College news
• The following local students recently graduated from the University of New Hampshire in Durham: Katrina Ewens of Londonderry, A.A.S. (with honors) in applied animal science; Tom Burrows of Brattleboro, B.S. in nutritional sciences; Tyler Germain of Brattleboro, B.S. in business administration/marketing; Tessa Tavares of Putney, master's in social work (MSW); and Alyson Jacobs of Stratton, B.S. in business administration/entrepreneurial studies.
• Phelan Muller of Brattleboro received a bachelor of arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.
• Bradie Harris, a music therapy major from Bellows Falls, was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2021 semester at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y.
Obituaries
• Eugene Clifford “Gene” Hastings, 79, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died May 21, 2021 after a brief illness. Gene was born in Hinsdale on Sept. 12, 1941 to Clifford E. and Clayda (Burdo) Hastings in the Monument Road house built by his father and grandfather. He resided in that very same house for his entire life. Gene raised his children in that home and spent his life there telling stories to his children, grandchildren, and his two great-grandchildren. He was the family historian and valued making sure that family history was passed down from generation to generation. He was a storyteller like no other. His lifelong career was in the printing industry. He worked for Vermont Print Company for many years, later at The Book Press in Brattleboro and True Color in Greenfield, Mass. After retirement, he worked at Spofford Lake community beach in the summers. He was a gardener and an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish, and just walk in the woods. He was an environmentalist before it became commonplace and always conveyed both a love of the outdoors and respect for nature, especially the necessity of its preservation for future generations. The most important thing in his life was family, and he was utterly passionate about instilling practical life skills in his children and grandchildren. He was enormously proud that he'd had a hand in raising a resourceful, resilient, and self-sufficient clan. He is survived by his mother, of Hinsdale; and children Serena Benedict and her husband, George, Dawn Hastings and her husband, Aaron Betts, Monica Hastings and her husband Dana Sprague, Clifford E. Hastings II and his wife, Cynthia Hastings, and Laura Santerre and her husband Troy Santerre. He also survived by eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; siblings Gail LeVasseur, Brenda Burns and her husband, Doug, and Wayne Hastings and his wife, Cindy; and the mothers of his children, Georgina Carley and Linda Descoteaux. He was predeceased by his father, a son, Howard Hastings, and a brother-in-law, Theodore LeVasseur. Memorial information: A private burial ceremony was held at Meetinghouse Cemetery in Hinsdale.To send condolences, visit www.kidderfuneralhome.com.
• Dwight Thaddeus Henry, 94, of Vernon. Died May 24, 2021 at Vernon Green Nursing Home, where he had been a resident since February 2020. He was born in Brattleboro on July 7, 1926 to Frank E. Henry, Sr. and Jennie (Phetteplace) Henry. Dwight grew up in Guilford and attended local schools. He proudly served in the Marine Corps during World War II from 1944 to 1946. Dwight married Florence Derry in 1947. He was employed by Merrill Gas Co. of Brattleboro for more than 40 years, serving 30 years as manager. He enjoyed travel and often did extended exploration of various locations throughout the U.S. when he had the opportunity to attend LP Gas conventions with his wife. Besides travel, Dwight's interests included his children's and grandchildren's activities, and for many years like his father, woodworking. Over the years, he gifted his entire family with Adirondack chairs in sizes to fit each family member. Dwight was a member of Brattleboro Lodge of Masons #102, American Legion Post #5, B.P.O. Elks Lodge #1499, a Shriner, and the Vermont 251 Club, whose members attempt to visit every town in Vermont. Gramps will be sorely missed by all. He is survived by his sons David A. (Barbara) of Brattleboro and Stephen D. (Patricia) of Windsor, Vt; daughter-in-law, Betty Henry of Brattleboro; and seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Norman (Liz) of Valley Stream, N.Y.; sister-in-law, Marie; and loving companion Izzie Madore. Dwight was predeceased by his wife, Florence; brothers Byron, Raymond, and Frank, Jr.; and his eldest son, Michael. Memorial information: Per Dwight's wishes, he will be laid to rest next to his wife in West Brattleboro Cemetery. The family will have a private ceremony to celebrate his life. Donations to Holton Home, 158 Western