College news
• The following local students graduated from the University of Vermont during commencement ceremonies in May 2022: Naomi Besson of Bellows Falls, B.A. in biology; Zoe Schemm of Grafton, B.A. in global studies (Magna Cum Laude); Eleanor Guyon of Saxtons River, B.A. in English; Cole Madden of Brattleboro, B.A. in history; Samuel Stevens of Brattleboro, B.A. in political science; Aaron Claussen of Townshend, B.A. in film and television studies; Annice Pelletier of Grafton, B.S. in human development & family studies; Simon Bupp-Chickering of Saxtons River, B.S. in neuroscience (Summa Cum Laude); Ethan Lauricella of Saxtons River, B.S. in physics; Arianna Morton of Saxtons River, B.S. in environmental sciences; Kelsea Mcauliffe of Townshend, B.S. in environmental sciences; Haley Kuralt of Brattleboro, B.S. in biomedical engineering; Cooper Pell of Marlboro, B.S. in business administration; Samantha Cragin of Putney, B.S. in business administration; Jessica Lawrence of Putney, B.S. in business administration; Mya Petrie of Vernon, B.S. in elementary education - K-6; Grace Rizio of Wilmington, B.S. in secondary education - English; Benjamin Ogden of Londonderry, B.S. in mechanical engineering; Beatrice Bellingham of Landgrove, B.S. in mechanical engineering; Aaron Rucker of Brookline, B.S. in mechanical engineering; Kai Ling Boyd of Wilmington, B.S. in mechanical engineering (Magna Cum Laude); Colby McGinn of Brattleboro, Doctor of Medicine in The Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine; Nicole Wershoven of Whitingham, Doctor of Medicine in The Robert Larner M.D. College of Medicine; Sophie Zimmerman of Guilford, Doctor of Physical Therapy in the Graduate College; Riley Boyd of Wilmington, Master's in Social Work and Certificate of Graduate Study in resiliency-based approaches with families, schools, and communities; and Zachary Streeter of Westminster, M.S. in civil & environmental engineering.
• The following students were named to the Dean's List for the spring 2022 semester at the University of Vermont: Emma Allen of Vernon, Beatrice Bellingham of Landgrove, Ella Bursky of Westminster, Allura Cameron of Londonderry, Hayden Collins of Putney, Christos Contakos of Whitingham, Samantha Cragin of Putney, Emmett Dews of East Dummerston, Justin Fusco of West Wardsboro, Charles Galanes of Brattleboro, Elijah Ghia of Saxtons River, Janet Hawthorne of Brattleboro, Abbie Hazelton of South Londonderry, Lola Herzog of Londonderry, Jordyn Jager of Landgrove, Arianna Morton of Saxtons River, Lucas Newton of Townshend, Chandre Pero of Putney, Madeline Prouty of Londonderry, Dylan Ray of Brookline, Stevie-Tao Roberts of Jamaica, Zoe Schemm of Grafton, and Alexander Urbaska of Newfane.
• Sydney Henry of Brattleboro, a member of the Class of 2023, was named to the spring 2022 Dean's List at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.
Obituaries
• Elizabeth “Betty” Margaret Armstrong, 79, of Putney. Died May 6, 2022 at her home. Betty will be remembered as a caring mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Betty was born on June 20, 1942, in Sonora, Calif., to her parents Theodore and Esther Armstrong. She dedicated her life to teaching and taught in California's public schools for 35 years before retiring to Vermont. Betty loved to travel. But, in all the world, her favorite place to be was walking in the woods in Vermont. Betty is survived by her brother James Armstrong and his wife Ginger; daughters Rachel Masson and her wife Mary-Beth, Elizabeth Wolfe and her husband Jacob; and grandchildren Kai, Ruby, and Patrick. Memorial information: A memorial will be held at the Putney Friends Meetinghouse on Saturday, June 18, at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Betty would have wanted you to take a walk in the woods.
