Transitions
• Dan Johnson was recently appointed Chief Financial Officer at Chroma Technology in Bellows Falls. Johnson will also serve as a financial and strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and broader leadership team at Chroma and its subsidiaries, including 89 North, an illumination systems manufacturer in Williston. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a CPA certificate. Prior to joining Chroma, Johnson was Vice President and Controller at Precitech in Keene, N.H. Before that, he was Vice President of Finance Operations at C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene.
Obituaries
• Lois E Bousquet, 92, of West Townshend. Died on Nov. 2, 2020, on her birthday, at her home with family by her side. Lois was born in Enosburg on Nov. 2, 1928, the daughter of Olin & Eunice (Hoadley) Gilbar. She attended schools in Enosburg and graduated from Enosburg Falls High School in 1946. She married John Paul Bousquet in 1946 and they ran the West Enosburg Country Store from 1946 to 1953. They then moved to Connecticut, eventually settling in Willimantic, where they raised their five children. They bought land in West Townshend in 1966, spending many years coming up on weekends to camp with family, and friends old and new. They built their house and moved back to Vermont in 1974. During her time in West Townshend, Lois worked for Valley Health Care and the Green Thumb organization as a caregiver, housekeeper, and thrift store manager, as well as working at the Nutshell Food Co-op in Wardsboro. Lois's talents showed in everything she did, especially in her many crafts, which included sewing, knitting, and creations from items gathered in nature. Lois also enjoyed gardening, gathering seeds from wherever she could and planting and growing them in her greenhouse to give out as gifts. That developed into her own greenhouse business, The Herb Bed, that she ran for a number of years. She also enjoyed cooking and baking for large family get-togethers. Lois is survived by her children: Peg (Jeff) Ezequelle of North Fort Meyers, Fla., Ann (Russ) McBride of Marietta, Ga. , Paul Bousquet of West Townshend, Sue (Rick) Potrikuss of North Fort Meyers, and Brian (Diane) Bousquet of Westminster. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, not including many others that she considered her grandkids, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Faustine Campbell, and brother Olin Jr, who died at birth. Memorial information: At Lois's request, a small graveside service for family, and then a memorial service (or “party") will be scheduled for next summer. Donations to Bayada Hospice in Brattleboro.
• Lillian Alice Chaffee, 84, of Westminster West. Died Oct. 21, 2020 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care in Lebanon, N.H. Lillian was born in 1936 in Rumney, N.H., to Asa and Velma Colby, the youngest of eight children. Her children and grandchildren remember her as a no-nonsense independent woman, who taught them by example that there is no barrier to achieving what you want, no matter the path you choose. She was kind and accepting of all and was happy that she was able to cast her final presidential vote. Lillian was smart, hardworking and creative. She retired from GS Precision in Brattleboro after a 30-year career. Her creativity was revealed through her love of gardening, sewing, painting, and building; there was no job she was afraid to tackle. She was happiest at home digging in the dirt or sitting on her porch with a cup of coffee and a good book while looking at her view of fields, flowers, hills, and wildlife. She will be forever in our hearts. Lillian is preceded in death by her husband Paul; three brothers, two sisters, and her grandson, Bradley Nichols. She leaves behind her children: Deborah Seamans (Stephen), Ronnie Chaffee (Carla), Connie Paris (Tony), six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two sisters. Memorial information: Anyone who wishes may make a memorial contribution to Westminster Cares or The Jack Byrne Center.
