Obituaries
• Richard S. “Bummy” Allen, 78, of Jacksonville. Died Oct. 17 at his home. Husband of Caroline Smith Allen for more than 47 years. Father of Keith Allen and his wife, Jenni, of Norman, Okla., Scott Allen and his wife, Jayne, of Jacksonville, and Christine Block and her husband, Travis, of Jacksonville. Brother of David Allen of Jacksonville, Mary Louise Rauschenback of Connecticut, Stella Stevens of Jacksonville, Harriet Maynard of Wilmington, and the late Myron Allen, Jr. Born in Jacksonville, the son of the late Myron “Mike” and Wilhelmina “Billy” (Aherns) Allen, he was raised and educated in Jacksonville and was a graduate of Whitingham High School, Class of 1952. He lived on the family farm his entire life while self-employed as a truck driver for over 30 years. Later he worked for several business in the valley. He drove a school bus and had a rural mail route from Jacksonville to Charlemont. For the past 20 years, he took care of summer homes within the Jacksonville/Whitingham area. For several years, he served as superintendent of the annual Deerfield Valley Farmers Day Fair in Wilmington. Active civically, he was a member for several years of the Jacksonville Cemetery Commission, held membership in the Whitingham Lions Club and had been a member of the Vermont Co-Op Electrical Company. He was a member and served as a trustee of the Halifax Union Society and active with the Jacksonville Community Church. During his earlier years, he played baseball in the town league and later in the local men's softball league. He enjoyed following and attending his grandchildren's sporting events, vacations to the coast of Maine with his family and looked forward every year to the sugaring season. He and his wife also enjoyed being a member of the Green Mountain Square Dancers. Memorial information: A memorial service was held Oct. 23 at the Jacksonville Community Church. Burial in Jacksonville Cemetery will be private for the immediate family only at a future date. Donations to the American Diabetes Association of Vermont, 77 Hegeman Ave., Colchester, VT 05446, or Jacksonville/Halifax Fire and Ambulance Service. Condolences may be sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
• Betty Louise “Becky” Pierce Brown, 92, of Greenfield, Mass. Died Sept. 26 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Jerome Potter Brown. Mother of Merritt Brown of West Chesterfield, N.H., Candace Brown of Putney, Brooks Brown of West Halifax, Heather Smith of Guilford, and Rebecca Brown of Greenfield. Sister of the late Stewart Pierce. Born in Greenwood, Mass., daughter of the late Dr. Abijah Davenport Pierce and Florence Stewart Pierce, her family soon moved to Greenfield, where her father had an orthodontic practice for more than 50 years. Being very tall, she was a star for Greenfield High School's basketball team, was on the yearbook staff, and graduated in 1937, when she went to Wheaton College in Norwood, Mass., graduating in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in art history. After her husband was killed in a single-engine plane crash in 1960 in Springfield, she went back to school and earned a teaching degree from Keene State College. She taught at Turners Falls (Mass.) High School for many years. She was passionate about early American history and crafts, art, classical music, singing, scouting, photography, genealogy, traveling the world, gardening, knitting, teaching, and the outdoors. She created a huge assortment of incredible expressions of those passions throughout her life, from gorgeous gardens to a tree farm to magical sewn Christmas elves to outrageous sweaters to a mountain of genealogical work. Memorial information: A memorial celebration will be held at a later date; call 802-387-4155 or 413-774-0162 for more information. Donations to Vernon Home, 61 Greenway Dr., Vernon, VT 05354.
• Robert Gray Hindmarsh, 86, of Putney. Died Oct. 12 at his home. Husband of Thera Mary (Foster) Hindmarsh for 51 years. Father of Alison Briggs of Chittenden, Elizabeth of Wilder, Walter of Northampton, Mass., and Thomas of Charlestown, N.H. Brother of the late Lura Blodgett. Born in Cranston, R.I., the son of the late Lura (Gray) and Alexander Tulloch Hindmarsh, he was a veteran of World War II, participating in the Battle for Okinawa with the 17th Infantry Regiment, and was awarded the Purple Heart. After the war, he returned to Cornell University, graduating in 1950 with a B.S. in Agriculture and received a Master of Science from Brown University in 1962. During college, he worked at the dairy farm of Henry and Thyra Foster in Warwick, R.I. As a crop specialist for Eastern States Farmer's Exchange, he covered Western Massachusetts. In 1957, he and his wife were among the founders of The Meeting School, a Quaker school in Rindge, N.H., where he taught math and biology, and ran the school farm. He later taught at The Cambridge Friends School in Concord, Mass. He was a fundraiser for American Friends Service Committee, serving New England, and became vice president of development in Philadelphia. In Putney, he was a lister, a member of the historical society and Meals on Wheels volunteer. He enjoyed exploring the backroads, growing fruits and vegetables, and blueberry pie. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held a later date. Donations to Vermont Food Bank, P.O. Box 471, Brattleboro, VT 05302; or the American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102.
