Obituaries
Editor's note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge. Traditional full obituaries will eventually be published as news on www.commonsnews.org as we receive them. As community support for the newspaper increases, we will surely reconsider publishing more traditionally complete obituaries in the print newspaper.
• Robert “Timer” L. Cook, 76, of Winchester, N.H. Died July 31. Husband of Sandra Kelley Cook for 48 years. Father of Melanie Cook Moon and her husband, Ridgway, of Steamboat, Colo.; and Brian L. and his wife, Martha; Michael R. and his wife, Kim; and Douglas L. and his wife, Tanya Knox Cook, all of Winchester. Brother of Eleanor Streeter of Readsboro, Ruth Crowley of West Dover, Evelyn King of Readsboro and Margaret Kelley of Gill, Mass. Predeceased by sisters Virginia Morse and Jean Covey and his brother, Fred Cook. Graduated from Whitingham High School in Vermont and served in the Air Force, mostly in Japan. Was a logger and founder of R.L. Cook Timber Harvesting, Inc. Raised draft horses and ponies and was a member of the Eastern Draft Horse Association for many years. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Aug. 4. at the Northfield (Mass.) Baptist Church, with burial in South Parish Cemetery. Donations to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 5705 Grant Creek Rd., Missoula, MO 59808.
• Olive J. Jimerson, 85, of Bellows Falls. Died July 28 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Wife of the late Elliot Jimerson. Mother of Dorothy Parker of Bellows Falls and Shirley Dunn of Augusta, Maine. Sister of Robert Merrill of Clearwater, Fla., Arlene Blake of Unity, N.H., and Nancy Narkiewicz, Barbara Nichols, Kenneth Merrill, Madeline Taylor, Lorna Merrill, and Winston Merrill, all of Bellows Falls. Predeceased by a brother, Edward Merrill. Attended schools in Bellows Falls and worked for Robertson Paper, Green Mountain Specialties and Mountain Converting, and retired from SEVCA. Memorial information: A graveside service was held Aug. 1 in the Rockingham Meeting House Cemetery.
• Steven C. Lake, 55, of Burlington. Died July 22 at Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington. Son of Joan Kelton Lake and the late Norman W. Lake. Fiancé of Donna Spear. Father of Mercedes Lake. Brother of Tracy Lake. Graduate of Bellows Falls Union High School, Class of 1973, and the University of Oregon's School of Architecture. Worked as an architect in Vermont. Memorial information: A private burial will be held at the convenience of the family. Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life at the home of his mother, Joan Lake, in Grafton on Aug. 7, at 2 p.m. Donations to the Grafton Library, Main Street, Grafton, VT 05146 or to the Addiction Education Fund at the Brattleboro Retreat, P.O. Box 803, Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Helen L. MacDonald, 83, of Conway, Mass. Died July 23 at the Poet Seat Heath Care Center in Greenfield, Mass. Wife of the late J. Lester MacDonald for 44 years. Mother of Helen Cobb of Greenfield, and Lisa Wyman and her husband, Bob of Swanzey, N.H. Was born in Wardsboro and graduated from from Leland & Gray Seminary in Townshend, Class of 1945. Was a homemaker and a member of the Swanzey Sweethearts Western Square Dance Club, the Conway Seniors and attended the United Church in Conway. Memorial information: A funeral service was held July 28 at the United Church of Conway, with burial in Howland Cemetery. Donations to United Church of Conway, Conway Ambulance and Poet Seat Health Care Center activity fund.
• Joseph Eugene Rayno Sr., 84, of Putney. Died July 26 in Brattleboro. Husband of Eugenia Z. Cobb Rayno. Father of Joseph Jr., Raymond, Linda and Larry Rayno. Was a local carpenter and later started a woodworking shop. Memorial information: A private funeral service was held in accordance with his wishes.
• Donald W. Record, 86, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 15 in Holmes Beach, Fla. Husband of June Record for 66 years. Father of Douglas W. Record of Boynton Beach, Fla., and Dianne R. (Dan) Lantz of Bradenton, Fla. Brother of Madolyn R. Johnson of Brattleboro. Predeceased by four brothers, Wendell, Wayland, Gordon and Raymond. Graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1940. Served in the Navy during World War II as a submariner. Built and owned three mobile home parks and was also the owner of the former Hillwinds Farm in Brattleboro. Memorial information: A memorial service was July 31 at American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro, with interment in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Rescue Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
• The Rev. Dr. Dennis J. Roth, 71, of Brattleboro. Died July 25 at home. Husband of Jill Foster for 29 years. Father of Ginger Hughes and her husband, Jon; Sarah Young and her husband, Dan; Joyanna Damon and her husband, Steve; Rebekah Kersten and her husband, James; and daughter Debbie Shallit and her husband, David and son James and his wife, Wendy, from a previous marriage. Served nine years as pastor of the First Congregational Church in West Brattleboro from 1996 to 2005. Previously spent 10 years teaching at Northfield (Mass.) School for Girls, and nine years serving the United Church of Christ in Bernardston, Mass. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Aug. 1 at the United Church of Bernardston, with burial in Center Cemetery in Bernardston. Donations to the Oncology Department at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, 9 Belmont Ave. Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Evelyn McCann Walker, 93, of Brattleboro. Died July 31 at Star Farm Nursing Center in Burlington. Wife of the late Dr. Robert T. Walker for 56 years. Mother of Robert T. Walker, Jr., and wife, Judy, of Brattleboro; and Susan Wells and husband, Ed, of Richmond, Vt. Graduate of Suffield (Conn.) Academy, the Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse, and did graduate study at New York University. Worked for the Mental Health Agency of Southern Vermont and also had been employed at the Brattleboro Retreat. Memorial information: A funeral service was held Aug. 3 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Bradley Avenue, with burial in the Walker Family lot in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to The Memorial Fund of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301. Messages may be sent to the family in care of Atamaniuk Funeral Home at www.atamaniuk.com.
