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.
• Beverly A. Atherton, 66, of Glover, formerly of Wilmington. Died Jan. 30 at the Union House Nursing Home in Glover following a long illness. Sister of Stewart and Louise Atherton of Wilmington, Kendrick and Sandy Atherton of Dummerston, Kimball and Eileen Atherton of Hinsdale, N.H., and the late Calvin, Charles and Arlene Atherton. Born in Wilmington, she was the daughter of the late Merton and Agnes (Howe) Atherton. She grew up in Wilmington, graduating from Wilmington High School in 1964. She had worked as a nurse's aide at the Crescent Manor Care Center in Bennington, in lodging at Mount Snow Ski Resort, and at H. Margolin Co. in Brattleboro. Memorial information: Funeral services will take place in the spring. Donations to the Wilmington Fire Department, in care of the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Lawrence T. “King” Bedortha, 91, of West Wardsboro, Died Jan. 11 in Townshend. Husband of the late Claire Coderre Bedortha. Father of Paul Bedortha of West Wardsboro and Janet Moran and her husband, Robert, of Simsbury, Conn. Brother of Ruth Bedortha of East Granby, Conn., and Agnes Lowell of Tujunga, Calif. The son of Alfred and Grace Bedortha, he was born in Hartford, Conn., was raised in Windsor, Conn., and later moved to Simsbury, where he and his wife raised their family. Upon his retirement, they moved to West Wardsboro. He was a good and decent man in a world where such a man can often be hard to find. Memorial information: Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. Donations should be made to Grace Cottage Foundation, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353. Condolences may be sent to www.vincentfuneralhome.com.
• Sylvia Audrey Young Schmidt Champagne, 71, formerly of Brattleboro and Prescott Valley, Ariz. Died Jan. 30. Wife of the late Charles Schmidt. Mother of Robert P. Schmidt and his wife, Stacy; Eric P. Schmidt Sr., and Lara S. Carmichael and her husband, John. Sister of Lewis Young Jr. and the late Allen Young. Born in Brattleboro, the daughter of the late Lewis and Ellen Young, she graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1958. She was a spirited lady who loved to dance and cook. She was a truly gifted artist. Her generosity was endless and many were blessed by her kindness. She worked in many capacities over the years including most recently CASA in Arizona, and the Holstein Association, The Book Press, H. Margolin Co., and Amp Keyboard, all in Brattleboro. Memorial information: A celebration of her life and graveside memorial service will be held in the summer. Donations may be made to Autism Speaks at www.autismspeaks.org.
• Ronald Edward Northup, 54, of Townshend. Died Jan. 23. Partner of Karen Harris of Townshend for 15 years. Father of Cuyler Wellsley Northup-Cunningham. Brother of John Northup and his wife, Shara, of Florence, S.C. Born at Chambley Air Force Base Hospital in France, the son of the late John and Samiha (Naili) Northup Jr., he had traveled much of his life and settled in Townshend recently to be near his parents prior their deaths in 2011. He was an accomplished craftsman and woodworker, and had worked as a self-employed contractor and home builder much of his life. He was also an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting and fishing. Memorial information: A graveide committal service will be conducted on May 25 at 11 a.m. in the family lot in the Oakwood Cemetery in Townshend. Donations to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312.
• Eunice Willson Rice, 99, of Dayton, Ohio. Died Dec. 8, 2011 in her home. Wife of the late Rear Admiral Robert H. Rice for 54 years. Mother of Ellen Rice of Dayton, Ohio, Rosamond Rice of Pittsfield, Mass., Corinthia Rice of Newport, Tenn., and Russell Rice of Brattleboro. Daughter of the late Vice Admiral and Mrs. Russell Willson, she was born in Washington, D.C. As her father was a career naval officer, she grew up at his stations around the world, including Rio de Janeiro. She graduated in 1934 from Mount Holyoke College with high honors in languages, and took a job with the Navy Department. During World War II, she was a cryptanalyst, working to break the Japanese merchant marine communications code. After the war she raised a family, while teaching foreign languages part time both in the classroom and in ESL tutoring programs. Particularly important to her was her work as a Planned Parenthood volunteer; she established branches in Massachusetts and Florida. She enjoyed physical activity; she played tennis until her late 80's, and was still walking 90 minutes a day at the age of 98. She traveled the world with friends and family, and took pride in the fact that she had visited every continent but Antarctica. She was a loving and supportive mother and never lost interest in the world of ideas. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held in the spring at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery. Donations to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., Attn: Online Services Program, 434 West 33rd St., New York, NY 10001.
• Carl Francis Sargent, 74, of Lake Panasoffkee, Fla. Died Jan. 29. Father of Cindy Rose of Brattleboro, Linda Brookes of Brattleboro, Alanah Cowie of Aberdeen, Md., and Ronald Sargent and his wife, Lori, of Brattleboro. Brother of Harriette Walsh of Vernon, Stephen and Pat Sargent of Newfane, Norman and Cathy Sargent of West Brattleboro, and the late Bob Sargent. Longtime companion of Gladys B. Yates of Lake Panasoffkee, Fla. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late Stephen Sargent and Vera Robbins, he graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1956. He later served in the Army and worked for Johns Manville, where he retired in 1999. Memorial information: A remembrance gathering was held at NewBrook Fire Station on Feb. 5. Donations to the NewBrook Volunteer Fire Department in Newfane.
