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• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital announced that Stephen H. Fox, MD has joined the hospital's staff, practicing in the BMH Center for Wound Healing. Dr. Fox received his B.A from Cornell University and his M.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in General Surgery at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Surgical Outcomes at Hartford Hospital. He comes to BMH from Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass., where he served as Chief of Surgery.
Obituaries
• Grace Beverly Adam, 25, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 24. Born at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on Jan. 16, 1991, and a lifelong resident, he was educated at Green Street School, BAMS, and BUHS, and attended college classes at the University of Maine and Greenfield Community College. She had a love of the outdoors which began early in her enjoyment of the Whetstone Brook that flows by the house she grew up in. She was an avid snowboarder, hiker, and rock climber. Her real passion was for travel; she journeyed to China on a high school trip, and visited Japan in 2009 as a Freeman scholar with the Experiment in International Living. With her generous smile, upbeat energy, and unforgettable sense of humor, she made friends easily in her travels - both among her group members and especially with the people she met in these countries. After high school, she traveled in Europe with close friends from Brooklyn, N.Y. She was also a WOOF'er (WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and twice went on her own to Hawaii to learn about landscape and culture and indigenous health practices. With her parents, she traveled from the desert in California to the Old City in Cartagena, Columbia. She will be remembered all those who loved her for the way she could put anyone at ease with her smile, her contagious sense of wonder, and enthusiasm for life. She is survived by her parents, Marcia Olander and Drew Adam; her brother Max Adam and his wife, Hannah Richards of Greenfield, Mass., and their children Sina and Julian. She will be missed by her sister and soulmate Ida Adam, also of Brattleboro, and Ida's partner Misha Mross of Spofford, N.H. Grace is also survived by her maternal grandmother Beverly Major King of Concord, MA, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends scattered about the United States. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at the Vermont Jazz Center at Cotton Mill Hill in Brattleboro on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 7 to 9 p.m. The Rev. David Martin will lead the service. Donations to the Experiment in International Living at 1 Kipling Rd., P.O. Box 676, Brattleboro, VT 05302 or to the Center for Health and Learning, 28 Vernon St., Suite 319, Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Barbara Ann Bousquet, 77, of Putney. Died Oct. 9. Born April 6, 1939 in Springfield, Mass., to Ralph and Marion Conrad, she graduated from Commerce High School in Springfield. She married Robert “Bob” Bousquet in 1958, moving to Palmer, Mass., where they raised their three children. Always a lover of a more rural life, she and her husband built a camp in Putney, and later moved and lived there for many years. Although they divorced in 1989, she and Bob remained friends for the remainder of their lives. She worked as a town Lister in Putney, was an officer in the Now & Then Vehicle Club, the proprietor of an antique store in Keene, N.H., and ran a home T-Shirt business, Hatsntees. She was a talented and creative person and, throughout her life, helped create numerous publications for the various groups she was involved in. She also enjoyed painting, sewing, and crafting. She was a great lover of animals and always had a pet by her side. She was predeceased by her daughter, Cindy Bousquet, as well as her ex-husband. She is survived by a daughter, Laurie Blair and her husband, Leo, of West Chesterfield, N.H., and a son, Curt Bousquet and his wife, Betsy, of Putney. She also leaves behind two grandchildren and her longtime companion, Gus Williams of Swanzey, N.H. Memorial information: Per her wishes, there was no funeral service. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302, or to the Vernon Green Nursing Home activities fund, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354). To offer messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Miller Campbell, 92, formerly of Saxtons River. Died Nov. 21 of complications associated with her long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Born June 16, 1924 in Lorain, Ohio, she was the daughter of Otto Miller, Jr. and Irene (Duffy) Miller. She had a brother, Otto Miller III, and a sister, Joan Irene (Miller) Saunders. When she was 10, her father abandoned the family and she and her siblings spent much time with relatives, especially with her Aunt Marie and her Grammy Tyler, and she later reveled in telling stories of the love she felt and the good memories she had of being under their wings. Beth's mother, known to the family as Ahben, was a Broadway show singer and dancer and her travels caused Beth to attend schools in New York City and Westport, Conn. She attended Staples High School in Westport. She had intended to go to Smith College before the onset of World War II. She was, as a very young woman, the chair in raising funds for an ambulance that was successfully bought and shipped toward Britain before the United States entered the war. The transport ship unfortunately was sunk en route to Europe. She went to work for a defense contractor in Bridgeport, Conn.. She was also active in the USO during the war. As the war effort started to subside, she became a dance instructor for Arthur Murray Studios; her dexterity continued to amaze her children well into her 80s. It was during this time she met her future husband, Robert Mosher Campbell. They had moved to New York City and got married in 1945. She worked at Saks Fifth Avenue and loved the city. In 1948, her husband was offered a job at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River and they decided to move there with their two small children. Two children became four, and then even more, as Beth eventually gave birth to 11 children: Robert Campbell, Jr., Elizabeth Campbell Chromec, Averill Campbell Larsen, all of Saxtons River; Michael Campbell (Erin O'Hearn) of Boston, Sean Campbell (Joan) of Saxtons River, Peter Campbell of Washington D.C., Margaret Campbell LaCoste (Don) of Northport, Maine, Charles Campbell (Julie), of Arlington, Va., Matthew Campbell and William Campbell (Gina), all of Greenfield. Mass., and Sarah Campbell of Saxtons River. She was always active, gracious, and caring. Even while tending to her own large brood she was known for her generosity in taking care of neighbors and involving herself in community issues. She was an advocate for good schools and for improving the appearance of Saxtons River. She was a talented cook and hostess. She had a great many friends in Saxtons River, and the surrounding communities. She had a knack for decorating and her skill was abundantly clear throughout the historical home she and her family restored in 1957. With her husband and daughter, they bought and restored the Saxtons River Inn in 1973. She put endless energy into bringing a bright and colorful but totally eclectic style to the inn. The result was a notable building attracting attention nationwide and bringing customers from around the world. The inn was eventually sold and Bob and Beth began to spend several months a year in Honolulu. She loved the warmth, the sun, and being in a city again. She spent much time volunteering and making friends at the Honolulu Art Museum. She loved to travel and visited many European cities and countries. Unfortunately, Alzheimer's was to begin to take its toll and the long trips to Hawaii and other destinations were no longer possible. She is survived by her husband, all of her children, and 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother and sister. Memorial information: A memorial gathering for family and friends will be held at the Saxtons River Inn in Saxtons River on Dec. 3, at 5 p.m., to celebrate her long and busy life. Donations can be made to the American Alzheimer's Association 300 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 130, Williston, VT 05495 or the Bob and Beth Art fund, Vermont Academy, P.O. Box 500, Saxtons River, VT 05154.
• Martha Park Desrochers, 77, of Grafton. Died Nov. 17. Born in Grafton on Jan. 6, 1939, the daughter of Avery and Marion (Hall) Park, she was a 1957 graduate of Springfield High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 1961 from Keene Teachers College. In 1961, she married Richard Desrochers. She worked as an elementary school teacher for two years in Hancock, N.H. and for 33 years at Central Elementary School in Bellows Falls. She was a member of the Grafton Church, where she also served as janitor, and enjoyed the Grafton Cornet Band. She also loved her horses and taking care of them. She is survived by her husband of 55 years; her brother, Arthur H. Park of Grafton; Christy Boris and her husband, Michael, who were like children to her; and several nieces, nephews, and friends. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Nov. 27 in Middletown Cemetery in Grafton. Donations to the Grafton Cornet Band, P.O. Box 82, Grafton, VT 05146.