• Jeannie Susan Conroy, 69, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died unexpectedly October 31, 2020 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Jeannie was born in El Reno, Okla. on Nov. 18, 1950, the daughter of Albert and Lorraine (Donnellon) Gray. She was raised and educated in Hollywood, Fla., graduating from Hollywood High School with the Class of 1969. She was crowned “Miss Hollywood” during her senior year. She worked for AAA as office manager of the Keene, N.H. office, retiring after 18 years of dedicated service. Previously, she worked as a dental assistant for Horizon Dental in Brattleboro. In 2000, she married Joseph E. Conroy, Jr. who survives. With her husband, Jeannie was a member of Windham Community Chapel in Dummerston. She was an accomplished and talented artist working with several mediums that included water colors and oils. Jeannie also was known for her “green thumb,” working in her gardens and tending to her many houseplants. Besides her faithful and devoted husband, she leaves her seven children: Jeremy Jackson of Pittsford; Jason Jackson of Jamaica; Joseph Conroy III of Chicopee, Mass.; Bonnie Monahan of Phoenix, Ariz.; Cherylynn Harrison of Chicopee; Erica Critchen of Brattleboro, and Shannon Flaugh of Anacortes, Wash. Additionally, she is survived by 17 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by several siblings including a brother, Albert Gray, who recently passed away. Memorial information: A memorial service will be conducted on Nov. 21, at 1 p.m., at the Windham Community Chapel. Her cremains will be interred at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, Mass., at a later date. Donations to The Branches Pregnancy Resource Center, 26 Birge St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To share a memory or send condolences to her family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Allen Guy Cushman Jr., 81, of Bellows Falls. Died Oct. 30, 2020, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. He was born Feb. 19, 1939, in Proctorsville to Allen and Edith (Kendall) Cushman. He attended schools in Proctorsville and Ludlow. Following school, he worked at several jobs, then made his career as a meat cutter in several local stores. He also worked many years for the Bellows Falls Police Department. He enjoyed crime shows and old westerns on television. Allen loved his family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In 1956, he married Marion Frink, who survives. He is also survived by his son, Allen Cushman III and his wife, Pat, of Walpole, N.H.; and daughters Debra Femiak and her husband, Jim, of Newburgh, N.Y., Linda Wright and her husband, Charlie, of North Walpole, N.H., Rose Noyes of Springfield, Vt., Kitty Kmiec and her husband, Bradley, of Alstead, N.H., and Marianne Cushman of Dickson, Tenn. He is also survived by siblings Ernest, Arnold, Royal, Audrey, Nancy, Sandra, Timmy, and Rodney. He was predeceased by his half-brother, Calvin. Allen has 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Memorial information: A graveside burial service was held at the Rockingham Meeting House on Nov. 4.
• Francis “Jake” Joseph Jaquith, 81, of Dummerston. Died Nov. 2, 2020. Born on Sept. 9, 1939, Jake (also known as “Punky”) grew up in Brattleboro. After high school, he spent four years in the Air Force before enrolling at Lyndon State Teacher's College. He settled in Dummerston and was a treasured algebra teacher at Brattleboro Union High School for 44 years. It is hard to find someone who graduated from BUHS before his retirement in 2010 without a “Mr. Jaquith story” to tell. Students in his classes were subject to his many sayings including, in defense of his grading policy, “it's either all right or all wrong,” or enjoyed his jovial support on the court or field as an official or from the sidelines at many sporting events. He liked a good-natured prank with his colleagues, one of whom called him a “beloved rascal.” Jake liked tinkering in his free time. He loved all things rusty and restored antique cars and furniture. He was a collector and, if someone was looking for an obscure part or tool, he probably had five. Jake was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Iris. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his sister, Bonnie Chamberlin, daughters: Kirsten, Andrea, and Alison, as well as grandsons: Dylan, Owen and Sawyer. Gratitude is expressed by the family to the staff at Pine Heights at Brattleboro Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation where he was a resident at the time of his passing. Every staff member treated him as though he were a family member. Memorial information: Due to COVID-19, no services will be planned. Donations to the BUHS Athletic Booster Club, P.O. Box 6383, Brattleboro VT 05302, in Jake's name. To share a memory or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Michael Kevin Johnson, 63, of Brattleboro. Died Oct. 26, 2020, after a period of declining health, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. He was born on May 1, 1957 in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the late William and Ann (Chase) Johnson. After graduating from high school, he went on to honorably serve in the Army and later spent his working career as a janitor at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon. Michael was a man of faith and was both a parishioners and volunteer for the soup kitchen at St. Michael's Catholic Church. He also loved to participate in the National Buddy Walk, a society which celebrates awareness for Down Syndrome, which he walked in honor of his niece, Leanne. He leaves behind his brothers Andrew Johnson and his wife, Lori, of Greenfield, N.H., and Robert Johnson of New Hampshire; sisters Linda Foley and her husband, Richard, of Warwick, N.Y., Cherylann Cimato and her husband, Michael, of Orlando, Fla., and Jillian Phillips of Albany, Ga.; as well as many nieces and nephews. Memorial information: There will be no services. Donations to The National Down Syndrome Society, 8 East 41st St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10017. To view his online tribute, send a message of condolence, or for more information, visit www.phaneuf.net.