College news
• The Brattleboro Rotary Club awarded $24,000 in scholarships to eight local high school students who will be attending college this fall. The scholarships are funded by The Gateway Foundation, a tax-exempt affiliate of the Brattleboro Rotary Club.
The recipients, who each received $3,000, include Elizabeth A. Doiron of Vernon, Daphne L. Kinney-Landis of Guilford, Naomi R. Kramer of Dummerston, Kristen E. Nadeau of Hinsdale, N.H., Claire M. Quaassdorff of Hinsdale, N.H., Eliza S. Rosen of Brattleboro, Hannah L. Strickland of Brattleboro, and Gabrielle Paige Wilhite of Townshend.
• Three local residents were among 344 students from Ithaca College who received degrees during the college's commencement ceremony held in May.
Joseph Laughney, son of Victoria Laughney of Whitingham, received a Bachelor of Science degree from the college's Roy H. Park School of Communications; Nicholas Bombicino, son of James and Jean Bombicino of East Dummerston, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the college's School of Humanities and Sciences and Eoin Hudson, son of Michael and Kathleen Hudson of Putney, received a Bachelor of Science degree from the college's School of Business.
School news
• A total of 321 Vermont high school students are being honored for completing studies at the Governor's Institute of Vermont this summer.
These students were referred by their schools based on their academic achievement, potential and desire to learn more about skills and related careers in their area of interest. Living on college campuses, they successfully completed advanced-level studies taught by experts in their field and made friends with students with similar interests from throughout Vermont.
The following is a list of area students attending the Governor's Institute of Vermont, their high school, and the program in which they were enrolled: Jessamyn Bart of Bellows Falls, Bellows Falls Union High School, Current Issues and Youth Activism; Peyton Wilson of Bellows Falls, Vermont Academy, Information Technology; Kayla Bernier-Sontag of Brattleboro, Brattleboro Union High School, Asian Cultures; Austin Cain of Brattleboro, BUHS, Science and Technology.
Also, Katie Grasso of Brattleboro, BUHS, Engineering; Charlotte Maxwell of Brattleboro, BUHS, Current Issues and Youth Activism; Ava Myette of Brattleboro, BUHS, Current Issues and Youth Activism; Alec Silver of Brattleboro, BUHS, Arts; Samuel Stevens of Brattleboro, BUHS, Current Issues and Youth Activism; Jonah Stoller of Brattleboro, BUHS, Engineering.
Also, Jillian Murphy of Chester, Compass School, Arts; Lindsay Osgood of Grafton, Green Mountain Union High School, Arts; Rachel Durante of Guilford, Compass School, Arts; Kasey Kidder of Guilford, BUHS, Current Issues and Youth Activism; Elizabeth Hauty of Marlboro, Compass School, Arts;
Emily Misnick of Newfane, Leland & Gray Union High School, Arts; Estelle Weiss-Tisman of Putney, BUHS, Current Issues and Youth Activism.
And, Manya Gordon of Saxtons River, Compass School, Mathematics. Jess Crozier of Townshend, LGUHS, Engineering; Suzanna Edwards of Townshend, LGUHS, Arts; and Cassidy Anderson of West Wardsboro, LGUHS, Mathematics.
Births
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), July 20, 2010, a son, Charles Harold Kiehle, to Katherine Innis and Ian Kiehle of Brattleboro; grandson to Wendy Innis, Jim and Janis Kiehle, and Sue McDormand.
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), July 17, 2010, a son, Logan Michael Alexander Wright, to Mallory Ottinger and Alexander Wright of Brattleboro; grandson to Peter and Jennifer Ottinger, Michele Ottinger, and Bob and Tania Wright.
• In Brattleboro (Memorial Hospital), July 6, 2010, a son, Bayley Mason Dunham, to Robyn (Colburn) and Jeremy D. Dunham of Dummerston; grandson to Jerry Dunham and Cindy Susse of Brattleboro and John and Caroline West of Danielson, Conn.