Obituaries
• Shirley Lyons Coleman, 88, formerly of Bondville. Died Sept. 24 at Equinox Terrace in Manchester. Wife of the late Elton Arthur Coleman. Mother of Sheila (Coleman) Eddy, Sandra (Coleman) Jones, and Elton Stuart Coleman. Sister of Francesca (Lyons) Gray, Sprague Lyons, and the late Kennon and Frederick “Buddy” Lyons. Born in Greenfield, Mass., the daughter of the late Frederick Elwell Lyons and Olivia (Burbank) Lyons, she attended primary schools in Greenfield and Bondville. She graduated as salutatorian from Leland & Gray in Townshend in 1942. She was the librarian and trustee of Winhall Memorial Library for many years. She was a member of the Bondville Methodist Church. When the new school was built, she helped to raise money to outfit the school's kitchen. She was also Postmaster at the Bondville Post Office, retiring in 1978 after 25 years of service. She was a member of Nile Shrine Court #94 L.O.S.N.A. in Brattleboro. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Sept. 29 in Bondville Cemetery. Donations to the Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 911, Londonderry, VT 05148, or Mountain Valley Health Clinic P.O. Box 310, Londonderry, VT 05148.
• Janet Hyslop, 67, of Barre Town, formerly of Bellows Falls. Died Sept. 23 at home. Wife of John Hyslop of Montpelier. Mother of John and his wife, Jennifer, of Bellows Falls and Jennifer, and her husband, Ano, of Barre Town. Sister of Margaret of Bellows Falls. Born in Bellows Falls, she attended school there, and lived most of her life in that area. She worked for years as a bookkeeper at Dunham Brothers in Brattleboro and at Basketville in Putney. Most recently, she resided with her daughter's family in Barre Town. She cherished her family, especially her grandkids, and loved family meals and shopping trips. In the last four months of her life, she derived immeasurable joy from spending time at Project Independence in Barre. Memorial information: No services have been announced. Donations to Project Independence, 81 North Main St., Barre, VT 05641.
• Harold T. Makepeace, Jr., 86, a resident of the Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington, formerly of Marlboro. Died Sept. 18 at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center after several years of declining health. Born in Sanford, N.C., the son of Harold Makepeace, Sr. and Maria Makepeace Clark, he served in the Navy in the Pacific during World War II. A graduate of Boston University, Harold served as the assistant chair of Journalism in the Boston University School of Public Relations and Communication from 1956 to 1963. He was a man of many artistic talents. He was known in his home town as a fine tenor and he sang in and conducted many choruses. He later opened an art gallery in Boston in the late 1950s, known as the Spiral Shop. He began summering in Marlboro in 1961 and moved there permanently in 1963. He renovated the abandoned Four Corners School House and its stable and turned it into a home and an indoor-outdoor art gallery, named the Spiral Shop after his original Boston art gallery. His gallery and garden quickly became a well-known tourist attraction on Vermont's Route 9. He tirelessly transformed what had been a camp and unkempt field into an eclectic exhibit of horticulture and outdoor art, an exhibit that was continually evolving until he had to close in 2007 due to ill health. During that time, many of his customers became lifelong friends and many unknown artists that he mentored and featured in his gallery went on to successful careers. In 1977, he was elected as Marlboro's Town Clerk, a position he held until his retirement in 1989. As a notary public, he performed many weddings in his famous gardens, creating fond memories for dozens of happy couples. During his residence at the Vermont Veterans' Home, he became famous for his gardening skills and his floral arrangements throughout the building, and received an award for his efforts from the Bennington Garden Club. He is survived by his cousin, Jane Escher and her daughter, Kelley Burke, both of Sanford, N.C,, as well as a half-brother, Richard Makepeace. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at the Covey and Allen Funeral Home in Wilmington on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m. To send the family personal email condolences, visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• Dr. Otto Max Marx, M.D., DJ F.A.P.A., 83, of Brattleboro. Died Aug. 30 at at Grace Cottage Hospice in Townshend after what he described as a “mercifully brief illness.” He was born into a Jewish family in Heidelberg, Germany on July 14, 1929. To escape Nazi persecution, his family fled first to Holland, then to Palestine. He completed high school in Haifa, passing the London Matriculation Examination with flying colors. In 1950, following compulsory service in the Israeli Army during which he attended physicians in military operating rooms, he came to America to attend U.C.-Berkeley, from which he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1953. He received his M.D. from UCSF in 1957. After completing an internship at Washington University in St. Louis and a residency at Langley Porter Hospital, he embarked on a remarkable career in clinical psychiatry that spanned 52 years and included academic appointments at Harvard, Stanford, and Boston University. He is also well known for his work as a historian of psychiatry. His scholarly career was crowned by two years as Chair for the History of Medicine at Heidelberg University. His career as a historian was marked by several distinguished publications, but his lasting legacy is as an extraordinary teacher, mentor, and psychiatrist. Dr. Marx worked continuously until he was hospitalized a month before his death. He is survived by his second wife, five children from his two marriages, and five grandchildren. Memorial information: No service information provided. Donations to Sandglass Theater in Putney, or Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend.
