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.
• Irene C. Alexa, 68, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 1 at her home. Wife of the late James Alexa for 16 years. Mother of Mark Alexa of Fitchburg, Wis., and Dean Alexa of Virginia Beach, Va. Sister of Marianne Michelsen of Peru, Vt. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the daughter of the late Charles and Ruth (Petersen) Christensen. With her family, she came to the United States at age 14 and was raised and educated in Stamford, Conn. She had been a resident of Brattleboro for the past 42 years. She was a graduate of Wright Technical School in Stamford, Class of 1962. and went on to graduate from Keene State College, earning her Master's in Education. At the time of her death, she served as activities coordinator of the Brattleboro Senior Center and had been employed by the town of Brattleboro for the past 16 years. Previously, she taught fifth grade in the Chesterfield, N.H., school system. Steadfast in her walk of faith, she was a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Brattleboro, where she was very active in church activities. She loved nature and wildlife and held membership in the National Audubon Society. She also enjoyed knitting, gardening, travel, power walking, and was an avid reader. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Jan. 10 at Centre Congregational Church in Brattleboro, with interment in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery at a later date. Donations to the Brattleboro Senior Center, 207 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or to Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Jennifer Ann Cohun, 31, of Morgan. Died Dec. 31 at her home. Daughter of Jack and Christine (Mitchell) Cohun of Westminster. Sister of Kelly Cohun and her husband, Brent Bradshaw, of Leesburg, Va.; and Kristel Coen and her husband, Patrick, of Springfield. Born in Bellows Falls, she attended the Westminster Center School, the Bellows Falls Middle School, and was a graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School and Sterling College in Craftsbury. She went on to earn a degree in teaching from Lyndon State College with honors and attained a Master Gardener certificate from the University of Vermont. She taught at the Troy School, and was involved with the Red Tent Society in St. Johnsbury. Her true passion was gardening and she was also an avid hiker and kayaker. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Jan. 7 at the Immanuel Episcopal Church in Bellows Falls. Donations to the Community National Bank, in care of Julie Willis, P.O. Box 127, Troy, VT 05868 for Mariah Bathalon's Education College Fund, one of Ms. Cohun's seventh-grade homeroom students.
• Anna Wright Dean, 68, of Townshend. Died Jan. 2 at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend. Wife of Alan C. Dean for 47 years. Mother of Stacie Dean, Terri St. Onge, and Holly Dean. Sister of James P. Martin, Douglas A. Wright, Ellen Archambault and the late Norman B. Martin.The daughter of the late Howard P. Wright and Mabel Brown Wright, she grew up on her parents' farm in Grafton. She graduated from Leland & Gray Seminary, Class of 1961, and worked at Baker's, the kitchen of Grace Cottage Hospital, and as a home health aide. She also wrote poetry and painted in her spare time. She was a kind-hearted individual who always put others' needs before her own. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Jan. 7 at the Grafton Church. Donations to the Assisted Living program at Valley Cares in Townshend, or to Grafton Cares in Grafton.
• Douglas A. McDurfee, 69, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 3 at home. Husband of Lillian Bartlett Downing McDurfee. Father of Gordon, Jerry, Geoffrey, Douglas, Crystal, Cindy, Deborah, Melody, and Roxanne. Brother of Mary Ellen Richmond and her husband, Douglas, and the late John and Harry McDurfee. Also survived by 26 grandchildren and 48 great-grandchildren. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late Fredrick McDurfee and Evelyn McDurfee Corey, he grew up and lived in Brattleboro all his life. He worked at H. Margolin and Brattleboro Kiln Dry, and also was a cab driver. Memorial information: Graveside services will be held in the spring at Morningside Cemetery. Gifts in his memory may be made to Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Lee James Morgan Jr., 46, of Dummerston. Died Dec. 30 at his home. Former husband of Brenda Powers. Father of Brandon Morgan of Dummerston. Brother of Rhonda Davis of Spofford, N.H., Sherry Morgan of Louisiana, James Morgan of Berlin, Vt., and Jeff Morgan of Brattleboro. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Lee J. Morgan Sr. and Jacqueline (Kraft) Tregre, he graduated from Keene High School in 1984. He was an avid football, baseball, and NASCAR fan. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Jan. 7 at Dummerston Congregational Church.