Ave., Brattleboro, VT 05301, or Vernon Green Nursing Home, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354. To share a memory or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• William (Bill) Burton Jenna Sr., 88, of Guilford. Died peacefully at home, with his family, on May 21, 2021 after a battle with COPD. He was born in Boston on Nov. 15, 1932 to the late Roland and Isabel (Thompson) Jenna. He spent his childhood in Canaan, N.H. He had been employed as a machine operator at The Book Press in Brattleboro, which he retired from in 1997 after 41 years of service. In 1958, he married the love of his life, Roberta Amidon. He attended the West Brattleboro Baptist Church. Bill enjoyed reading, puzzles, word search and being with family. He was an avid horseshoe and chess player. He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Besides his wife, he leaves daughters Judy and her husband, Clint Plante, of Westminster; Tammy and her husband, Victor Derosia, of Wilmington; Katrina Wilson and her partner, Andy Cay, and Cathy and her husband, Mathew Shaw, all of Brattleboro; 18 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson; 7 step-grandchildren, 12 step-great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and his 99-year-old uncle John Thompson. He was predeceased by his son, William Jr., in 1991; two brothers, Roland and George; and two sisters, Anita and Sally. Memorial information: A celebration of his life will be held July 24, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Kurn Hattin Homes for Children in Westminster at the Fahner Athletic Fields. Donations to Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 593, Brattleboro, VT 05302 or Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont & New Hampshire, P.O. Box 881, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To share a memory or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Brenda Jane (Pease) McGowan, 65, of Bellows Falls. Died May 18, 2021, with her sons by her side, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., after a brief illness. Born in Brattleboro on May 4, 1956, she was the daughter of Lois Barton and Carl Fisher. She was raised by her mother and adoptive father, Warren Pease. She attended Brattleboro Union High School and became a licensed practical nurse. She worked at Linden Lodge, local adult homes, and in private home care. Brenda had amazing energy, loved her family, and had fine taste in all things music and art. She enjoyed hiking, adventures, and finding something new and educationally interesting to share. She was kind and generous and will be remembered as a dear mother and friend. Her first husband was Christopher McGowan of Putney; her second husband, Brian Haskell of Bellows Falls, died in 2018. Her daughter, Elizabeth M. McGowan, died in 2008. Brenda is survived by her father, Warren Pease of Brattleboro; her sons, Eric McGowan of Putney and William McGowan of Townshend; her granddaughter, Marion McGowan of Putney; and her sister, Cheryl Fisher of Utah. Memorial information: There will be a private graveside service for family and friends at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Putney at a date and time to be determined. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home on Bellows Falls is in charge of arrangements.
• David Arden Mischke, 75, of Putney. Died unexpectedly on May 7, 2021. A longtime resident of Putney, David was a well-known ceramic potter. He grew up in New York City and left to attend the University of New Hampshire, where he met Carol, his wife of 15 years. They moved to Columbus, Ohio, where David pursued graduate work in Philosophy. After the birth of his son, Jude Carroll, they moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., to work at the Moccasin Bend Re-Education Center for traumatized children. While living in Tennessee, David met and studied with Bauhaus trainer potter Charles Courts and fell in love with the art of throwing pottery. He then moved to Putney in 1970 with his family to attend Antioch Graduate School. After graduating, he decided to stay in Putney and opened the Hickory Ridge Pottery Studio. David truly lived and breathed working with clay. It became his whole life and passion. He and his wife had the first open studio event in the early 1970s, which later evolved into the well known Putney Craft Tour. During his life, David took up other passions including dance, skiing, kayaking, riding horses and, finally, tennis. David lived his life fully and enthusiastically pursuing his many interests. He is survived by his former wife, Carol; his son, Jude; and a grandchild, Jeremy. Memorial information: Funeral services will be private. Donations can be made to the Brattleboro Outing Club at brattleborooutingclub.org.