• Ruth Olive Stark, 83, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 1 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Willard Stark for 33 years. Sister of Byron Watson Jr. and his wife, Marion, of Vernon, Virginia Bragg and her husband, Robert, of East Montpelier, and Harriet Streeter of Windsor. Born in Spencer, Mass., the daughter of the late Byron and Ethel (Chandler) Watson, at age 8, her family moved to West Brattleboro, where she she attended Academy School. She worked several part-time jobs throughout the years, but was primarily a faithful and devoted homemaker whose life centered around her family. She became a resident of Eden Park Nursing Home (now Pine Heights), 30 years ago following an accident on Upper Canal Street where she was struck by a car, sustaining a serious head injury. When she was a resident in West Brattleboro, she attended West Brattleboro Baptist Church. She loved nature - including birds, fish, and cats - and enjoyed crocheting, bowling, and playing Bingo. Through her winnings at Pine Heights, she accumulated quite a collection of stuffed animals. Memorial information: A funeral service was held on Feb. 4 at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home in Brattleboro, with burial in West Brattleboro Cemetery, where she was laid to rest next to her husband. Donations to the Pine Heights Nursing Home Activities Fund, 187 Oak Grove Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Condolences may be sent to www.atamaniuk.com.
• Kenneth A. Swan, 82, of Townshend. Died Jan. 30 at Grace Cottage Hospital. Husband of the late M. Joan Peters for nearly 52 years. Father of Laurie Harinsky and her husband, Richard, of The Village, Fla., and Joan Czerwinski and her husband, John, of Islip, N.Y. Brother of the late William P. Swan Jr. Born in Queens, N.Y., the son of the late William P. and Helen (Kohler) Swan, he served in the Army during the Korean War. A resident of Centerport, N.Y. for many years, he owned and operated Swan Auto Parts. He was a former chief and lifetime member of the Centerport Fire Department. Upon his retirement, the Swans moved to Townshend and enjoyed many happy years together. Memorial information: Graveside committal services and burial will take place in the spring in the family lot in Oakwood Cemetery in Townshend. Donations to Grace Cottage Foundation, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353.
• Marilyn G. (Bryant) VanNess, 73, of South Newfane. Died Jan. 26 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. Wife of Harland J. VanNess for more than 53 years. Mother of Deborah of Brattleboro and Donald of Athens. Sister of the late Joyce Kamerik, Carolyn LeBron, and Alson Bryant. The daughter of the late Warren and Gladys (Harris) Bryant, he received her elementary and high school education at various schools throughout Vermont. She afterwards received her education and training as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She worked at Grace Cottage Hospital, Eden Park Nursing Home and Stratton House; her work was very rewarding for her. She loved boating on Lake Harriman, snowmobiling, music, animals, and spending time at Lake Seymour in the summers and Ogunquit, Maine. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Feb. 1 at Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home in Brattleboro. Condolences may be sent to www.kerwesterlund.com.
• Herbert “Herb” L. Weeks, 72, of Keene, N.H. Died Jan. 30. Wife of Michelle B. Bessette for 31 years. Father of Deborah “Debby” Denke and her husband, John, of Norwalk, Conn., Dawn Maffiolini of Windsor, Conn., and William “Bill” B. Weeks and his wife, Marjorie, of Newbury, N.H. Brother of Carolyn Goodson of Grandy, N.C., Edward Weeks of Ville Platte, La., Morris Weeks of Enfield, Conn., Steven Weeks of Coventry, Conn., and the late Norman Weeks. Born in Washington, Vt., the son of the late Shirley (Gallant) and Lester Weeks, his family later moved to East Hartford, Conn., where he attended school and graduated from East Hartford High School class of 1957. He served in the Marine Corps as a heavy equipment operator, and later was a detective for the East Hartford Police Department for 20 years. After retirement, the Weeks family moved to Westminster, where he and his wife opened the Weeks General Store. They owned and operated the store for 10 years. Sitting still was not in his personality, so he later became a bus driver for Hospice and Home Care Community Services in Keene. He enjoyed this work and was very respected by his colleagues. He loved to play golf, and was always up for a round at the Brentwood Golf Course. He was also an avid reader, and loved being with his grandchildren. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held in the spring. Donations to to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22748, Oklahoma City, OK. 73123-1718.
• Charles Holton Wilson, 81, of Putney. Died Jan. 22. Husband of the late Gertrude Gilbert Wilson. Father of Bret Wilson of Manchester, N.H., and Dennis Wilson and his wife, Eva, of Putney. Brother of Simone, Suzanne, and Barry. One of 13 children, he was a lifelong resident of Putney. He served in the Navy during the Korean War. With his wife, they started a very successful 52-year business, the Basket Barn in Amherst, N.H. He enjoyed hunting, traveling, and spending time with his grandchildren. Memorial information: No information provided.
Births
• In Burlington (Fletcher Allen Hospital), Jan. 11, 2012, a son, Langdon Thomas Brooks, to Jeremiah and Susan (French) Brooks of South Burlington; grandson to Thom and Hyon Suk (An) French of Bellows Falls, William Brooks of Grafton, and Camilla Rockwell and Timothy Wick of Burlington; great-grandson to Jane French of North Westminster, William and Audrey Brooks of Amelia Island, Fla., and Sara Rockwell of Seattle, Wash.
College news
• Benjamin Harwood of Brattleboro, a member of the class of 2013, was named to Tufts University's Dean's List for the Fall 2011 semester.
• Lucas Annunziata of South Londonderry, who is majoring in Game Art and Animation, and Heather Barrett of Brattleboro, who is majoring in Mass Communication, were both named to the Dean's List for the Fall 2011 semester at Champlain College.
• Ripley Sager of South Londonderry, a member of the class of 2012 at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., earned term honors for the fall 2011 semester.
• Nichole Gagnon, a junior, and, Nina Markiw, a senior, both of Brattleboro, were named to the President's List at Johnson State College for the fall 2011 semester.