• Stanley Alan “Stan” Robertson, 84, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died peacefully Nov. 3, 2020 at Pine Heights in Brattleboro. Born September 20, 1936 in Conway NH, the son of Wilbur “Jerry” Robertson and Hilma Davis Robertson, he grew up in Brattleboro, graduating from Brattleboro Union High School in 1955. In 1958, he married Irma Stockwell in Putney, who survives. A career commercial printer, he worked at several companies in Brattleboro and Keene. He was a proud member of the Vermont National Guard for over 14 years, serving from 1955 to 1969. Following his retirement from printing in 2008, he enjoyed travelling with his family. Stanley lived most of his adult life in Hinsdale. He enjoyed woodworking in his free time, creating numerous items that he was very proud of, and that remain in his home and in those of his children. He also enjoyed golfing, achieving a hole-in-one on May 11, 2000, and spent innumerable years on various bowling leagues in Brattleboro. He was an avid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother Herbert 'Robbie' Robertson, his sister Sandra Amand, and his daughter Joan Robertson Hill, and her husband Mike. Survivors, in addition to his wife of 62 years, include his brother Harold Robertson, and his wife, Pat, of Smithfield, Maine; his sister Mary Ellen Wallace of East Hartford, Conn.; daughter Rose Haynes, and her husband, George, of Brattleboro; and daughter Kim Simeon, and her husband, Andy, of Hinsdale; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Memorial information: Private graveside services will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Project Feed the Thousands, P.O. Box 8366, Brattleboro, VT 05304.
• Cynthia Lynne Harrington Symes, 82, of Marlboro. Died Nov. 2, 2020 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., with her husband and three daughters at her side, after a short illness. She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 23rd, 1938, the third daughter of R. Paul Harrington and Emogene Dyson Harrington. She spent her childhood in Caldwell, N.J., and Marlboro, where her parents joined their best friends, Stanley and Josephine Banks, in purchasing a disused two-family farm when Lynne was two years old. They called this special place Treadmill Farm (after a two-horse treadmill they found in the barn) and it would become Lynne's most beloved home for the next 80 years. At “The Farm,” together with her sisters Marigene and Julia (Judy), the young Lynne helped her mother to tend a large victory garden during World War II, while her father worked for the Army Air Forces. When he became one of the first professors of aeronautical engineering, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the family moved to Troy, N.Y., and continued to spend weekends and holidays at the old Snow House on the Farm, while the Banks family was resident at the old Brown House across the abandoned coach road. The seeds of Lynne's lifelong passion for gardening were planted during these years, as was her fondness for picking berries and preserving jam. Lynne was educated at Emma Willard School, where she loved to take part in dramatic productions. Like her sisters, she continued her education at Mount Holyoke College, where she majored in chemistry. During her junior year, she also attended the Université libre de Belgique in Brussels, where her father was acting as a special advisor to the Belgian government. This formative time was one that she often recalled, and it took on new significance when her youngest daughter later spent five years in Belgium with her own family, working at NATO's operational headquarters. After graduation in 1960, Lynne put her B.A. degree to work at the General Electric Research Lab in Niskayuna, N.Y., where she was one of just a few female chemists. There, she met a metallurgical engineer from Queens, N.Y., Ernest (Ernie) Michael Symes, a graduate of Columbia University. They were married in 1964, and became the parents of three daughters: Carol Lynne (1966), Julia Ann (1968), and Kimberly Gene (1971). Lynne imbued her daughters and her city-bred husband with her own love of Vermont. As the family moved to Topsfield, Mass., and then to Guilford, Conn., Treadmill Farm continued to be a haven for weekends, holidays, and especially the long summer vacations. Lynne and her sisters remained close, and her daughters grew up alongside their cousins, forming special bonds. In Guilford, Lynne reinvented herself as a gifted special education tutor and committed Girl Scout troop leader and regional coordinator for more than 10 years. She took enormous pleasure in helping students succeed in school and, as mentor to girls and young women, she emphasized the importance of confidence and self-reliance. Many of the friendships that she and Ernie forged in Guilford during these years became lasting