• Ruth M. Gale, 79, of Warner, N.H., formerly of Westminster. Died Nov. 15 at Pinerock Manor in Warner, following a period of failing health. Born in Everett, Mass., and a graduate of Melrose High School, for many years she was a sales representative for Luzenac America (Windsor Minerals) in Windsor, Vt. A woman of faith, she was a member of the Mountain View Seventh Day Adventist Church in Vernon and held membership in the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Additionally, she was a member of the Bellows Falls Elks Emblem Club. An accomplished piano player, she loved music and enjoyed her church and taking part in all of its activities. She was married to Rodney Gale and Francis Williams, who both predeceased her. Survivors include one daughter, Jana Labbe of Spofford, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by three brothers, Lloyd, Douglas and Burt Taylor, and a sister, Eleanor Flight. Memorial information: A memorial service will be conducted on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m., at the Mountain View Church on Fort Bridgman Road in Vernon.Burial of her cremated remains will be in Taft Cemetery in West Townshend. Donations to Mountain View Seventh Day Adventist Church, P.O. Box 24, Vernon, VT 05354. To offer messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Theodore Sutton Gochenour Jr., 82, of West Dummerston and Brattleboro. Died Nov. 16 in Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., after a long period of declining health. He was born on Dec. 25, 1933 in Washington, D.C. and graduated from from Mt. Rainier High School in Maryland in 1951. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland, where he also graduated from the ROTC program as an Air Force officer. After college, he went on active duty and served as a fighter pilot, flying F-86 Sabre jets. He was honorably discharged as a lieutenant in 1957 after serving in Libya. As a reserve officer, he was promoted to captain. He married Carol Blanchard in 1958, and with their first child, Sarah, went to live in Afghanistan so he could pursue his love of Persian language and Literature at Kabul University. Their second child, Sharrock, was born in Kabul and. shortly after establishing the Fullbright Fellowship program at Kabul University, he and the family returned to the U.S., where he earned his Master's degree from Harvard University. In 1966, he came to work as a cross-cultural trainer for several Peace Corps Training Programs run by the Experiment in International Living (EIL) in Brattleboro. Following that, he was hired by the School for International Training (SIT) to be director of the International Career Training Program, a master's degree program. The family then took up residence in West Dummerston in 1967. In 1980, after the marriage ended, he proceeded to build his own house in West Dummerston. In 1983, he accepted the job of Ddrector of the English as a Second Language/Cultural Orientation (ESL/CO) program at the PRPC refugee camp in the Philippines. As director of the ESL/CO Program, he supervised some 2,000 Filipinos and Americans teaching English and American Culture to Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian refugees who were coming to resettle in the U.S. Shortly after his arrival in the Philippines, Ted met Yolanda (nee Cabiluna) of Cebu City, Cebu, who worked as an English teacher at the camp. In 1985, they married and returned to the U.S. He then wrote “Considering Filipinos” (1990), published by Intercultural Press in Maine. In 1989, Ted and Yoli went to live in Nepal, where he worked as the Director of International Development Enterprises, funded by the World Bank. They returned to West Dummerston in 1990 and Ted then worked for EIL as the editor of the second edition of “Beyond Experience: An Experiential Approach to Cross-Cultural Education” (1993). In 1995, he became the Vice-President for the International Programs Division of World Learning (formerly EIL), in charge of the student exchange programs between colleges and universities in the U.S. and other nations worldwide. In 1996, he left World Learning and, with his wife, went on travels to Ephesus, Turkey and Rome. During the winters they enjoyed staying in the Philippines. He was an accomplished classical pianist and organist and was one of the original members of Blanche Moyse Chorale, in addition to being one of the members of the Brattleboro Music Center Board of Trustees. He was also an active member of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Putney for 15 years prior to joining St. Michael's Parish. He is survived by his wife, Yolanda; his daughter, Sarah Hudock and her husband, Dean; granddaughter Jennifer Skye; sister Marian Dahl of Rockville, Md.; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his parents, Agnes (nee Cobb) and Theodore Gochenour, Sr., his sister, Margaret Whitman of Falls Church, Va., and his son, Sharrock “Rocky” Gochenour. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 30 at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, followed by private committal rites and burial. Donations to the Brattleboro Music Center. To sign an online guestbook with messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Douglas Raymond Holmes, 44, of Northfield, N.H. Died Nov. 14 from birth defects and heart-related issues. Born April 11, 1972 in Burlington, his formal education started at age 3 at the Early Essential Education Center in Burlington. At the age of 5, he moved with his family to Brattleboro, where he enrolled at the Austine School for the Deaf, graduating in 1991. He enrolled at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and Rochester Technical Institute in Rochester, N.H., which led to his employment at the New Hampshire Department of Transportation as a Civil Engineer Tech IV for the last 17 years. He enjoyed his family and friends. Among his many interests were bowling, his love of travel, and a keen interest in civil engineering. He delighted in historical research and hiking. He knew the stats of every mountain in this area as well as many throughout the world. He memorized maps from all over the country. He is survived by his parents, Raymond E. and Linda F. Holmes of Guilford, his brothers Mark and his wife, JoAnne, of Brattleboro and Matthew and his wife, Lydia, of Ganesvoort, NY, three grandchildren, and several uncles, aunts, and cousins. Memorial information: A celebration of his life was held Nov. 22 at the First Baptist Church in Brattleboro, with burial in Mountain View Cemetery in Essex Center, Vt.
