locally and graduated from Monadnock Regional High School, Class of 1969. He went on to receive an associate's degree from Keene State College. He worked on computer and radio matters, initially for Keene State College and then for his own company, Spofford Electronics. For more than a decade, he was a radio technician with the Southwestern New Hampshire Mutual Aid Fire District. where he worked with the central dispatch system, communications network, and the radios and pagers of the 70-plus fire departments in southern New Hampshire and Vermont that are part of mutual aid. He was a ham radio operator, call sign WA1UNN, and worked extensively with ham radio clubs in the Keene area. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Nov. 19 at West Swanzey Community Church. Donations to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446.
• Kathleen Mary Elizabeth Hallock, 61, of Belllows Falls. Died Nov. 14 at her home. Wife of David Hallock for 40 years. Mother of Nicole Adams of Bomoseen; Amy Tuttle and her husband, Joe, of Bellows Falls; Adam Hallock and wife, Katherine, of Westminster; Bridget Goodell and husband, Jason, of Westminster; and the late Christopher Hallock. Sister of James Fontaine and his wife, Jan, of Hyde Park; Jean Cote and her husband, Paul, of Westminster; Pat Wheeler and her husband, Peter, of North Walpole, N.H.; Debbie Wood and her husband, Bryan, of Rockingham; Elaine Debell of Dummerston; and Regina Rockefeller and her husband, Andy, of Dummerston. Born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of Gordon and Shirley (Hart) Fontaine, she attended St. Charles Parochial School and was a 1968 graduate of Bellows Falls High School. She worked for the Vermont Country Store and for Dr. Vernon Temple. She was a member of St. Charles Church. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 16 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster. Donations may be made to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Oncology Department, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756.
• Gertrude Eugenie (Gray) Kroeger, 96, of Waterford, formerly of Dover. Died Nov. 8. Wife of the late Richard Kroeger for 71 years. Mother of Eugeine Kroeger and her husband, John, of Waterford, and the late Richard Kroeger Jr. Sister of the late Douglas Gray and Harriet Altomonte. Born in Monticello, N.Y., the daughter of the late Russell and Gertrude (Veilmouth) Gray, she grew up on her family farm in South Falls, N.Y. She graduated from Monticello High School in 1934, and then she married her high school sweetheart, Richard. In the early 1940s, the Kroegers moved to East Dover. She was a member of the East Dover Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school. In 1964, she graduated from the Thompson School of Nursing at the age of 48. She later worked at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Vernon Green Nursing Home. She also worked at the Snow Brook Lodge in West Dover along with her husband, and at the Sitzmark ski lodge in Wilmington as a chef. She served on the Dover School Board and was a member of the 4-H club for several years. She loved mentoring young women and teaching them how to become good homemakers. She also took care of foster children and young teens. She loved to help prepare the annual game and strawberry suppers in Dover, and was well known for blessing people with her homemade breads and pastries. She was an excellent quilter, and had some of her work shown at quilt shows. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Nov. 12 at the East Dover Baptist Church. Donations to the East Dover Baptist Church, 34 Dover Hill Road, Dover, VT 05341, or the Samaritan's Purse International Relief Foundation, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607.
• Amelia Frances Obuchowski, 85, of Bellows Falls. Died Nov. 17 at her home. Wife of the late John Obuchowski for 58 years. Mother of Michael Obuchowski and his wife, Clare Buckley of Montpelier; Paul Obuchowski and his wife, Terry, of Bellows Falls; and Ann Yasewicz and her husband Tom of Colchester. Sister of Caroline Aiken and Adeline Benson, both of Springfield, Vt., and the late Jennie Kane. Born in Springfield, the daughter of the late Frank and Helen Rachiski Gierko, she was a graduate of Springfield High School. She worked for Fellows Gear Shaper in Springfield, and the Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls. She was a member of the Bellows Falls Senior Center, Rockingham Democratic Committee, and was an election volunteer. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 21 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Westminster. Donations to the Central Elementary School Library, School Street, Bellows Fails, VT 05101.
• Justine Elizabeth “Jay” Ryan, 87, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 12 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Phil Ryan for 47 years. Mother of Candy Sak and her husband, Roger, of Vernon. Sister of Charlotte Dimick of Brattleboro, and the late Walter Allyn, Russell, and Mary Joyce Kennedy. Born in St. Albans, the daughter of the late Walter J. and Laura (McCarthy) Kennedy, she was a graduate of Hartford High School, Class of 1943. She moved to Brattleboro from Randolph and went to work at American Optical, where she met her future husband. She later worked for the former J.E. Mann clothing store and the Holstein-Friesian Association, from which she retired in 1984. She was a communicant of St. Michael's Catholic Church for more than 60 years. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 15 at St. Michael's Catholic Church, with burial in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery, where she was laid to rest next to her husband. Donations to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, in care of Elaine Beam, principal. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• A memorial service for Elizabeth Seymour St. John, of Putney, will be held at the Putney School on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. St. John died unexpectedly on Oct. 5 at the age of 54. To see pictures and share remembrances, visit http://elizabethstjohn.wordpress.com.
