Obituaries
• Jo A. (Seppala) Bailey, 74, of Vernon. Died April 24, 2024, surrounded by her loving family. Jo was born on Oct. 16, 1949 to the late William and Violet (Wojchick) Seppala. She graduated from St. Michael's School in Brattleboro in 1967. She married Philip F. Bailey in Brattleboro on Feb. 8, 1969. She worked for many years in Brattleboro at local businesses which included The Book Press and Dunham Shoe Company, and owned and operated PJ's Chocolates. She also worked at Friendly's restaurant for more than 20 years. Jo enjoyed spending time with her family as often as she could. She loved going camping with her husband in northern Vermont and watching her favorite cows across the water. She enjoyed playing Bingo with her parents and siblings. She is survived by her husband, her sister Judy (Seppala) and husband Stuart Monroe, brother Thomas and wife Linda Seppala, sister Barbara (Seppala) and husband Thomas Simeon. She also leaves behind her four children; son Steven Bailey, daughter Holly Bailey and partner Rick Mears, son William and his wife Dawn Bailey, and daughter Tabitha Weeks and partner Tim Lepisto; grandchildren Rebecca, Darren, Rikki, Hunter, Dylan, Connor, Jacob, Maxwell, Mya, Kaylyn, Dakota, Hannah, and Rachael; and great-grandchildren Devine, Louise, and Shepherd. Memorial information: Family and friends are invited to St. Michael's Catholic Church in Brattleboro for funeral services on May 11, at 11 a.m., with a reception to follow.
• Teena Marie (Coty) Barnes, 62, formerly of Brattleboro. Died at home in Lancaster, New Hampshire, where she was a resident for the past 2{1/2} years. Teena was born in Brattleboro on April 22, 1962, the eldest daughter of the late Daniel and Margaret (Folsom) Coty. Teena was very close to her mother "Peggy" over the years. She also leaves her only and very loving sister, Meg Robinson and her husband, Rick, of North Strafford, New Hampshire. Teena was always a hard worker and spent many years with CTM Brochure. She later worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Bellows Falls. She was an all-around beautiful person and a loving mother to her only child, a daughter shared with the love of her life, Richard Moore. Leah Melanie Moore was their pride and joy and Leah and Richard will miss Teena every day. Teena also leaves her only grandchild, Brook Hanson, whom she loved with all her heart. Memorial information: The family will hold a Celebration of Life for Teena at the Kiwanis Shelter in Bernardston, Massachusetts, on Saturday, May 18. Anyone who was a friend of Teena is welcome to come and share their memories. Condolences may be sent to 91 Guilford Center Rd., Apt. 201, Guilford, VT 05301.
• Peter Ginter, 63, of Townshend. Died at home on April 16, 2024. He was born on Independence Day, 1960, in Bogota, New Jersey, to Albrecht and Eleanor Ginter. He grew up in Warren, New Jersey and Outer Cape Cod. He was a solid man in both spirit and form. He knew who he was and gave freely of himself knowing that life was more about giving than getting. He valued his community, and above all else, the integrity of his family. He provided comfort and safety to everyone he came in contact with, particularly the young and the old. He accepted others for who they were and found joy in the smallest of human nuance, including his own, and ran with it. His passion was riding his KTM 1290. He loved the gym - the lifting, the camaraderie, the inspiration and the mentorship. He loved feeding people, sitting in quiet companionship with his dogs, and nature. More than anything, he loved his wife and three children and demonstrated it in everything he did. Never one to embellish a story, he possessed an over-active imagination that he expressed through humor. Laughing was like breathing to Peter. Not a day went by where he couldn't find something hysterically funny to ruminate over. He laughed with others, all alone, in his sleep. Peter worked hard - "gotta answer the bell," he would say - and played hard, and loved hard. He gave his all to everything he did; especially to his family. He was the greatest father a kid could have; present, consistent, and accepting and the greatest husband any woman could wish for. He was always willing to grow, to evolve and to be a better partner. Peter was an inspiration to his children up until his last breath. He was fearless and lived and died on his terms in the home he loved, with his wife, three children and two dogs. He was a comfort to his family until the end, departing with a smile and the words, "I love you guys. I'll see you down the road." He was predeceased by his parents, Albrecht and Eleanor; and his sisters, Ellen Bissonnette and Diane Charmont. Peter is survived by his wife Donna; his sons Peter, Otto, and Eric, and his wife Nadia Borysyk: his daughter, Callie and her partner Cory Harris, and his dogs, Louie and Oona. He also leaves behind his brother, Eric Ginter and his wife Jeri and his sister, Dale Tracey, and many nieces and nephews. He holds Nick Lovergine, Johnny White, Bettina Berg and Chris Harlow in his heart for the gift of authentic friendship. Memorial information: A celebration of his life is planned for June at a date and time to be announced.