• Virginia E. “Ginny” Howard, 76, of Vernon, formerly of Putney. Died Nov. 22 at Springfield (Vt.) Health & Rehabilitation Center, following a period of declining health. She was born in Colchester on Sept. 19, 1940, the daughter of Owen and Helen (McLaren) Hutchins. She was raised and educated in the Lincoln/Bristol area. She married to Leonard Howard Jr. in 1964. For approximately five years, she worked for the School for International Training in Brattleboro. She was a faithful and devoted wife and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose life centered around her family. She was a longtime member of the Putney Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary. She enjoyed flower gardening, tag sales, and time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren. Besides her husband of 52 years, she leaves three sons, Kevin and his wife, Elaine, of Deltona, Fla., Frank and his wife, Jennifer, of Brattleboro and Leonard Howard III and his wife, Becky, of Putney; one daughter, Deborah Derrig and her husband, Ellis Jr., of Putney; three brothers, four sisters, six grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two brothers. Memorial information: Graveside services were held Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Putney. Donations to Putney Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 875, Putney, VT 05346, or to Brattleboro Fire Department, 103 Elliot St,, Brattleboro, VT 05301. To sign an online guestbook with messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Patricia Ann (Buzzell) Noble, 75, of Cambridgeport. Died Nov. 21, following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. The daughter of Ward Buzzell and Geraldine Willard, and also raised by her stepfather O. Richard Severance, she lived her entire life in the Grafton and Bellows Falls area. She graduated from Bellows Falls High School in 1959 and went on to enroll in many courses, but her highest achievement was a “PHT” degree (Putting Hubby Through). She worked in various businesses: Unified Data, Sam's Army & Navy, and owned a realty company. She retired as Executive Director of the Bellows Falls Senior Center. She also volunteered much time at the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Women of the Moose. She was fondly known to friends and family as “Mother Nature” for her love of gardening. Plants could be found in every rock and crevice along her property. Music was also a large part of her life. She played the organ routinely at several churches in the area, played and sang for hundreds of weddings over the last 50 years, and was a member of the Springfield Community Players for several years. A baby grand piano has been part of her life for more than years. She was preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include her husband of 57 years, Paul; daughter Darcy and her significant other, Brian Sheldon; her son Gregg and his wife, Sarah; her grandson William; and best pals Riley and Midnight, who watched guard over her at home. Memorial information: A graveside service will be held in the spring, at a date to be announced. Donations to the Bellows Falls Senior Center or the Windham County Humane Society.