• Richard Arthur Spear, 81, of Williston. Died Nov. 16 at his home. Husband of Barbara Ann Danyew for nearly 50 years. Father of Donna Spear Madore and Tracey Gillies and her husband, Darin, of Barre; Steven Spear and his wife, Kathy, of Merrick, N.Y.; Michael Spear of Williston; and the late Sharon Lee Spear. Brother of Eleanor Cusson, Annette Durgin and her husband, Neil; Ethel Brousseau and her husband, Phil, Colleen Lavalette and her husband, Steven, and the late Winston, William, Robert, James, and Thomas Spear, and Patricia Beane. Born in St. Albans Bay to the late William Wayne and Irene Eliza (Willett) Spear, he was 1949 graduate of Shelburne High School. He served in the Army from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean Confilct, where he devoted his off duty time working with the orphans of the war. A 31-year veteran of the Vermont State Police, he began his career as a trooper in the Brattleboro barracks in 1954, and then served for several years as a criminal/homicide investigator in southern Vermont. He retired as the director of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in 1984. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Nov. 19 at Ready Funeral & Cremation Service South Chapel in Burlington. Donations to the Vermont Troopers Association, P.O. Box 1474, Montpelier, VT 05601.
• Teresa P. Waterman, 74, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died Nov. 11 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the Stanley H. Waterman for 13 years. Mother of Stanley Waterman, Jr. of Hinsdale. Sister of Charlotte LaShier of Winchester, N.H., Helen Slate of Brattleboro, Paul Boroski of Claremont, N.H., Chester Boroski of Richfield, N.C., and the late Frances Merton, Viola Drane, Dorothy Bokum, and Francis, Stanley, and Edward Boroski. Born in Hinsdale, the daughter of Steve and Mary (Salinski) Boroski, she graduated from Hinsdale High School, Class of 1955. She had been employed at United Natural Foods of Chesterfield, N.H., retiring in August after 25 years with the company. Previously, she had worked at Bridgeport Metal Goods in Hinsdale and at the former American Optical Company in Brattleboro. For many years, with her sister Charlotte, she served as caretaker for St. Joseph's Catholic Church and rectory. The two sisters worked unselfishly and diligently in the upkeep of both the church and grounds. She loved the outdoors, feeding her animals (as well as all the neighbors' dogs), flowers, and day trips to Foxwoods. She also enjoyed time shared with her family and many friends. A devout Catholic, she was a lifelong communicant of St. Joseph's Church. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 16 at St. Joseph's Church, with burial in St. Joseph's Parish Cemetery. Donations to Saint Joseph's Catholic Church, in care of the Parish Offices, 161 Main St., Suite 204, Keene, N.H. 03431, or to, Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Charles “Pete” Wilde, 75, of Guilford. Died Nov. 12 after a tractor accident at his farm. Husband of Kathy Ragle Wilde for 49 years. Father of Charles W. Wilde and Kimberly Wilde Hamilton, both of Guilford. Brother of Fern Wyman of Weybridge. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late Winfred and Dorothy (Davis) Wilde, he was raised and educated in Guilford and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1954. He went on to attend the University of Vermont, where he earned a B.S. degree in agriculture and forestry. For several years, he served in the Vermont National Guard. For many years he worked as a self-employed carpenter, in excavating, and as a logger and farmer operating his family's farm in West Guilford. Active civically, he served as a selectman for the town of Guilford for 13 years and held several other town positions over the years. He was a member of the Broad Brook Grange and was a recipient of their Citizen of the Year award in 1984. A past member of the Brattleboro Area Jaycees, he received their Young Farmer of the Year Award in 1967. He was a longtime member of the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as a captain and trustee. An ardent outdoorsman, he loved working outside and was always doing something constructive. He was always happy to lend a helping hand to anyone. He was a devoted family man whose life centered around his family, and he participated actively in the raising of his beloved granddaughters. He constructed homes for both his son and daughter on land he gave them. His spirit of friendship and generosity extended to his friends and neighbors. He will be fondly remembered for his constant acts of kindness. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Nov. 18 at West Brattleboro Baptist Church, with burial in the family lot in Carpenter Cemetery in West Guilford. Donations to the Guilford Volunteer Fire Department, 108 Guilford Center Rd., Guilford, VT 05301-8435. Messages of condolence may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Nov. 1, 2011, a daughter, Allison Elizabeth Earp, to Meghan (Astley) and Matthew Earp of Guilford; granddaughter to Don and Joyce Astley Jr., Michael Earp, and Lynn Martel; great-granddaughter to Harry and Nancy Evans, Don and Sandra Astley Sr., Arthur and Carolyn Martel, and Dorothy and Jerry Roller.
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Oct. 31, 2011, a daughter, Celia Alice Bahny, to Holly Andersen and Robert Bahny of West Wardsboro; granddaughter to Peggy and Harry Andersen of Richford, N.Y., and Suzanne Bahny of Dryden, N.Y.; great-granddaughter to Mary Andersen of Richford, and Robert Bahny of Endicott, N.Y.