• Arlene Bethel (Alex) Bailey, 69, of Hinsdale, N.H. Died peacefully on May 16, 2022, after a brief period of illness. She was born on May 9, 1953 in Montague, Mass., the first of 10 children and first daughter to John and Bethel (Tower) Alex. She was a 1971 graduate of Greenfield (Mass.) High School. Soon after, she moved to Hinsdale. While raising her daughter Karyn, she met (in 1986) and later married Bradford C. Bailey in 1997. She was employed by Erving Paper Mills in Erving, Mass. for nearly 15 years. She later worked for Walmart in Hinsdale for 13 years, where she greatly enjoyed working with and chatting with the public. When employed by Walmart, she embraced her additional role as a community liaison, which included many community-based activities such as presenting Teacher of the Year Awards to local teachers and appearing on the annually-televised Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. She spoke of this particular role for many years after. Post-retirement, she attained her lifelong dream of helping people by becoming a Personal Care Attendant. She worked for local agencies and created many close relationships with those she cared for in their homes. She also loved the energy and positivism of the Chaos & Kindness crew, and spent much time with their team in Keene, N.H. One of Arlene's favorite expressions was “Love Life,” and she signed many greeting cards with that closing. She very much loved people and animals, and she and Brad were well-known for making friends everywhere they went. She also loved spending time with children. Anyone who spent any time with Arlene knew that she was always giving gifts and toys to the children in her life, and she always had a treat ready to share with the pets in her life, including those of her patients, friends, and neighbors. She had many pets over the years and treasured their companionship throughout her entire life. Arlene is survived by her mother, Bethel Alex of Greenfield, Mass. She is also survived by her husband Brad, their daughter, Karyn Hammond, and son-in-law of many years, Joe Hammond, all of Hinsdale. Arlene leaves behind her three grandchildren: Emma, Julia, and Colby Hammond, all of Hinsdale, of whom she was very proud. She also leaves brothers Don Alex of Keene, Mark Alex of Hadley, Mass., Chris Alex of Sheridan, Wyo., Richard Alex and Gary Alex, both of Greenfield, and Joe Alex of Brattleboro; and sisters Laurie Delnero of Mohawk, N.Y., and Jen Lowell of Wendell, Mass. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, and extended family members. She was predeceased by her brother Alan Alex. Memorial information: A celebration of Arlene's life will be held Friday, June 24, at 2 p.m., at the Millstream Community Center in Hinsdale. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. Donations to Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities of Keene. Condolences may be offered at www.csnh.com.
• Margaret Dale Barrand, 76, of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 5, 2022, after a head injury from a fall on the ice. Her beloved husband of 35 years, Tony Barrand, died one week before her death. A gifted and much-loved teacher, gardener, mother, and maker of many things, Margaret Dale was born Dec. 21, 1945, in Norfolk, Va. Her English mother, Margaret Ruth (Taylor) Wright, and American father, Thomas Clinton Wright, met as young medical students at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Clinton became a doctor in the U.S. Air Force and the family lived on several air force bases including a long stint at Burderop Park in Swindon, England. Margaret Dale spent her middle childhood there, which instilled a love of history, mysteries, watercress sandwiches and English gardens. She and her younger sister Glenn went to the local school and established lasting relationships with their English relatives. The family later settled in Hamden, Conn., and she attended the Gateway School for Girls in New Haven, Conn., where she did glee club, morris dancing and ballet. She then attended Columbia University's Barnard College in New York City. During a summer studying in Hawaii, Margaret Dale fell in love with seaweed and would win a college prize in botany. But she discovered her true calling was working with young children. She went to graduate school at Bank Street College of Education and worked with 3-to-5-year-olds at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital and in underserved New York City neighborhoods. In 1971, she moved to southeastern Vermont with her first husband, Thomas Ehrenberg, and worked at Putney Day Care Center. She taught children in several different grades at Putney Central School and then moved to Guilford Central School where she taught 9-to-11-year-olds. Many of these students experienced her marble machine curricula, in which the kids explored motion, time, angles and beauty by making structures out of wood that guided marbles dropped from the top of a ramp to the bottom. She then returned to young children, teaching first grade at Guilford for many years. Her dog Ruby was a regular in her classrooms and students walked and helped care for her as part of daily chores. Margaret Dale saw each child as an individual, a small person trying to make sense of life and themselves. She believed in inquiry-based