• Lawrence “Larry” Nelson, 93, of Vernon. Died peacefully on May 15, 2021, surrounded by his family. Larry was born to Walter and Hazel Nelson on May 12, 1928 and raised in Wilmington, where he met Nathalie Nelson, his wife of 65 years. The two were childhood sweethearts and graduated one year apart from each other at Wilmington High School. Larry attended Northeastern University in Boston to study electrical engineering. After two years of study, he was offered an apprenticeship at the glass lab at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It was at the institute that he discovered his love for scientific glassblowing. He retained his connections in the engineering field and ultimately spent 13 years as a glassblower at MIT, both at the Cambridge campus and at its Lincoln Laboratories. Through his work at MIT, he was involved in the construction of one of the world's first computers, Whirlwind I, which was constructed between 1948 and 1950 and used for tests in the pioneering Mercury space capsule. It was in the Boston area that Larry discovered his love of glassblowing, but he didn't plan to raise a family in the city; a native Vermonter, he knew he wanted to return to the countryside with Nathalie to raise their children. In the early 1960s, the couple bought a home in West Brattleboro where they ultimately established the family-owned scientific glassblowing business, Vitri-Forms Inc. In the basement of the residence, Larry honed the skills he had acquired as a glassblower at MIT. During those early years of the business, he was a traveling glassblower for Lincoln Lab, Raytheon, Whelan Engineering and Boeing. He also made laser tubes, which were used both professionally and in experiments by a number of universities. Among the contracts Vitri-Forms received was one for the glass tube for a laser used to bounce a light off the moon, and the quartz tubing used by Princeton University in its laser experiences to create cheap power from seawater. Today, Vitri-Forms is based in Halifax, and is owned by Larry's daughter, Heather Nelson, who is the current president. A longtime resident of Brattleboro, Larry was an avid bowler at Brattleboro Bowl, a vegetable gardener, an outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish, and a sports enthusiast. He never missed a Red Sox or Patriots game and routinely watched golf tournaments on television. He also enjoyed watching his two youngest daughters play softball and his granddaughter play field hockey. Larry was predeceased by Nathalie in 2016. He is survived by four daughters, their spouses and partners: Debbie (Nelson) Dandrea and Donald Dandrea Jr. of Brattleboro, Robin (Nelson) Syms and Rob Syms, of Concord, N.H., Heather Nelson and Lisa Stagner, of Halifax, and Heidi Nelson and Kelly Garcia; his only granddaughter, Alyssa Dandrea; four grandsons and and nine great-grandchildren. Memorial information: The family will have a private ceremony to celebrate his life. Donations to Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To send condolences to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Dr. Robert “Bob” Orr, 80, formerly of Brattleboro. Died peacefully at the McClure-Miller Respite House in Colchester on May 20, 2021, after a five-year battle with cancer. He was born, the youngest of four children, on March 16, 1941 to Nina (Bell) and Willard Orr in Mooers, N.Y. After graduating from Mooers High School, he attended Houghton (N.Y.) College, graduating cum laude. While at Houghton, he met Joyce Wirick and they married in 1962. They then moved to Montreal, where he studied at McGill University Faculty of Medicine, earning the MD, CM in 1966. Bob joined the Navy, where he did his internship at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland and his family medicine residency in Jacksonville, Fla., before serving for two years as a general medical officer at the Naval Hospital at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. After leaving the service at the rank of lieutenant commander, the Orr family moved to Brattleboro, where he practiced family medicine for 18 years. During those years, he and Joyce were active in their community and their church. He served in many roles on the medical staff of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, including establishing BMH's first ethics committee. He also helped establish the Brattleboro Area Hospice, serving as its first president and volunteer medical director. He was a longtime advocate for compassionate care of vulnerable individuals, including the unborn, people with disabilities, and those at the end of life. His interest in life and death issues led him to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maclean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago in 1989-90. After completing his postdoctoral studies, he served for 25 years in various professional roles around the country. He greatly enjoyed assisting patients and families as they worked through difficult choices and teaching ethics to students at all levels, and subsequently offering counsel as they pursued their chosen career pathways. Bob received numerous awards including Vermont Family Doctor of the Year, the American Medical Association's Isaac Hayes and John Bell Award for Leadership in Medical Ethics and Professionalism, Who's Who in America, and the Servant of Christ Award (Christian Medical and Dental Associations). He lectured widely throughout the U.S. and in more than 20 countries. He enjoyed writing, having authored, co-authored, or edited six books (including Medical Ethics and the Faith Factor), 15 book chapters, and scores of articles in professional journals and non-professional magazines. An authentic Christian, Bob served in leadership and teaching roles in many of the churches he and his family attended over the years. He was influenced by the writings of C.S. Lewis and identified as what Lewis termed a “mere Christian.” He enjoyed classical music, hammocks, reading, burgers & fries, Joyce's baking, British TV comedies, skiing, sunsets, Caribbean vacations, tapioca pudding, exploring the English countryside, traveling, and many, many other experiences that he and Joyce were blessed to share. Bob is survived by his wife and their children Shirley (Greenville, N.C.), Ron (West Dover), and Robin and her partner Klaus (Colchester; a sister Helen (Orr Rawski) Hinderliter (New Wilmington, Pa.); sisters-in-law Beanie Perkins and Dian Wirick; numerous nieces and nephews; and the families of cherished friends Paula and Dale Walker and Bob and Pam Macauley. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Janet, his brother Bill, and their spouses. Memorial information: A remembrance service will be held at a later date when COVID restrictions will allow family and friends to travel from out of state and from Canada. For details, send an e-mail to [email protected]. Donations to either the McClure-Miller Respite House in Colchester or the Robert Orr Memorial Fund at Community Lutheran Church in South Burlington.
Services
• A celebration of life memorial service will be held for Norman Douglas Fajans on Sunday, Aug. 8, at 1:30 p.m., at the Halifax Community Hall, 20 Brook Road, West Halifax. All are welcome. Mr. Fajans, 69, of Halifax, died on Feb. 25, 2021.