• Mark Franklin Hutchins, 63, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 17. He was born in Greeley, Colo., the son of Dorothy (Smith) Hutchins and the late Rev. Richmond Hutchins. When he was six, the family moved to Trumansburg, N.Y, and, when he was 12, to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Air Force Base, where his father was assigned as an Episcopal chaplain. He disliked much about the apartheid south of the early Sixties, particularly the schools, although he won the science fair grand prize for three years. His escape came when he received a full scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy. There he developed radio-wave propagation programs using dial-up access to the legendary Dartmouth mainframe computer; he also enlisted engineers from nearby Bell Labs to help solve interference caused by the school FM station. As a teenager, he was one of the youngest people to pass the FCC exam for First Class Broadcast Engineer. He also learned to play piano and became a church organist. He decided to take a year off before college (Syracuse with a full scholarship), and the hiatus lasted over 43 years. He enjoyed programming and engineering at radio and television stations in upstate New York, Nashville, and Savannah, Ga. At Savannah, he was joined by two Exeter classmates (Josh Butler and David Underhill) in a project to secure an FM station license. Over the years, he enjoyed the friendship of both and had several business ventures with each. His greatest fun in broadcasting was at an upstate New York FM station where he doubled as chief engineer and evening announcer. This job brought him to the attention of equipment manufacturer Harris Corp., where he worked as a product specialist. The opportunity to become co-owner and chief engineer at WKVT brought him to Brattleboro in the early 1980s. After selling his share of the business, he set up his own corporation, Mark F. Hutchins Broadcast Services, and consulted on the siting of radio and cell towers. He was married to Sarah Smith in the late 1970s: after that he had a special relationship with Marki Webber and her daughter Tawna Webber, who was like a stepdaughter to him. Then, in 1987, he became involved with educator Norma Willingham and their strong and loving marriage included a trip to China to adopt their daughter Grace, the joy of his life. His greatest challenge was being a Type 1 Diabetic, a condition he lived with for 53 years. He met every complication with determination and courage. A transplanted kidney, a gift from his sister Margaret, lasted a remarkable 26 years. At his death, he was days away from a scheduled foot amputation. He became a vocal advocate for single payer health care after experiencing the financial consequences of a serious medical condition, including the loss of a home resulting from crushing medical bills. He became active as a progressive, was a Brattleboro Town Meeting Representative for many years, and ran for the Vermont House in 1991. He enjoyed the challenge of learning new things and embraced technology. He helped the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont get on-line and was their webmaster for many years. He was a member of MENSA, a founder of the Brattleboro Area Adoption Playgroup, a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, the Vermont Selective Service Draft Board, and the Society of Broadcast Engineering. Memorial information: A funeral serrvice will be held at St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. Donations to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, or the Southern Poverty Law Center.