learning and felt the best moments were when the teacher removed hurdles and opened doors, helping each child to discover things about themselves and share and learn from their individual experiences. Margaret Dale joined the Marlboro Morris team in its early years, where she met her second husband and love of her life, Tony Barrand. They married and moved to Washington Street in Brattleboro, a home that spilled over with their five children, dogs, cats, fish, rabbits and friends. She had a stunning garden, filled with snowdrops, delphinium, primrose, foxglove, snapdragon, lavender and hellebore. Their lawn was gradually taken over by flower beds, including a water garden with fish and the occasional frog. Her bouquets regularly graced the altar of Guilford Community Church, a music-rich congregation of many friends. She was a cook who didn't rely on recipes, known for her popovers, deviled eggs, gooseberry pie, and roast chicken. Their home was a hub of love, filled with music and sunlight and the quiet trickle of the fish tank. Margaret Dale was a talented artist, though she never would have described herself as such. She sewed and embroidered: nightgowns, dresses, costumes and capes, quilts, pillows and curtains. She made exquisite cards, collages, and advent calendars; she painted her stairs and walls a color that came to be known as Margaret Dale Blue. She made puppets and books with her friends Nancy Detra and Susan Hessey; she made the little storytelling theaters called crankies. She wrote poetry, played the piano, flute, accordion and the pipe and tabor and sang in the Brattleboro Concert Choir. After retiring Margaret Dale continued working with kids, including with Art in the Neighborhood. She spent much of her recent years caring for Tony, her garden and rabbits, visiting with dear neighbors and enjoying regular lunch visits with close friends. During the solitary days of the pandemic, she hosted a daily Grandma Hour for her grandchildren, where, with Tony as her sidekick, she sang, read books and did art and science projects. Margaret Dale was very private but lived with an open heart. While at times dark clouds walked beside her, she kept putting light into the world. She had a gift for seeing those who desperately needed to be seen, from the lonely ladies she visited with, to a kid having a rough go of it who she secretly gifted pottery classes, to the various friends of her children who found refuge on her window seat. She was a keen observer who took pleasure in things most of us don't bother to notice and she laughed fully, a wonderful laugh. She will be forever missed by her children Daniel, Rachel, Jacob and Elizabeth Ehrenberg, and Olivia Barrand; her grandchildren Grant, Sophie, Eloise, Oona, and Braeden; her sister Glenn Wright and brother-in-law John Green; and her extended family and friends. Memorial information: A celebration of Margaret Dale and Tony's life will be held on June 25 on the grounds of Guilford Community Church, and online at www.greenvelope.com/event/Barrand-Memorial. Donations to Art in the Neighborhood (www.artintheneighborhood.org).
• Anthony Grant “Tony” Barrand, 76, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 29, 2022 as a result of complications following a medical procedure. A well-known and influential singer, dancer, folklorist, historian, teacher and scholar, Tony is perhaps best known for his singing partnership with John Roberts, as a teacher and archivist of morris and clog dancing, and as front man in the quartet Nowell Sing We Clear. His beloved wife of 35 years, Margaret Dale, died one week after his death. Tony was born on April 3, 1945, in Gainsborough, England and grew up in the Bletchley area. Music was always part of his life: his grandparents were musicians, his mother Amy loved Victorian music hall songs and his father Charles was in the Salvation Army band. Charles also performed recitations, including “Albert and the Lion,” a tradition Tony continued both at the dinner table and under stage lights. At the University of Keele, Tony played rugby and sang in a rock band. During an exchange year abroad at Swarthmore College, he fell in love with America and its possibilities and knew he would make it his home. Tony returned to the US in 1968 as a Ph.D. student at Cornell, where he met John Roberts and the two struck up a lifelong friendship and musical collaboration. John's rich baritone and Tony's clear tenor were superb together; they performed coast to coast, singing ballads, bawdy songs, sea shanties and working songs, many sung a cappella. A New York Times review of a 1970 performance captured Tony's stage presence: “Mr. Barrand was an exuberant lead singer with a voice that leaped and lilted, eyes that danced, eyebrows that exclaimed…” Over the next 50-plus years, John and Tony would record many albums with diverse themes, whether shanties in “Across the Western Ocean” or the poems of Rudyard Kipling. After Cornell, John and Tony landed at Marlboro College, where they co-taught, with Tom Toleno, a program in psychology and arts. Despite his upbringing in England, Tony didn't get the morris dancing bug until the early 1970s at Pinewoods dance and music camp. Not long after, with his first wife Andra Herzbrun (Horton), Fred and Dinah Breunig, and a handful of other devotees, Tony