ones. Indeed, when Ernie retired from his position at Schick in 2000, they decided to join friends who had moved to the Winding River community near Wilmington, N.C. They also traveled widely in Europe during these years. At the same time, Lynne's attachment to Marlboro and the Farm only deepened. After the untimely death of her childhood playmate, Julia Banks Bryce, a noted local artist, the house across the lawn was eventually put up for sale. Fortuitously, she and Ernie were able to purchase it, keeping Treadmill Farm together. In 2014, Lynne and Ernie decided to move permanently to Marlboro. Joyful to be at home in Vermont for good, Lynne spent the summers improving and expanding the ambitious perennial beds at Treadmill Farm. A brilliant gardener, she was especially proud of her beautiful abundance of daylilies. Lynne and Ernie especially relished the strengthening of their ties with old and new friends in Marlboro, where they have long been members of the Ames Hill Association and the Marlboro Meeting House. Above all, they have rejoiced in their granddaughter, Abigail Symes Maedje, born in 2012. Lynne is survived by her husband Ernest; her daughters Carol, Julia, and Kimberly and their respective husbands Thomas Wilson, Patrick Moreland, and Richard Maedje; her granddaughter, Abigail; her sisters, Marigene Harrington Butler and Julia Harrington Kilby; her brother-in-law, Gordon Kilby; her cousin, Margaret Tucker Gelin; and many well-loved nieces and nephews. Memorial information: A service and interment will be held for the immediate family only. Donations to The Marlboro Meeting House, P.O. Box 64, Marlboro, VT 05344. To share a memory or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Ronald Clark Tier, 84, of North Hero, formerly of West Dummerston. Died Oct. 31, 2020 at the St. Albans Health and Rehabilitation Center, following radiation treatment due to prostate cancer 14 years ago, which affected his bladder. Born in West Dummerston on July 12, 1936, he was the son of Thomas and Elsie Tier. Ron's love for his mom and dad was immeasurable. He is survived by his wife, Jo-Ann; a sister, Jean Brown of West Dummerston; his sisters-in-law Mary Jane Bibeau of Brattleboro and Susanne Dorris of Branchville, N.J. Ron also leaves a nephew, Brian Allen of Williston, and a niece, Lori Allen of West Dummerston, both of whom he was very fond of. Following his graduation from Brattleboro Union High School he enlisted in the Air Force. Ron always enjoyed talking about his Air Force experiences. For many years he worked for Burroughs Corporation and, when the company merged with Unisys Corporation, he became a field service manager. Later in life, he worked at Northland Boat Shop in North Hero in Sales and Service. Ron was on the North Hero Selectboard for seven years and was a dedicated member of the North Hero Volunteer Fire Department, serving various roles as secretary, treasurer and assistant fire chief. Memorial information: At Ron's request, a private burial will take place in the spring in the Baptist Cemetery in West Dummerston. To honor Ron's memory, Jo-Ann is suggesting a blood donation be given to the American Red Cross in Ron's name, or a donation to Grand Isle Rescue, 3 Faywood Rd, Grand Isle, VT 05458. Messages of condolence to Ron's family may be sent to www.healdfuneralhome.com.
• Jude Luke Tyler, 57, of Dummerston. Died Oct. 30, 2020 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following a lengthy battle with cancer. He was born Aug. 24, 1963 in Brattleboro to Terry and Mary (Canny) Tyler. He is survived by his mother, his son, Luke, and his wife, Jennifer. He is also survived by his siblings, Terry and his wife Lois of Hubbardston, Mass., and Brian and his wife, Joann, and Kathy and her husband, Jim Evans, all of Dummerston. He was predeceased by his father and his brother, Kevin Tyler. Jude enjoyed working with his hands. He spent many years welding and repairing equipment. Jude enjoyed anything that had a motor. There wasn't much he couldn't fix. In years past, he enjoyed motorcycling and snowmobiles, but also loved to ski and ski jump. In the past five years, he was an active volunteer for the West Dummerston Community Center. For years, he happily decorated for Halloween and Christmas and maintained the shoveling during the winter months. Jude was a great help to his mother, especially the past few years. He was helpful assisting with small jobs at Our Lady of Mercy in Putney. He especially enjoyed helping decorate and setting up the creche with Rory each Christmas. Memorial information: Due to COVID-19, a private Mass will be held for the family. Donations to to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, P.O. Box 246, Putney, VT 05346. The family would like to thank the Bayada Hospice nurses for the care of Jude and Atamaniuk Funeral Home for assisting with the arrangements.