• Stacy L. Morse, 59, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 1 at Rowan Court Health & Rehabilitation Center in Barre. Daughter of the late Robert and Norma Morse. Sister of Eric Morse and his wife, Dale, of Guilford, and the late Billy Morse. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she grew up in Clifton, N.J., North Miami Beach, Fla., and Bayside, N.Y. She moved to Guilford in 1972 and has been a long-time resident of Brattleboro. A multi-talented artist, at the age of 10 she produced oil paintings that showed her prodigious talent. She received recognition for her art work throughout high school; she briefly attended Pratt Institute of Art. She then worked as a gaffer in an off-Broadway production of a Kurt Weill musical, travelled in the western United States, and lived in southern Ohio before moving to Guilford. There she became involved with the Monteverdi Players, creating costumes, props, and sets for many theatrical productions in Guilford and Brattleboro. Her work and interviews appear in the film The Stuff of Dreams, about the production of Shakespeare's The Tempest that took place on Sweet Pond in Guilford in 1977. In the mid-1980s, she moved to Brooklyn to work on projects that included trompe l'oeil murals for the city, costume designs for the New York City Ballet, giant floats for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and holiday scenes in Manhattan department store windows. She moved back to Brattleboro in the early 1990s. During that time, she became a member of IATSE, the union of professional stagehands, motion picture technicians, and allied crafts. In this phase of her career, she worked as a standby scenic painter in major films, and worked on models of giant dinosaurs at MGM Grand Theme Park in Orlando, Fla. She became known for producing “Big Heads,” larger-than-life, lightweight, realistic-looking sculptures of celebrities to be worn by actors. They were featured in People magazine and on the Regis Philbin Show. She also made a larger-than-life, full-sized sculpture of Jim Latchis selling movie tickets at the Latchis Theatre. Her portrait of Hannah Cosman is hanging in the Hannah Cosman Conference Room in the Brattleboro Municipal Center. She will be remembered for her notable disposition, as well as for her creative abilities. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Jan. 6 at New Montefiore Cemetery in Pinelawn, N.Y. Donations to the Friends of Music at Guilford, 37 Bee Barn Road, Ste. 1, Guilford, VT 05301.
• Maureen Gail Marsh Myers, 59, of Venice, Fla., formerly of Townshend. Died Jan. 1 at her home. Mother of Carrie Scott of West Wardsboro. Sister of Steve Marsh of Brattleboro and Robert Marsh and his wife, Tinker, of West Dover. The daughter of Joan Marsh Price and the late Raymond Marsh, she spent most of her life in Vermont until she moved to the Caribbean, and then settled in Venice, Fla. She will be remembered for her love of life, family, friends, and especially the ocean. She was kind and generous to the people she loved and was a great daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother. She loved the beach, making people laugh, and sending cards to everyone for all occasions. Memorial information: A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Condolences can be sent to Carrie Scott, P.O. Box 1686, West Dover, VT 05356.
• Pollyanna Jean Rounds, 49, of Raleigh, N.C., formerly of Chesterfield, N.H. Died Jan. 1 at Hospice of Wake County. Daughter of Maynard Rounds of Vernon and the late Diana Jean Rounds. Partner of Beth King of Raleigh. Sister of Jackie Rounds Buchanan of Chesterfield, Arnold Rounds of Troy, N.H., and Vincent Rounds of Spofford, N.H. She was raised in Chesterfield, attended Chesterfield School from 1969 to 1976, and later graduated from Keene High School in 1980. Memorial information: No services scheduled.
• Roberta “Peggy” Steffens, 50, of Brattleboro. Died Dec. 26. Daughter of Irene Steffens and the late Robert Steffens. Sister of Annie Laurie Steffens. She attended Brattleboro schools. Her spirit shone in many acts of kindness to all. She loved her faith and her town. She loved food and new recipes, and she and her sister experimented with cooking and baking for fun. She also enjoyed music, ice skating, music, and animals. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Jan. 10 at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro, with interment in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery.
College news
• Caleb E. Wiley of South Londonderry was named to the fall 2011 Dean's List at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. Wiley is a senior who is an early childhood education and special education major.