founded the Marlboro Morris Ale, an event that continues to draw hundreds of dancers and musicians each year. In 1976 Tony developed Nowell Sing We Clear, an annual pageant of midwinter songs and carols, complete with various dance pieces and a Kentucky mummers play. Nowell - Tony, John, Fred Breunig, and Andy Davis - blended pagan and Christian songs and traditions, celebrating the customs of neighbors and loved ones performing dances and plays, sharing food and drink and giving gifts (including CDs available in the lobby). The show became a winter staple, and highlight, for multiple generations of families. In 1986, Tony married the love of his life, Margaret Dale, and they settled in Brattleboro. By then, he had found an academic home in the University Professors program at Boston University. In the spring, he could be found on the sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue, in his “Mother's” kit, chiding his student dancers. He was a respected colleague, a fierce advocate for his students and a generous mentor, regardless of whether the specific subject matter interested him. Despite multiple sclerosis limiting Tony's mobility in his later years, he was very involved in Brattleboro's arts community, performing until the end with the support of Margaret Dale, wonderful caregivers, friends and his children. For a time, He co-directed the choir at Guilford Community Church where he and Margaret Dale shared in a music-loving congregation. He sang with the Hallowell Hospice Choir, established a pub sing at McNeill's Brewery, and was a mentor for then-NEYT's inclusive Theatre Adventure, where, rolling in with his tricked-out van and wheelchair, he inspired all involved to “be your best showing up for your life.” Tony continued to record and publish, including an almost-finished book with Kari Smith on the Dancing Marley's role in the American clog tradition, and the Coldbrook project with friend and neighbor Keith Murphy. He spent much of his time with Margaret Dale in his Washington Street neighborhood, rich with musicians and friends, giving wheelchair rides to neighborhood kids and his visiting grandchildren. Tony approached all of his endeavors - which are too many to list but include several books and an archive of morris, sword, and clog materials in the Library of Congress - with the duty of a scholar and the ear of a storyteller. He greatly respected tradition, but always asked what it meant, who defined it and in what time and what place. He also embraced innovation, including technology of all sorts. He preferred to learn by doing, whether as teacher, “mother,” fool or front man. He was an entertainer first, honoring the shared joys, hopes, fears and sorrows of people and communities, and never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Tony lived fully with both his brain and his heart and often a wink: In a paper on what set morris apart from other kinds of dance, he punctuated his list with, “the fact that it is possible to make beer money, have fun, and please a crowd all at the same time.” Tony and Margaret Dale are survived by their five children, Olivia Barrand, Daniel, Rachel, Jacob, and Elizabeth Ehrenberg; and grandchildren Grant, Sophie, Eloise, Oona and Braeden, his brother Granville and sister-in-law Janet, his extended family, wonderful caregivers, and numerous friends. Memorial information: A celebration of his and Margaret Dale's life will be held on June 25 on the grounds of Guilford Community Church. Donations to the Country Dance and Song Society's Tony Barrand scholarship fund at cdss.force.com/commons/s/donations.
• Donald M. Bertram, 79, of Brattleboro. Died May 19, 2022. Don was born in Lynn, Mass., on April 27, 1943, son of Melvin and Leona M. (MacGown) Bertram. He attended Lynn and Saugus schools. Don married Dallas A. “Sandy” Hill in 1961, and also enlisted in the Army that year. He enjoyed a very successful career for more than 20 years at Thom McAn. He continued his sales career with several different firms over the next 30 years. He and Sandy moved to Newfane in 1991, where they lived until moving in with their son and, eventually, to Pine Heights in Brattleboro in 2019. Don enjoyed skiing, running, spending time swimming at Hickory Hill Lake in Lunenburg, Mass., kayaking and hunting with his cousin, and taking his grandchildren on snipe hunts through the woods or leading them to the wishing stump looking for purple elephants. He enjoyed a good late-night pizza and believed ice cream could be eaten at any time of the day. Don was predeceased by his parents and his younger brother, James. He is survived by his wife, their son D. Scott/Joni (Green); daughter Donna Copeland: and son David/Lindsey (Ellinger). Don is also survived by his siblings Robert/Marina Bertram, Laurel/Steve Bissonnette, Melvin/Paula Bertram, and sister in law Julie Bertram, as well as seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families. Memorial information: The family will hold a Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 11 at the NewBrook Fire House in Newfane. Those wishing to share their memories or stories are invited to join the family or are welcome to send correspondence to Scott Bertram, 65 Cottage Lane, Townshend, VT 05353. Donations to NewBrook Fire and Rescue, P.O. Box 77, Newfane, VT 05345.
• Lawrence Joseph O'Connor, 93, of Bellows Falls. Died peacefully at Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland, N.H., on May 28, 2022. “Larry” or “Buddy” to family and friends, was born on March 3, 1929, in Bellows Falls, the second of four sons born to Thomas F. and Clara B. (Ostrowski) O'Connor. He attended St. Charles Parochial School in Bellows Falls and was a 1947 graduate of Bellows Falls High School. His first and lasting loves were music and theater, which he pursued throughout his high school days with a local group known as the Rockingham Players. Post graduation, he continued pursuit of his thespian interests, graduating from the Feagin School of Drama and Radio in New York City in 1950. He served his country for two years in the Army, after which he opted for a business career. Pursuing select business courses at City College of New York, he subsequently secured the position of services manager for the Doyle Dane Bernbach advertising agency in New York and, later, with Gray Real Estate Management Agency in Philadelphia. He retired in 1994. He is survived by two brothers, William of Westminster and Paul of Walpole, N.H.; his sister-in-law, Marlene O'Connor of Westminster; one nephew, Michael of Williston; two nieces, Shannon of Washington, N.H., and Erin of Boulder, Colo.; and five grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, and a brother, John. Memorial information: A funeral mass was held June 4 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, followed by interment in St. Charles Cemetery in Westminster.
• Maude Polo, 80, of Newfane. Died May 16, 2022 after a long battle with lung cancer. Maude was born April 9, 1942, to Anthony M. and Maude Sanderson Polo. She grew up in Connecticut and Westchester County, N.Y. Maude graduated from New Rochelle High School and earned both her B.A. and M.A. in education from Hunter College. A lifelong learner, Maude pursued her doctorate in teaching at Columbia University while working full-time, completing it at the age of 71. For more than 50 years, Maude was a beloved special education teacher for children in New Rochelle. In this capacity, she touched many lives and many of her students kept in touch with her long after they had moved on. Upon her retirement, she moved to Newfane, childhood home of her mother, where she volunteered for many cherished local institutions but where she maintained, almost to the end of her life, a part-time role in teaching young people. Maude was full of life. She was kind, fun-loving and spirited-always the first to laugh and to make others laugh. She will be greatly missed by those who loved her: her brother Dennis Polo, her sister Angela Abelow Gaither (Terry), her niece Hawley Abelow (Phillip Schmiedl), nephew Justin Abelow (Sallie), great-niece Libby Abelow, great-nephews Campbell Abelow and Kasper Schmiedl, and by her many, many friends and former students. Memorial information: A memorial gathering will be held on June 18, at 2 p.m., at Newfane Congregational Church.
• Shirley R. Squires, 89, of West Brattleboro. Died May 28, 2022, in the comfort of her home, following a brief period of failing health. She was one of four Shirley Squires that resided in the Brattleboro area. She was born in Brattleboro on May 17, 1933, the daughter of Henry and Lena (Burdo) Rabideau. Shirley attended St. Michael's Parochial and High School, later graduating from Castleton State College in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in education. Shirley was employed as a paraprofessional working at the Estyville and Canal Street schools, retiring in 2000 following 34 faithful years of teaching. She was known for her spirit of friendship and generosity, always willing to assist anyone in need. Shirley enjoyed word search puzzles, staying in contact with her grandchildren on her iPad, cooking, dancing, and spending time with her family. Born and raised Catholic, she was a communicant of Saint Michael's Roman Catholic Church. Survivors include a son, Keith Squires of West Brattleboro; daughters Darlene Conca (Mark) of West Chesterfield, N.H., Melody Squires of Guilford, and Tina Short (Mark) of Auburn, Maine; sisters: Florina “Tootsie” Bokum of West Brattleboro and Freda Kingsbury of Tennessee; nine grandchildren: Joshua Squires, Jason Squires, Jared Squires, David Smart, Katrina Smart, Sarah Conca, Jeremy Short, Amy Britt and Brittany Taylor; 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Shirley was predeceased by sisters Valeda Kozyra and Ann Morgan; brothers Homer, Howard, and Moran “Sonny” Rabideau; and half-brothers Raymond and Fred Rabideau. Memorial information: Graveside committal rites will be conducted in Sr. Michael's Parish Cemetery on Saturday, June 25, at 10 a.m. Donations to River Gallery School of Art, 32 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301 or to St. Michael's School, 48 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. To send condolences to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
Services
• Graveside committal services for Travis Matthew Bacon of Brattleboro will be conducted Saturday, June 11, at 11:30 a.m., in Dummerston Center Cemetery. Mr. Bacon died Oct. 23, 2021. To view his full obituary, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Graveside committal services with full military honors for Herbert “Bud” Castine of Hinsdale, N.H., will be conducted Saturday, June 11, at noon, in Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro. Following the committal services, a Celebration of Life service will be held at the Eagles hall in Brattleboro. To view his complete obituary, visit www.atamaniuk.com.