• Jane E. LaBreck, 86, of Vernon. Died on April 16, 2024 at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital after battling lung cancer, with other complications. Jane was born on July 30, 1937, in Houlton, Maine, to the late Bernard & Grace (Sligar) Schools. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She loved to play cribbage and Bingo; in her younger years, she was a bowler. She is survived by her son, Peter LaBreck of Vermont, her daughter Dina (Maurice) LeClair of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, a sister, Anna Grover of Wiscasset, Maine; grandchildren Laura, Denise, Kenneth, Christopher, Heather, Peter II, Kesia, and Cassie; great grandchildren Colby, Rachael, Courtney, Justin, Theresa, Brandon, Dylan, Lyndsay, Amanda, Melinda, Lexi, D'Artagnan, Kenny II, Mila, Jacqlyn, Jennifer, Michael, Morgan; great-great-grandchildren Vanessa, Bryson, Bailey, Layla, Aubry, Matthew, Riley, Eliana, Ava, Nathalie, Amelia; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by sisters Louise, Theresa, Madeline, and Edith; and brothers Gerald, Lewis, Philip, William, Donald, Gary, and Stephen. Memorial information: A celebration of life will be held on July 13, 2024, at American Legion Post 5 in Brattleboro from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Michael Roy Mross, 76, of Putney. Died April 21, 2024. A full obituary will appear in a future edition of The Commons. Memorial information: There will be a celebration of his life on Saturday, May 11, at All Souls Church at the West Village Meeting House in West Brattleboro, beginning at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.
• Oliver M. "Sam" Prentice III, 69, of Townshend. Died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family, on April 18, 2024. The full obituary including service information will be published in a future edition. To offer condolences to Sam's family, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Jean J. Turner, 83, of Marlboro. Died April 30, 2024, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, following an extended period of declining health. Jean was born in Marlboro on June 2, 1940, the daughter of Leon and Shirley (Snow) Johnson. She was raised and educated in Marlboro and graduated from Brattleboro Union High School with the Class of 1958. She was employed at the former Appropriate Technology in Brattleboro, which she retired from as manager following more than 20 years of faithful service with the company. Previously, Jean had worked for Hogback Enterprises, employed in the Hogback Mountain Gift Shop. In conjunction with her full-time work, she was a devoted homemaker, withher life centering around her family. Jean enjoyed going fishing, knitting, and baking, especially with her grandchildren present. She was known for her delicious pies and other delicacies. On September 2, 1959, in Brattleboro, at a small wedding ceremony for family and close friends, she married William L. Turner. Her husband of 36 years predeceased her in 1995. Survivors include one son, William L. Turner Jr. of Marlboro; three daughters, Diane Ditto (Gary) of Kensington, Maryland, Linda Peters (Norman) of Marlboro, and Donna Turner and husband Robert Rocha of Warner Robins, Georgia; one brother, David Johnson of Marlboro; and 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Additionally, she leaves many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Jean was predeceased by one brother, Victor Johnson, and four sisters, Joyce Boyd, Eunice Varga, Carol Johnson, and Dorothy Bourn. Memorial information: In keeping with her final wishes, there are no formal funeral services scheduled. Graveside committal services will be held at a later date during the summer in King Cemetery in Marlboro. Donations to the Marlboro Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 69, Marlboro, VT 05344. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
Services
• A memorial service, followed by a Celebration of Life, for Norman Bartlett will be held on Saturday, May 11, at 11 a.m., at Next Stage Arts, 13 Kimball Hill, Putney. Mr. Bartlett, 82, of Putney, died on March 13, 2024.
• A Celebration of Life for André V. "Andy" Dufresne will be held on Saturday, May 18, from noon to 2 p.m., at American Legion Post 29 in Claremont, New Hampshire. A luncheon will be provided. A funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, June 29, at 10 a.m., at St. Norbert's Catholic Church in Hardwick, Vermont, followed by a reception at St. Norbert's Julian Room. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial gift be made in his memory to Disabled American Veterans, 215 North Main St., White River Junction, VT 05001. Mr. Dufresne died on March 9, 2024
• Graveside services for Jean B. McAuliffe of Brattleboro will be held on Saturday, May 18, at noon, at St. Michael's Cemetery, White Birch Avenue, Brattleboro. A Celebration of Life will follow at American Legion Post 5, 32 Linden St., Brattleboro, at 1 p.m. For more information, visit phaneuf.net.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.