College news
• Sarah Osgood of Brattleboro recently graduated with a B.S. in nursing from St. Anselm's College in Manchester, N.H.
• Elias Lombardi of Brattleboro and Devin Millerick of Vernon were recognized by Castleton University for superior academic achievement as first-year students at the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society induction ceremony on Oct. 18. Phi Eta Sigma is the oldest and largest honor society for first-year college and university students. To be eligible for induction, students must earn a 3.5 GPA in their freshman year while carrying a normal academic load for a bachelor's degree.
• Tyler Clement of Vernon has been named a Peer Advisor for the 2018-19 academic year at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass. Peer Advisors are a highly select and comprehensively trained team of students dedicated to helping first-year and transfer students in their transition to Western New England University.
• Cassidy Santorelli of Bellows Falls, a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Florham Campus in Madison, N.J., was named to the Honors List for the spring 2018 semester.
• Allison V. Stamler of Brattleboro is participating in a St. Lawrence University off-campus study abroad program during the fall 2018 semester. Stamler, a member of the Class of 2020 majoring in English, is participating in St. Lawrence's fall off-campus program in the Czech Republic.
Obituaries
• Marion (Clark) Grimes, 77, of Chesterfield, N.H. Died Oct. 25, 2018 at Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, N.H., after a brief period of declining health. Born on May 2, 1941 in Bellows Falls, the daughter of the late Mabel (Goodell) and Carlton Clark, she was educated in Brattleboro where she attended local schools. In 1958, she exchanged vows with Allen E.“Tink” Grimes. He died in 2013, after 54 years of marriage. Marion worked at American Optical in Brattleboro before retiring in 1980. She enjoyed sewing, doing puzzles, cooking, and caring for her elderly friends. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her daughter Pamela Bergeron and her husband, Russell, of Chesterfield; two grandchildren; Eric and Lisa Bergeron of Chesterfield; a sister, Ellen Robinson of Newfane; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family and friends. She was predeceased by siblings Evelyn Howe and Carlton Clark. Memorial information: In keeping with Marion's wishes, there will be no calling hours. A private graveside service will take place in the family lot at West Chesterfield Cemetery. Donations to the Activities Department in care of Maplewood Nursing Home, 201 River Rd. Westmoreland, NH 03467.
• Eris Marjorie Howe, 90, of Townshend. Died Oct. 23, 2018. A native Vermonter and a woman with a fiercely independent spirit, she was a lifelong resident of the West River Valley, living by herself for many years at the Howe family homestead on Windham Hill Road in West Townshend. She was born in Dr. Hefflon's office in Jamaica on Aug. 1, 1928, the fourth of five children of Raymond and Iola (Gleason) Howe. She attended West Townshend Elementary School and was a graduate of Leland & Grey Seminary, Class of 1946. Eris worked at a variety of jobs, including a stint at American Optical in Brattleboro, helping her family run Gleason's Store in East Jamaica, and she also took over a mail delivery route in the West Townshend/Windham area that her parents had driven for years. Her last 30 years of work were spent as a bookkeeper and office clerk for Kearley Fuel/Barrows Coal Company in Jamaica. Following her retirement from Kearley, she continued working for 15 more years as a substitute mail delivery route driver out of the Jamaica Post Office. For more than 50 years, she was very active as a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Mount Lebanon Chapter #89 in Jamaica. She served in many stations in that organization, including Worthy Matron and Grand Organist. She was also a member of the West River Valley Chorus, participating in their twice-yearly public performances for more than 20 years. Eris was a lifelong member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, and locally for many years, was a mainstay of the Christian Science Society in Chester, serving as organist and in many other posts. For the past three years, she was a member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brattleboro. Eris loved her animals and had a deep appreciation for nature and the beauty of the land. Her dogs were her companions and, for many years, she cared for her beloved horses and especially enjoyed riding on Turkey Mountain to pick blueberries. Many of those blueberries made their way into the muffins and desserts served at her favorite Valley restaurant, the Dam Diner. Eris built many a stone wall, and each spring reveled in tapping the maple trees near her home, boiling the sap into syrup which she shared with family and friends. A couple of her indoor pleasures were crossword and other word puzzles as well as a good game of cards. A raucous game of “Oh Hell” around the dining room table with family was one of her favorites. Although she was a reserved and private person, she is also remembered as warm-hearted, exhibiting a great love of people as well as animals. She very much enjoyed sharing her love of music, entertaining those at local convalescent homes on a regular basis with her piano playing. Her can-do attitude was remarkable and, although she prided herself on being self-reliant, in many ways she undervalued her attributes. She definitely underestimated the strength of the connections she made with folks wherever she went as evidenced by the staff at Thompson House in Brattleboro, where she resided for the past month, who said that she was the most visited resident they had. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Donald Prouty of West Townshend, several cousins, and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews scattered throughout the United States. Memorial information: A celebration of her life will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 24, at 11 a.m. in the Mount Lebanon Lodge/Masonic Hall on Route 30 in Jamaica. There will be no calling hours. Her cremated remains will be buried in the Howe family lot in South Windham Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Donations to Order of The Eastern Star, Mount Lebanon Chapter #89, in care of Barbara Coleman, P.O. Box 303, Bondville, VT 05340 or First Church of Christ, Scientist, 57 Putney Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• John R. Lawson Jr., 83, of Wilmington. Died Oct. 23, 2018, after defying cancer with everything he had over the course of the past five months. He was strong and brave and lived every day he could to be with his family. Born April 6, 1935, he was raised in North Stamford, Conn., the son of John Ralston Lawson, a well drilling contractor, and Anne Louise (Engel), an R.N. Having just turned 17 years old, he chose to leave high school in the 11th grade and enlisted in the Army. He was sent to the Korean War, trained as an armored tank soldier and notably served in the final battle at “Porkchop Hill” in the spring and summer of 1953. He received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in a combat zone and was promoted to corporal. Upon his return home from the war, he met his lifelong wife of 61 years, Margaret (Munko). They married in 1957 and had four children. He was a member of the Connecticut Carpenter's Union Local 210 for more than 50 years. At 26, he began a career of building houses on speculation, which included large homes in Stamford, Conn., and vacation homes in Vermont. All his houses were of his own design and many built entirely by him. He was a man's man. He made his mark in this world by the sweat of his brow, intelligence, and can-do determination. From 1976 to 1980, he built a 36 ft. gaff-rigged cutter (sailboat) in his spare time. He named it “Zbohom” which means “Go with God” in Slovak, his wife's native language. He wished to go around the world in this boat with his son, John. But tragedy struck after a day of sailing on Long Island Sound, when his son was traumatically brain injured in a motor vehicle incident at the age of 18. John and his wife took great strides to ensure the utmost care for their son for 33 years until his death in 2015. John is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Wilmington; his sister, Ellen Lawson; his daughter, Suzanne Zimmerman; daughter, Pamela and her husband, Bud Dwyer; his son, Gari Lawson; three grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, and many extended family members and friends. Memorial information: Services will be private. Donations to the Boy Scouts of America.
• Becky J. (Delano) Morrone, 68, of Westerly, R.I. Died Oct. 28, 2018 at her home. She was the beloved wife of William “Bill” Morrone and mother of Robert Vero Morrone. Born in Brattleboro on Dec. 28, 1949, she was the daughter of the late Robert and Phyllis (Higgins) Delano. She was an elementary school teacher in the Westerly Public Schools for 29 years, teaching first and fourth grades at the former High Street School and retiring from Tower Street School in 2000. She received her teaching degree from Willimantic State Teachers College, now Eastern Connecticut State University, and went on to receive her M.Ed. from Rhode Island College. She was an active member of the United Congregational Church of Westerly, where she served on numerous boards and committees over the years. She enjoyed doing crafts and making cards and was an avid reader. Becky was also a Justice of the Peace in Vermont and a lay minister in New Hampshire in order to officiate the weddings of her nephew, Brent Delano and Tyler Delano. She also leaves her brothers. Robert and his wife, Laura Delano, of Venice, Fla.; Randy and his wife, Bonnie, of Litchfield, N.H., Duff and his wife, Linda, of Hinsdale, N.H., and her sister, Jackie Delano of Winchester, N.H. She also leaves two sister-in-laws; Lois Delano of Baltimore, Md., and Cindy Moffitt of Florida and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her two brothers, Timothy and Kenneth Delano. Memorial information: A celebration of her life was held Nov. 3 at the United Congregational Church of Westerly.
• Donald Shover, 85, of Springfield, Vt. Died Oct. 20, 2018. Born in Richford on July 8, 1933, the son of Ernest and Gertrude (Sanborn) Shover, he was very close to his family and always treasured his memories. He enjoyed sending holiday cards, picking up and recycling cans, and working around the house. He loved going to the local creamie stand. He had many friends within Lincoln Street Inc., who deeply treasured his sense of fun and humor and telling stories. He brought light and laughter into every room he entered. He is survived by his brothers Gilbert Shover of Richford, Alexander Shover of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and John Shover of Swanton; his sisters Gloria Gagnon of Massachusetts and Emily Deuso of Hinsdale, N.H.; as well as many sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, his brother Roy Shover, and his sisters Shirley Supernault and Geraldine Foster. Memorial information: A graveside service was held on Oct. 26.