• Dr. Richard Thomas "Dick" Burtis, 89, of Brattleboro. Died peacefully on Oct. 18, 2023 at Bradley House. He was a devoted husband, loving parent, loyal friend, and a great teller of bad jokes. He practiced as a physician in Brattleboro for five decades and was widely respected for his medical acumen, good cheer, humility, and kindness. He will be remembered as a true force for good in his community and will be missed by the many people he touched in his nearly 60 years in the Brattleboro area. Dick was born on Feb. 9, 1934 in Baldwin, New York, the son of Theodore Alfred Burtis and Florence Angela Burtis (née Whalen). The youngest by 10 years of three children, Dick liked to joke that his arrival was a "Depression surprise." Dick grew up on Long Island and Mount Lebanon and Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. An exceptional student and athlete, Dick attended Swarthmore College, where he studied zoology and played varsity football and lacrosse. After graduating in 1955, Burtis and his college roommate Michael Dukakis hitchhiked to Mexico City, enjoying many adventures along the way. That fall, as one of two inaugural Keasbey Fellows, Dick matriculated at New College, Oxford University, where he studied anatomy and played on the lacrosse and rugby teams. In the summer between his years at Oxford, Dick studied in post-war Vienna, which left him with a lasting fondness for Austrians, the German language, the Alps, and, rather uniquely, liverwurst. After Oxford, Dick attended Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1960. During his residency in Cleveland, Dick met a young nurse, Irene Miriam Macur. The couple married in November 1963. Declining offers from big-city hospitals, they instead chose the rural life and moved to the Brattleboro area in 1965 with one-year-old daughter Jenny. They settled on Hale...
Obituaries • Sylvia J. Barton, 99, of Springfield, Vermont. Died on Oct. 11, 2023 of Covid. Sylvia was the second of four daughters born to George R. and Gladys (Ward) Braley at home on West Hill in Putney on April 8, 1924. Her family moved to the Braley Farm...
College news • Caroline Mehner of West Wardsboro, Samuel Thibault of Williamsville, and Owen Rounds of Westminster all recently graduated from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut. Milestones • Richard "Dick" Barker, 78, formerly of Brookline. Died Sept. 18, 2023 at the home of his eldest brother,
College news • Jessica Tatro, a biology major in the Class of 2024 from Brattleboro, was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. Obituaries • Jane Arend-Denko, 60, of Bellows Falls. Died suddenly on Sept. 12, 2023, at her home. She was born on May 6, 1963 in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Jan and Leola (Bullock) Arend. She attended school in Connecticut and received a master's degree from...
Obituaries • Scott C. Bovat, 53, of Brookline. Died on Sept. 7, 2023. He was born on Dec. 27, 1969 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Everything he did, and was, made a huge impact on the lives he touched. From his warm smile to his big bear hugs, he had a way of making people feel important and loved. He was impressive. Scott and Sam (Samantha) were high school sweethearts, together for 36 years and married for 31. Their love...
College news • The following local students were named to Ithaca (N.Y.) College Dean's List for the spring 2023 semester: Cassidy Gallivan of West Dover, Mia Graff of Brattleboro, Robyn Jensen of Brattleboro, Alex Lier of Brattleboro, Sophia Renaud of Guilford, and Avery White of Townshend. • The following local students were named to Southern New Hampshire University's President's List for the summer 2023 semester: Miranda Blake of Vernon, Kobe Bazin of Bellows Falls, Ozzee Haskell of Bellows Falls, and...
Obituaries • Elizabeth "Beth" Brassel, 59, of Lowell, Massachusetts. Died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, on July 28, 2023. Beth lived every day of her life to the fullest, and never took for granted the time she had in this world. The daughter of Barbara J. (Lynch) Brassel and Dr. Roger W. Brassel, Beth was born in Montreal, and grew up in Queensbury, New York. She attended Saint Michael's College, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Obituaries • Irma U. Bartlett, 86, of Winchester, New Hampshire. Died Aug. 29, 2023 at Applewood Nursing Home in Winchester. Irma was born in Warwick, Massachusetts on Sept. 12, 1936, the daughter of the late Warren and Edith (Hescock) Underwood. She attended local schools, graduating from Wilmington High School. Irma worked as a postal clerk for the U.S. Postal Service for 30 years. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, reading, bowling, church activities, baking, and the 1955 Group. She cherished times spent...