Milestones

Obituaries

• Domnick “Mickey” Arceci, 96, of Brattleboro. Died peacefully at his home on March 17, 2020 with Joyce, his wife of 21 years, by his side. He was born in Winchendon, Mass., the fifth son to Pietro and Maria (Barbadoro) Arceci. He graduated from Murdock High School in Winchendon, then studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. He played trumpet in many local groups, including Johnny Newton's Dance Band, the Heywood-Wakefield band in Gardner, Mass., the Brattleboro American Legion Band, and many others. He directed the Keene Legion Band until 2000 and had previously formed and directed the Jaffrey (N.H.) Hobo Band. Mickey enlisted in the Army in March 1943 during World War II and served with the 623rd Light Equipment Engineers in the European Theater of Operations, first landing at Omaha Beach. Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, Mickey returned to Winchendon. He moved to Jaffrey in 1946, where he married Rachel Girouard, who predeceased him in 1993. He was a salesman on the road many years for various employers, and owned and operated his businesses, the Ice Cream Shoppe in Jaffrey for nine years, and the Monadnock Beverage Co. for 22 years, retiring in 1989. His love of music was always with him, as was his trumpet. He met Joyce when they were both members of the Brattleboro and Keene Legion Bands. They were married in 1998 and moved to Brattleboro in 2006. In addition to his wife, Mickey is survived by his son Gary and his wife, Vicki of Jaffrey; his daughter Robin Horn and her fiancé, Ricky Jaubert, of Tulsa, Okla., and his stepson Christopher Frost and his wife, Andrea, of Brattleboro; his mother-in-law, Anna Filion of Brattleboro; 11 grandchildren, including Clenn with whom he had a close bond; 10 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He was also predeceased by his brothers, Emilio, Gino, John, Leon, and Norman; his daughter, Gail Arceci Healy, in 2013; his son-in-law, Michael Healy, in 2019, and his grandson Nathaniel Horn in 2019. Memorial information: A private burial will take place in St. Patrick Cemetery in Jaffrey, and a Mass of Christian Burial will be at celebrated at St. Patrick Church in Jaffrey at a later date. Donations to the Winchendon Music Festival, Inc., in care of Hurwit & Associates, 1150 Walnut St., Newton, MA 02461; the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302; or Monadnock Kitty Rescue & Adoption, P.O. Box 468, Jaffrey, NH 03452.

• Kenneth Edward “Sonny Buck” Bauer, 59, of Putney. Died unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at his home, following several health issues. Kenny was born on April 11, 1960 in Bridgeport, Conn., the son of Frederick and Audrey (Halsted) Bauer. He was raised and educated in Putney and attended Brattleboro Union High School. At the time of his death, he worked at Vermont Islands Company in Brattleboro as an assembler and driver. Previously, he worked at Harlow's Sugar House in Putney, his first place of employment and a job he thoroughly loved. Later, he was employed at Derrig Excavation in Putney and prior to joining Derrig, worked at the Southwick Zoo in Mendon, Mass., owned by the Brewer family. Kenny was a member of the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge #1499 and the F.O. Eagles, Brattleboro Aerie #2445. An ardent outdoorsman, Kenny enjoyed hunting, fishing, and riding his Harley-Davidson. Survivors include his father, Frederick Bauer and wife Cheryl of Vernon; one sister, Valerie Harlow of Putney; and two brothers, Frederick Bauer and his wife Dolores of Jeffersonville, Vt., and James Bauer of Gainesville, Fla. Additionally, he leaves many nieces, nephews, several cousins and a large host of friends and acquaintances. He was predeceased by his mother, who died in 2018. Memorial information: Due to the current pandemic, services will be held at a future date and time to be announced by the family. Donations to the Putney Volunteer Fire Dept., 14 Main Street, Putney, VT 05346. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Cleon Allen Boyd, 64, of Wilmington. Died April 3, 2020 at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington from complications of the COVID-19 virus. The son of the late John Boyd and Janice Batchelder, he was born in Bennington on March 13, 1956. He grew up on the family farm in Wilmington, attended Wilmington schools and graduated from Wilmington High School. Throughout his life, he worked as an equipment operator in the Deerfield Valley, including Fitzpatrick Excavating, Plimpton Construction, John Boyd, and Wayne Corse. However, his true passion was operating a Snow Cat and grooming the trails of Hogback, Haystack, Mount Snow and, for seven years, at Snow Valley Resorts in California. Cleon had the ability to traverse the steepest inclines and create the smoothest trails. In the summer months, he would use his talents maintaining the trails in preparation for the coming winter. Cleon was a former longtime member of the Wilmington Fire Department. He loved riding his Honda Goldwing motorcycle. He had a close family and enjoyed going to camp and being at the sugarhouse with them. With an appreciation of country music, he loved to get together with his family and sing country songs. He leaves his mother, Janice Batchelder of Brattleboro; sons Christopher Boyd and his wife, Kaya, of Dover and Zachari Boyd and his wife, Caitlyn, of Readsboro; daughters Naomi Boyd of New Hampshire and Meghan Carrier and her husband, Devon, of Readsboro; siblings Bucky Boyd of Wilmington, Theresa Clare of New York, Carol Boyd Johnson of northern Vermont, and Tammy Snow of Dover; six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. His twin brother, Leon Boyd of West Dover, died April 9, 2020. Memorial information: A celebration of Cleon's life will be held at the Boyd Family Farm at a later date to be announced. Donations to the Wilmington Firefighters Association in case of Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363. To send the family personal condolences, visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.

• Elizabeth Martha (Bennett, Tessier) Boyd, 95, of Bellows Falls. Died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on April 7, 2020. She was born Feb. 7, 1925 in Maple Grove, Quebec, to Frederick Levi and Laura Elsie (Peck) Bennett. The eldest of six children, she was known to family as Liz and Betty to her co-workers. Elizabeth spent most of her life as a caregiver, first with her brothers, then her five children, and then her grandchildren. She worked as a nurse's aide most of her working life at Graves Nursing Home in Bellows Falls in the 1940s and 1950s; Texas Nursing Home in Bellows Falls in the 1960s and 1970s, and as an on-call nurse who took care of a number of patients in her home in Saxtons River. After retiring, she provided daycare for her extended family. She enjoyed serving as chaperone on school outings and would join in the winter fun of tubing as much as she could. She celebrated her 80th birthday with a few runs down the old ski slope at the BF playgrounds. The local schools also knew her well for knitting and donating hundreds of pairs of mittens to offset the children's lost mittens. She was predeceased by her parents; her husbands Ralph Leon Tessier and Edward Forrest Boyd; brothers Byron, Freedom, Charlie, and Lawrence; and her only sister Danella, who died shortly after birth. She is survived by sons Louis (Marva) Tessier of Clarkston, Mich., and Lee (Cyndy) Boyd of Charlestown, N.H.; daughters Marion Saunders of Waldoboro, Maine, Grace Boyd of Lake Mary, Fla., and Melvena Boyd of Bellows Falls. She is also survived by five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren. Memorial information: At her wish, there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one's choice.

• Daniel R. “Danny” Cummings, 64, of Brattleboro. Died unexpectedly on April 7, 2020 at his home. Danny was born in Brattleboro on Dec. 20, 1955, the son of Robert and Thyra (Howe) Cummings. He attended Brattleboro public schools and was a graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1974. At the time of his death, he worked for United Parcel Service (UPS) out of the Brattleboro office for the past 12 years. From 2010 to 2018, he also worked in the produce department at the Brattleboro Food Co-op. Previously, he owned and operated Avenue Grocery on Western Avenue for 24 years. In his earlier years, Danny worked at the former Super Duper grocery store on lower Main Street, which later became P&C Market. A devout Catholic, he was a communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, where he served as an usher. Danny had many interests throughout his life; playing the trombone, volleyball, basketball, swimming, skiing, sailing, bicycling, sports cars, riding his motorcycle and working in his yard. He was an avid fan of the Patriots and Celtics, as well as NASCAR and Indy car racing. He enjoyed camping on Cape Cod every year. He loved baking chocolate chip and ginger snap cookies and handing them out to family and friends. He was a quiet, unassuming man well known for his spirit of friendship, many kindnesses, generosity and honesty. He was always there to lend a helping hand. He was formerly married to Dorothy “Dee” Gibson. Survivors include two brothers, Thomas Cummings and his wife, Carole “CJ,” of Guilford and their children, Christopher and Michael; and John Cummings and his wife Isabelle of Burke, Va., and their children, Kathleen, Susan, Maureen and Jesse; his companion Joan Marshall of Brattleboro and her children, Jessica and Elizabeth; and several cousins. Additionally, he leaves a host of dear friends. Besides his parents, Danny was predeceased by a sister, Patricia Cummings. Memorial information: Committal rites and burial will be private in the Cummings family lot in St. Michael's Parish Cemetery. A memorial Mass will be scheduled at a later date and time at St. Michael's Catholic Church. Donations to St. Michael's School, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or St. Brigid's Kitchen, 38 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Martha Jane Duggan, 80, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died unexpectedly April 3, 2020 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following an extended battle with cancer. She was born in Brattleboro on March 19, 1940, the daughter of Helen (Lombard) and Guy Bouchie Sr. She was raised in Hinsdale, attending Hinsdale Elementary School and was a graduate of St. Michael's Catholic High School in Brattleboro, Class of 1958. She worked at the Richards Group in Brattleboro, from which she retired following many years of faithful service. Previously, she had worked at Lyon Travel Agency and at the former Vermont National Bank. In her earlier years, Martha had been employed at the former Houghton & Simonds store in Brattleboro. A devout Catholic, she was a lifelong communicant of St. Joseph's Parish in Hinsdale and also attended St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. Martha was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of America Court #1773 and the Bereavement Committee. For many years, Martha proudly decorated the church alter with holiday flowers. She enjoyed travel, with two of her favorite destinations being Ireland and Bermuda, attending family and class reunions, and time spent with her family, especially her four grandchildren. She dearly loved them and helped raise them throughout their childhood in Rhode Island. Martha always looked forward to spending time with her friends from over the years, whether it be their regular coffee klatch with her friends from the Richards Group, or her friends who would meet daily at the Commons Lunch in Little Compton, R.I., where she would always bring a smile to everyone. Martha loved being at the farm and enjoyed watching the cattle daily. She was thankful for the love, friendship, and support provided by farm manager Steve and his wife Carlene Momaney of Hinsdale, who were always there to lend a hand whenever she needed one. Martha also enjoyed seeing regularly her nephew Brian Benjamin of West Chesterfield, N.H., who made sure to check in to see if there was anything she needed and to take her out for dinner from time to time and enjoy each other's company. She particularly enjoyed his regular wisecracks, which would usually be met with a wisecrack response from Martha, bringing smiles and laughter to everyone in the room. Martha had a special connection with the Sarsfield family - Michael, Kathleen, Joe, and her godchild, Maria - whom she enjoyed babysitting in her early years. They remained like family all through the years and always enjoyed the love, joy, and laughter that they brought. In 1971, she married John David Duggan Sr., who predeceased her in 2005. Survivors include one son, John David Duggan, Jr. and his wife, Melissa, of Wakefield, R.I.; two sisters, Winifred Amarosa of Hinsdale and Barbara (Clayton) Benjamin of Zephyrhills, Fla,; one brother, Albert (MaryEllen) Bouchie of Merrill, Maine; two grandsons, Jack and Charlie Duggan; two granddaughters, Susannah and Julia Duggan; two step-granddaughters, Kaitlyn and Ashley Foley, and many cousins, nieces and nephews that include niece and caregiver Sharon Amarosa of Hinsdale and her nephew Tom Amarosa who provided transportation and kept her company during treatments to and from Rhode Island as she needed. She was predeceased by one brother, Guy X. Bouchie, Jr.; a nephew, David Amarosa; and a brother-in-law, Frank J. Amarosa Jr. Memorial information: Graveside committal rites and burial in the family lot in Pine Grove Cemetery in Hinsdale will be for the immediate family only. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Church at a future date and time to be announced by the family. Donations to: St. Michael's Catholic School, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301; Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302; St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 35 Brattleboro Rd., Hinsdale, NH 03451; or Guy X. Bouchie, Jr. Scholarship Fund, in care of Hinsdale Vol. Fire Dept., 13 Depot St., Hinsdale, NH 03451. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.