• Ann Richardson Stokes, 85, of West Chesterfield, N.H. Died Nov. 20 at her home of cancer. She was known locally for her kind and enthusiastic support of this community and, more widely, for her passionate interest in politics, women's issues, and environmental and world affairs. In May, 1977, Ann was jailed for two weeks with several other women from Putney Friends Meeting, and hundreds of others, for protesting the Seabrook Station nuclear plant on the New Hampshire coast. Her proud mother rushed from New Jersey to visit her daughter in the Exeter jail. Later, during a protest at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, she was told she could not tour the facility because women would be distracting to the men who were working. She did anyway. Ann was an avid tennis player and sportswoman and, as with everything, played to win. She did not win, however, when she ran for Sheriff in West Chesterfield, in the 1970s, but she did get 44 votes. That ended her own political career, but not her intense interest and support of others. Long before the words “progressive populist” were invented, Ann invited Fred Harris, a Senator from Oklahoma, to her lovely Finnish-style home in New Hampshire for a gala fundraiser, supporting his presidential bid in 1976. She always kept the faith, supporting her favorite candidates, local and national, whom she felt could make life better for all. Even to the end, which may have been hastened by Hillary Clinton's loss. Ann was well-known to editors in New York, Washington, D.C., and locally for her smart, passionate, and thoughtful letters, written with pen and ink on paper. Stokes was born in Moorestown, N.J., on June 9, 1931, the daughter of Dr. Emlen Stokes and Lydia Babbott Stokes. She was the great-grand-daughter of Brooklyn's Charles Pratt. Ann graduated from Moorestown Friends School and later Goddard College in Plainfield. She later served as a trustee at Goddard, and had great affection and loyalty to the school. She had a great love of nature, having vacationed most summers of her life with family and friends in St. Huberts in the Adirondacks. In 1959, she chose to make her home in West Chesterfield, atop Welcome Hill, just down from Roger Welcome's beautiful farm. Ann gave some fabled parties, bringing in the likes Nina Simone, no less, Odetta, and many others to delight her guests. The entire Arthur Hall African-American Dance Troupe from North Philadelphia, shopping in downtown Brattleboro the day after a party at Ann's, was more unusual in the 1960s than it might be today. Ann is known to many for the gift of the land on Gulf Road known as Madame Sherrie's. A favorite hiking trail, the Ann Stokes Loop, winds up to Indian Pond at the foot of Mount Wantastiquet. The legend and lore of Madame Sherrie continues to fascinate. And to many, Ann is a legend as well. She was known as a talented poet, painter, writer, and thespian. She stole the show in the 2006 production of “Gay and Grey” at the Sandglass Theatre in Putney, which featured improvised personal stories of older gay men and lesbians. Ann will likely best be remembered for her laughter, outspoken deep convictions and loyalties, and for the creation of an exquisite retreat for women artists on her Welcome Hill property. Known to women in many parts of the country as the Welcome Hill Studios, three in all, they were created by Ann and women friends in the 1970s. These studios and their serenity have helped and inspired countless women over the nearly 40 years in existence, and will continue to do so in perpetuity. “A Studio Of One's Own,” published by Naiad Press in 1985, is an account of the all-woman-built first studio on the Hill. “Women weren't building houses much then, or at all,” said Ann Goldsmith, a friend involved in the early feminist project. A local artist said that “Ann has a wonderful legacy. She had moxie, was a lot of fun, and made so many people's lives better.” She was a lifelong Quaker and longtime vital member of Putney Friends Meeting. She was respected for her spiritual depth, as well as bringing a fierce advocacy for civil rights in all realms and, in our times in particular, support and outreach for marriage and gender equality and assistance for people with AIDS. Ann is survived by her adoring cat, Jack, daughter Patricia Prudence Hill of Philadelphia, nephew Thomas Willits of Northampton, Mass., nieces Nancy Deren of Gainesville, Fla., Thalia Venerable of Santa Fe, N.M., as well as the legions of people who knew and loved her. Ann was predeceased by her siblings Samuel Stokes of Alstead, N.H., Sally Venerable of Santa Fe, N.M., and Lydia Willits of Durham, N.H. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., at The Putney School, 418 Houghton Brook Rd. Donations in her memory may be made to Welcome Hill Studios, Box 84, West Chesterfield, NH 03466.