• Lewis Edward Levasseur, 85, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 15. Husband of the late Jeannette C. and Ann H. Levasseur. Father of Ann L. Boyd and her husband, Dennis, of Dummerston; Dennis A. Levasseur and his wife, Dot, of Chesterfield, N.H.; Lynnette Hill of Texas; Joseph L. Levasseur and his wife, Theresa, of Hinsdale, N.H.; and the late Louis E. “Odie” Levasseur. Brother of the late Richard Levasseur, Lucille Ethier, and Elaine McCarthy. He served in the Navy during World War II aboard the USS Alagash. Best known as proprieter of Lou's Amoco in West Brattleboro, he was a founding member of the Brattleboro Fire Department Dive Team and was a member of the fire department for many years. As a Shriner and avid photographer, he once served as an official photographer for the Maple Sugar Bowl Game. He always enjoyed new hobbies, which included flying, woodworking, gardening and computers. Memorial information: A private burial service will be held at a later date. Condolences may be sent to Covey & Allen & Shea Funeral Home at www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
• Robert E. Mesick, Jr., 69, of Stratton. Died Oct. 16 at home. Son of the late Robert E. Mesick Sr. and Gertrude Goebel Mesick. Brother of Charles Mesick, David Mesick, Donald Mesick, and Susan Berggren. Born in Albany, N.Y., he graduated from Colonie Central High School in 1960 and attended Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. He had a long career in the trucking industry. He was a member of the Shaker Road-Loudonville Volunteer Fire Department of which he became an honorary life member. As a member of the Boy Scouts of America, he achieved the honor of Eagle Scout. He spent many summers at the Stratton Mountain Scout Reservation, teaching young scouts in the ways of the outdoors, which he loved. His mentoring of Boy Scouts and Explorers continued throughout his life. He moved to Vermont in the early 1970s and worked for many years for the town of Stratton. His many activities included being an active member of the Wardsboro Fire Department and the Stratton Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as chief. He was a talented jack of all trades, a gentle soul, and a generous man with a heart of gold. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Oct. 22 at Bowen & Parker Bros. Funeral Home in Latham, N.Y. An interment service was held Oct. 23 in Ball Cemetery in Stratton.
• Robert Harry “Bob” Shattuck, 83, of Bondville. Died Oct. 16 at Bennington Health and Rehabilitation Center. Husband of Lena Corey Shattuck for 57 years. Father of Jerry Shattuck of Manchester; Roberta Sargood and her husband, David. of Shushan, N.Y.; Barbara Valenkas and her husband, Michael, of Salem, N.H.; and the late Edgar Shattuck. Brother of Henry Shattuck of Bennington, Lilla Hall of Jamaica, Eunice Squires of Castleton and the late Almon, William, Eugene and Harold Shattuck, andMargaret Rockwell and Frances Crandall. Born in Winhall, the son of the late Harry and Ruth (Ross) Shattuck, he attended local schools. He served in the Army during World War II, and later worked for the Vermont Agency of Transportation for more than 30 years and Stratton Mountain Golf Course for 20 years. He also worked at the Bondville Fair for many years at the horse pulls. He enjoyed fishing and deer hunting, and loved sugaring so much that he built a sugar house across the street from where he lived. He enjoyed listening to older country music, tinkering around his home and spending time with his family. Memorial information: A celebration of his life was held Oct. 21 at Brewster Funeral Service in Manchester Center. Interment will be private. Donations to the Winhall Police and Fire Department, the Londonderry Rescue Squad, the Stratton Mountain Rescue Squad, and the Neighborhood Connection.
• Gary Lee Tracy, 62, of Athens. Died Oct. 5 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Former husband of Lori Stearns Tracy and the late Minne Holcomb Tracy. Father of Kathryn Tracy. Brother of Rebecca Moore and her husband Lewis, of West Dover; Donald Tracy Jr. and his wife, Roxanne, of Homosassa Springs, Fla.; and the late Richard Tracy and Sandra Williams. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Edith (Boyd) and the late Donald Tracy, he was well-known to his Native American community in Vermont and was a beloved singer and drummer of the Voice of United Spirit drum group. He had many friends who looked to him for friendship, wisdom, and his gentle humor. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held in August 2013 at the convenience of his family and a few close friends. Condolences and contributions may be sent to Kathryn Tracy, P.O. Box 162, Wanblee, SD 57577.
Births
• In Burlington (Fletcher Allen Health Care), Sept. 30, 2012, a son, Richard Charles, to Christina Hamilton Goodwin and Jonathan Goodwin; grandson to Richard and Roxanne Hamilton of Brattleboro, Cheryl Goodwin of Williston, and Kenneth Goodwin of Atlanta, Ga.; great-grandson to Janet Binder of Shelburne Falls, Mass., and Vivian Cook of Agawam, Mass.
College news
• Sarah Bemis of Brattleboro is attending Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Conn. this fall as part of the Class of 2016.
Transitions
• Victoria Tomkinson is the new librarian at the Jamaica Memorial Library. Bringing enthusiasm and a life-long love of literature, she said she is excited to be serving the community. Library hours are Wednesdays 2-6 p.m., Fridays 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon.