College news
• The following local students were honored for academic excellence in the spring 2020 semester at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass.: Elizabeth Arel of Whitingham was named to the Dean's List and Tylynn Kuralt of Brattleboro and Tyler Clement of Vernon were named to the President's List.
• The following local students were honored for academic excellence in the spring 2020 semester at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Mary Ellis of Vernon was named to the President's List and Ava Zizza of Wilmington was named to the Dean's List.
• Katharine Taggard of Brattleboro was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2020 semester at Fairfield (Conn.) University.
Transitions
• Brattleboro Memorial Hospital welcomed Liz Aguiar, MPAS, PA-C, and Jillian Barney, PA-C as they begin new roles in the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Department. Aguiar received her Master's of Physician Assistant Studies in 2019 from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science. Previously employed at Newton Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, she completed her PA training at hospitals throughout New England, even traveling as far as Belize to undertake a clinical clerkship at La Loma Luz in Santa Elena. Barney completed her Physician Assistant (PA) program at Franklin Pierce University in 2016. Since her graduation, she has worked in North Carolina in the Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Department at Watauga Medical Center. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Physician Assistants in Orthopaedic Surgery, and the New Hampshire Society of Physician Assistants.
Obituaries
• Clara Jean Belanger, 6, of Marlboro. Died unexpectedly July 4, 2020 in Colebrook, N.H., from injuries she sustained in an accident. Clara was born in Brattleboro on Aug. 10, 2013, the daughter of Matthew Belanger and Leah Murdock. She attended Saint Michael's Pre-School and would have entered the second grade at Marlboro Elementary School this coming fall. Clara was so full of life, brought a smile to many people's faces, and a little sassy. She loved spending time with her family, traveling, playing games, and making friends. As part of her travels, she loved to go to the beach, camping, swimming, fishing, amusement parks, waterparks, fairs, and flying on airplanes. Clara also enjoyed art, singing, dancing, cooking, science, math, and reading. She loved drawing, painting, making puppets, and making jewelry. She and her brother spent lots of time cooking and baking together. She especially loved making her favorite chocolate pie. Clara leaves her parents and one brother, Emerson, at home; great-grandparents Nanny Jeanette Shield, LaVerne McIntyre, and Maryanne Kaemmerlen; grandparents Jay and Donna McIntyre, Andrew and Laurie Murdock, Bradley and Peggy Rafus and Helen Ruth Belanger. She will also be forever loved by many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends including: Amanda May and Kevin Fargo; Christopher and Christina Wasserlein, Michael and Andrew; Kayla Webber and Joshua Smith; Rachael Webber and Harrison; David Webber and Katrina Lury; Laura and Joseph Frame; Jennifer Bissonnette; and her classmates at Marlboro Elementary. She was predeceased by her grandmother Kendra Rafus, grandfather Edward Belanger, great-grandmothers Betty Rafus and Brenda Lakin, and great-grandfathers George McIntyre and Paul Kaemmerlen. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held July 11 at Sr. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, followed by a private burial. Donations to St. Michael's School, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Janet Florence Cleveland, 89, of Brattleboro. Died July 7, 2020 at Langdon Place in Keene, N.H., where she had been a resident since March. Janet was born in Brattleboro at the Mutual Aid Association on Harris Place on June 8, 1931, the daughter of Lee and Alice (Shute) Corbett. She was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro High School, Class of 1949. She had been employed as a receptionist at the Holstein-Friesian Association retiring in 2009, following 30 years of faithful service with the Association. Previously she had worked at the former American Optical Company on Putney Road. Janet was a member of the Dummerston Congregational Church and was a member of the VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 Auxiliary. She enjoyed crocheting, gardening, travel and time shared with her family. In 1952, she married William James Cleveland, who predeceased her in 1995. Survivors include two daughters, Bonnie Grover and her husband, Paul, of Hinsdale, N.H., and Linda Aiken and her husband, Roger, of Putney; one son, Brian Cleveland and his wife, Becky, of Brattleboro; and a cousin, Glenn Hall of Zephyrhills, Fla., who was more like a brother to Janet. Additionally, she leaves nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Alice Nelda Newton. Memorial information: Graveside services were conducted July 13 in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery, where she was laid to rest next to her husband. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To share a memory of Janet or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Abbott Chester Fisher, 88, of Newfane. Died on June 3, 2020. He was born in Williamsville to Ranald F. Fisher and Carlotta E. (Nido) Fisher. His family moved to Rochester, N.Y., and finally to Schenectady, N.Y. He was an ROTC graduate of Clarkson University and served as a first lieutenant in the Army. He was stationed in Nuremburg, Germany after World War II as a communications specialist. He returned to Vermont to live and raise a family as a longtime resident of Newfane, where he served at various times as Town Constable, a deputy in the Windham Count Sheriff's Department, and as a state deputy game warden. He also was a longtime active member of the NewBrook Fire Department. Abbott worked, and later retired from, the Holstein-Friesian Association in Brattleboro. He is survived by daughters Betty Joe Irvin and her husband, Greg, of Ben Wheeler, Texas, and Janet Ryan of Wellborn, Fla.; sons Grant Fisher of Wilmington and Brent Fisher and his wife, Sherry (Chase), of Hinsdale, N.H.; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Memorial information: No formal services will be held at this time. To view his online tribute, send a message of condolence, or for more information, visit www.phaneuf.net.
• Dorothy B. “Dot” Frink, 92, of Charlestown, N.H., formerly of Rockingham. Died June 29, 2020. Dorothy was born in Littleton, N.H., on July 18, 1927, the daughter of Carroll and Beulah (Bradshaw) Trombley, and was a 1946 graduate of Bellows Falls High School. Dorothy enjoyed going to church, knitting, and spending time with her family. In 1953, she married William H. Frink, who predeceased her in 2002. Dorothy is survived by her sons, Peter and Mark, both of Charlestown, and John (Christy) of Hartland, Vt.; a sister, Caroline; a brother, Bob Trombley; two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by her parents and her brothers, Carroll and Charles. Memorial information: A graveside service was held July 11 in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls. Arrangements are in the care of Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home of Bellows Falls.
• Scott Larabee, 50, of Putney. Died June 10, 2020 at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, with his wife by his side, following a courageous battle with cancer. Scott was born in Brattleboro on Jan. 29, 1970, the son of Charles and Judith (Leclaire) Larabee. He was raised and educated in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School with the Class of 1988. Following high school, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He served in the Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, and Operation Provide Comfort. Following 15 years of service in the Marine Corps, he was honorably discharged in 2003 at the rank of sergeant. Scott was an active member and the current Commandant of Brattleboro Detachment 798 of the Marine Corps League, where, in the past, he held the position as Jr. Vice Commandant. He was also a member of American Legion Post 5, and VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034. He was the Chair of the annual Toys for Kids Program, which he thoroughly enjoyed helping to coordinate. Scott enjoyed hunting, fishing, going to the races, and trips to Hampton Beach with his wife. Scott was also an avid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. Scott is survived by his wife Stephanie; his six children, Gregory, Amber, Charles, Kristopher, Brianna and Dylan; and eight grandchildren, Madysin, Rylynn, KJ, Lillyauna, Tucker, Abigail, Peighton and Ryker. Additionally, he leaves his parents, Charles and Judith, sister Lori, niece Miranda, nephew Glenn, five great nieces, aunts and uncles. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Normand and Bernadette Leclaire, and Charles and Marguerite Larabee. Memorial information: A service in celebration of Scott's life will be held at a later date and time to be announced by the funeral home. Donations to the Toys for Kids Program, in care of the Brattleboro Det. #798 Marine Corps League, P.O. Box 1942, Brattleboro, VT 05301. To share a memory of Scott or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Nina C. Trumper, 88, formerly of Brattleboro. Died July 9, 2020 at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine. She was born Nina Mary Tucker in 1932 in Dorchester, Mass., the second of five children of Canadian parents. They moved to Merrimack, N.H., where she attended schools and then finished training as an R.N. at Keene (N.H.) Hospital School of Nursing in 1953. She married Charles Cathcart in 1954; they had three children: Karen Lynch of Jonesboro, Ark., “Chip” Cathcart of Portland, Maine, and Lynne Avery of Concord, N.H., all of whom survive, along with eight grandchildren. She is also survived by her present husband John, sister Jackie of Topsham, and brother, Bruce, of Alexandria, N.H. Her first marriage ended in 1978. She married John Trumper, a pediatrician, whom she met at work in Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. They practiced together after she trained as a nurse practitioner in 1970 (the first one to be licensed in Vermont). While employed in that role, she acquired her BSN degree at Keene State College and, later, an MSN at the University of Massachusetts. Nina and John worked a sabbatical year on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indian Reservation in North Dakota in 1982. In 1992 she shifted to Public Health to work as an NP for the Vermont Health Deparment until retirement in 1998. After a visit to the former Soviet Union in 1990, Nina initiated a medical exchange between Vermont and Petrozavodsk, a city in Russia near Finland, which continued annually for the next 5 years. After retirement, Nina and John lived in Tennessee, South Dakota, New Zealand, and Newfoundland, for several months each year while John worked in hospitals there. They moved to a community in Topsham, Maine in 2011, where they were living when she died of long term complications of Alzheimer's. Nina was very energetic physically, socially, intellectually, even outside of her professional role, and rarely sat still for long: She enjoyed the outdoors: gardening, walking everywhere, hiking in the White Mountains, and was a National Ski Patrol member. She quilted and knitted for many years. She loved classical music, played the piano, sang in the Centre Congregational Church choir (where she was a member for 40 years), and in several other choral groups. She especially enjoyed dancing. She was an avid reader and founded a women's book group in Brattleboro which still exists. She thoroughly immersed herself in the communities wherever she lived or worked and made many good friends. All will miss her greatly and remember her fondly. Memorial information: A private family interment will take place in Brattleboro. Memories and condolences can be shared at www.brackettfh.com.
• William L. “Bill” Tyler, 87, of Spofford, N.H., formerly of Brattleboro. Died peacefully on June 26, 2020 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. He was born the son of the late Margaret (Emerson) and Richard L. Tyler on Nov. 5, 1932 in Brattleboro. His education began at Green Street School and he graduated from Brattleboro High School, Class of 1951. Soon after high school, Bill enlisted in the Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1957. After military service, he enrolled at Keene State College to study Chemistry and Physics. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1961. In 1956, he married Betty Ann Chickering. Betty and Bill celebrated 64 years of marriage on June 24, 2020. Bill was an entrepreneur. Prior to owning The Colonial Motel and Spa and The Tavern in for 28 years, he had been an auctioneer, a cattle dealer, a stock broker, and the owner of the Whetstone General Store, all in Brattleboro. Bill's interests were skiing, running, bicycling and travel. He ran the Chicago and New York City marathons. He biked miles and miles on Vermont roads and biked in Italy twice. Together, he and Betty visited all 50 states. Bill is survived by his wife, Betty C. Tyler of Spofford; and his sons, Kyle T. Tyler and his wife, Carmen, of Bozeman, Mont. and Karey T. Tyler and his wife, Lisa, of Vernon. He is also survived by four grandchildren, and a niece and two nephews. He was predeceased by his sister, Jean Savory. Memorial information: In keeping with Bill's wishes, all services and burial will be private. Donations to Friends of Pisgah, P.O. Box 134, Chesterfield, NH 03443, or to Thompson House, 80 Maple St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
Services
• A funeral Mass for Mary Helen Hepburn Burdo, who died May 3, 2020, will be held Saturday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro. A graveside ceremony will be held immediately afterwards at Wilder Cemetery in Dummerston.