• Dario Flores, 73, formerly of Putney. Died peacefully on March 27, 2020. He was born Feb 11, 1947 to Odilon and Lucia Flores. Dario very much enjoyed having gatherings and cookouts for his friends and family. He was an avid hunter and loved the outdoors. He worked more than 20 years at Boise Cascade and Specialty Paperboard and also worked for United Foods. At the age of 62, he retired and moved to the resort town of Manzanillo, Mexico, living out his dream of owning a home on a beach. He is survived by his wife of four years, Maria Cristina Flores de la Horta; his daughter, Beverly Downen; his son, Michael Flores; his brothers, Jorge and Albert Flores; sisters Teresa Espinoza and Carmen Espinoza, along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. He touched many lives and made many dear friends in Vermont whom he considered as family. Memorial information: A private service was held on March 30 in Salagua Manzanillo.

• Hedi G. Grob, 95, of Halifax. Died peacefully in her home on March 20, 2020, the first day of spring. Born Hedwig Vogel in Zürich in 1924, and enjoyed a Swiss upbringing along the shores of a beautiful lake offering old-town city charms combined with distant views of the snowcapped Alps. Growing up, she was immersed in creativity. Her father, Heinrich, was a civil servant and, in his spare time, an inventor and accomplished painter; her grandfather Jacob was a pioneering early Alpine photographer; and her grandmother Rosa was costumer to the Zürich Opera. Hedi finished her schooling and took an apprenticeship in pharmacy, and as a laboratorian at Hoffmann la Roche, the latter leading to a fortuitous meeting with Ernest, her destined-to-be husband. It was in 1949 that she bade her country farewell and joined Ernie in Summit, N.J., where began a long spell of children raising, music, welcoming Swiss visitors, and embracing the American way. Hedi never returned to live in Switzerland, though she visited home often. She expressed her creativity as a piano teacher who prided herself in nurturing young talent - bringing music into her home and filling the air with sonatas of her beloved Mozart, Schubert, and Bach. She and Ernie were introduced, by friends from Colrain, Mass., to the rugged hills of southeastern Vermont and the dirt roads and farms that reminded her and Ernie of her native Switzerland. Hedi and her family began to enjoy the peace and solitude of her eventual home - they called it “The Farm” - in Halifax, where she was surrounded by nature, and the quiet of a little-trafficked road and a nearby hilltop view towards Haystack and the Green Mountains. Many a Swiss friend came to marvel at the Fall colors, the beaver pond, and the red farmhouse in Halifax. Hedi brought joy to all who knew her, with her ready smile, her ever-upbeat attitude, and an energy that endeared her to family and friends. Who said you can't carry firewood or climb steep stairs when you're 95? However, she was also a quiet and reflective person, a voracious reader, and a Sudoku wizard to the very end. Not a day passed that the bookmark didn't move ahead a chunk. Hedi was predeceased by her husband Ernie, and is survived by her son Larry and his wife Ellen, of Weston, Mass., son Doug of Halifax, five granddaughters: Susannah, Ashley, Carlie, Erika, and Anabel; and four great-grandchildren: Aliyah, Isaiah, Juelz, and Christopher. Her sister, Trudi Oesch, and brother-in-law, Kurt, live in Antrim, N.H. Memorial information: A small service and burial in Halifax Center Cemetery will take place when spring, and the virus, let it be so. Donations to the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry in Wilmington at 802-257-0626 or www.deerfieldvalleyfoodpantry.org.

• Norman K. “Norm” Mansur Sr., 66, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 29, 2020, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., following a brief illness. Born May 20, 1953, in Plymouth, N.H., he was a son of the late Arthur Sr. and Pearl Mckee Mansur. He attended school in Rumney and Plymouth, and received his GED in 2010. He had worked several years for Burton Car Wash and Penske Truck Leasing in Brattleboro, and for Rustin Masonry and Caldwell Animal Shelter in Princeton, Ky. Norm loved auto racing, particularly NASCAR, and was a great fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. His favorite NASCAR track was Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama; he was able to go there as a special gift from his daughter. He also loved pro football and rooted for the Giants and 49ers. He was preceded in death by his sister, Gayle Bemis; a brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Dawn McCormick; father-in-law, George McCormick; a sister-in-law, Charlotte Mansur; nephews, Brandon Synder, Ryan Smith, and Tyler Houle. Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Norman Jr. and Melody Mansur, and Harley and Chrystal Mansur, all of New Hampshire; a daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca McCormick Archibold and her husband, Fabian, of Kentucky; ex-wife Lori Mansur of Princeton, Ky.; mother-in-law, Betty McCormick of Princeton; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren, two sisters, five brothers, several brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations to your local humane society or animal shelter.

• Kate Shelly Mattes, 73, formerly of Cambridge, Mass. Died of cardiac arrest on March 26, 2020, while undergoing rehabilitation at the Southwest Vermont Center for Rehabilitation in Bennington. Kate was a renowned and much-loved owner of a specialty mystery book store in Cambridge for 25 years. Kate's Mystery Books was truly a hub for both readers and authors, and she is remembered for helping authors who later became legendary to get a start in the age before the internet. Kate was the recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Raven Award, the Lifetime Achievement award from Sisters in Crime (which she helped form with writer Sara Paretsky) and the New England PEN and the Robert B. Parker awards for supporting the writers of New England. She retired and moved to Vermont in 2011 to be near her family. She lived in Newfane, Dover, and most recently in Brattleboro. She will be missed by her sister, Emily McAdoo, and by her niece, Ruby McAdoo. along with Ruby's family Amer, Raziq, and Mohsin Latif, who live in Putney and all enjoyed Kate's company after she retired from the public eye. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at a later date.

• Erleine B. Putnam, 91, of North Eastham, Mass. Died peacefully on March 28, 2020. She was born at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital on June 16, 1928, the youngest child of the late Earle A. Barnard Sr. and Hazel (Colby) Barnard. Her grandmother's farm on Birch Hill, in Sutton N.H., provided summers of fun and many happy memories for young Erleine, and her brother Earle. She was about six or seven when her brother pushed her down a hill on her first pair of skis; thus, beginning her love of skiing. During her high school years at Brattleboro High School, she worked at the Holstein Association, and then Vermont Savings Bank after graduation in 1946. She married Edwin H.“Put” Putnam on his birthday on July 4, 1948. From 1954 to 1959, while raising her young family, Erleine was selected to become a member of the National Ski Patrol at Hogback Mountain. In 1959, the family moved to Orleans, Mass., on Cape Cod, to take over the family business, a wonderful guest house called The Hildreth House. In 1962, they purchased an old campground in Eastham. While running both businesses, Erleine managed to open her first antique shop, Hildreth House Antiques. After selling the guest house in 1970, Erleine and Put built a home in Eastham. They spent many winters in Sand Key, Fla., until Put's death. At 60, Erleine joined the Cape Cod Ski Club and enjoyed skiing with friends and family well into her late 80s. In the summer and fall, she would often be kayaking or walking all over the Cape, making sure she kept in shape for the next ski season. In the last few years, she spent lots of time singing old tunes and playing Chinese checkers with her dear friend, Dottie. Erleine will be remembered for her endless amount of energy, her beach plum jelly, her many jingling silver bracelets, and her awesome Vermont Chocolate Pudding. She was predeceased by her husband, her brother Earle Barnard, and her two sisters, Ellen Carpenter and Jean Anderson. She is survived by her children, Sheri Leavenworth and her husband, Dana, Linda P. Della Rosa and her husband, Frank, and Peter Putnam. She also leaves five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A burial service and celebration of her life will be held this summer in Brattleboro. Donations to the charity of one's choice.