• Claude “Chuck” Leslie Matteson, Jr., 58, of West Rupert. Died Sept. 25 at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington following a short illness. Husband of the late Rebecca Jones Matteson for nearly 32 years, she died on Sept. 20, just six days before their 32nd anniversary. Father of Christopher Matteson and his wife, Michelle, of West Rupert, and Tammy Matteson and her companion, Michael Bice, of Manchester. Brother of Theodore Matteson and his wife, Teri, of Orange, Mass.; Lynda Gundry and her husband, Sam, of Brattleboro; Elizabeth Young and her husband, William, of Hinsdale, N.H.; and the late Bruce Matteson. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late Claude L. and Beverly C. (Rice) Matteson, he was raised in Brattleboro and attended Brattleboro schools. He was employed by the Ford Garage in Manchester for many years and worked for Dorr Oil Co. as a burner technician for over 24 years. During that time, he had many clients that preferred his expertise. He was a kind and good hard-working man. In better times, he enjoyed fly fishing and hunting with his son and just walking in the woods, as fall was his favorite time of the year. Memorial information: At the request of the family, funeral services will be private. Visiting hours will be held Sunday Oct. 7 at Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home, 213 West Main St., Bennington, from 2 to 4 p.m., when the family will be in attendance. Donations to Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, in care of Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 957, Bennington, VT 05201. Condolences may be sent to www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• Christine Gallagher Murphy, 61, of Bellows Falls. Died Sept. 25 at her home. Wife of William Murphy for 42 years. Mother of Melissa Erickson of Lithia, Fla., and Heather Murphy Hicks of Bellows Falls. Sister of Timothy Gallagher of Chapel Hill, N.C., Patricia Mark of Westminster, Terry Obuchowski of Bellows Falls, and Marty Gallagher of Bellows Falls. Born in Bellows Falls, the daughter of Frances (Martin) and the late James Gallagher, she was a 1965 graduate of St. Charles School, a 1969 graduate of Bellows Falls High School, and worked 20 years for Dr. Walter Griffiths as a medical assistant. She was a member of St. Charles Church and served 15 years as a volunteer in Bellows Falls area schools. She served as a member of the Bellows Falls Union High School School Board. For years, Chris was a big supporter of the Bellows Falls Little League and the Greater Falls YMCA. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Sept. 29 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial at St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster. Donations to the Rockingham Free Public Library, 65 Westminster St., Bellows Falls, VT 05101.
Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), Sept. 5, 2012, twin daughters, Macey Lynn Litchfield and Maia Paige Litchfield, to Shanna (Little) and Nicholas Litchfield of Townshend; granddaughters to Bob Litchfield and Dee and Steve Ovenden.
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), July 15, 2012, a daughter, Lyra Marie Fisher, to Nicole Fisher and Jordan Lavalley of Brattleboro; granddaughter to Tina and Rich Fisher of Brattleboro and Debbie and David Lavalley of South Newfane; great-granddaughter to Nancy Haskins of Keene, N.H.