Obituaries

Obituaries April 30, 2014

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obit AllenWilma Marilyn Wallace Allen

Wilma Marilyn Wallace Allen, 93, of Newport died on April 25, 2014, in Newport, surrounded by her loving family members.

She was born on December 2, 1920, in Newport, to Earle and Elsie (Unwin) Wallace.

On September 5, 1943, she married David Allen, who predeceased her on June 13, 1999.

Upon graduating from Newport High School in 1938, she moved to California with her family where she studied fashion design. She returned to Vermont and was employed as a switchboard operator for Bell Telephone. She then married Mr. Allen before he was deployed to the European Front during World War II.

While raising her children, Mrs. Allen was involved in many community activities such as the United Church Women’s Group, the Newport Women’s Club, Home DEM, the Parent Teacher Association, and as a Boy Scout den mother.

Throughout her life, she and her husband had many adventures: building one of the first ski lodges, the Jay Barn Village, in Jay; living in California for a time; and traveling to Hawaii. In retirement, they spent hot summer days at Echo Lake, cold winter days in Texas, and other seasons at their home in Newport.

She is survived by her children: Winsome Hamilton of Derby Line, Tom Allen and his wife, Nini, of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, daughter-in-law Karen Allen of Ramsey, New Jersey, and Barry Allen and his wife, Anita, of Coventry; her grandchildren: Scott Hamilton and Diana Guillette, Reed and Deb Hamilton, Leeland Allen, Joselyn Allen, Sean and Kristin Allen, Ryan Allen, Wesley Allen, and Schuyler Allen; her great-grandson Landon Hamilton; and by her sister Winsome Wallace of Burlington.

She was predeceased by her son D. Michael Allen; and her brother Bernard Wallace.

Her wishes were expressed in a segment of an anonymous poem she gave to her daughter: “When I come to the end of the road, and the sun has set for me, I want no rites in a gloom-filled room. Why cry for a soul set free?”

A gathering for all those who would like to attend will be held at Barry and Anita Allen’s home at 267 Maple Ridge in Coventry, on Wednesday, April 30, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Goodrich Memorial Library, supporting the Children’s Room, at 202 Main Street, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

obit DeMichaelAveril I. DeMichael

Averil I. DeMichael, 85, of Newport died peacefully on April 23, 2014, in Newport.

She was born on December 4, 1928, in Nice, France, to Ernest and Florence (Bates) Ingram.

On August 22, 1953, she married Nicholas C. DeMichael, who predeceased her in 2005.

Mrs. DeMichael loved her home, her family, watching the birds, gardening and her cats.

She and her late husband went camping with their children when they were young.

She was a member of the National Alliance on Mental Health in Connecticut.

She is survived by her children:  Steven DeMichael of Connecticut, Sharon Lynn of Florida, and Debbie Gabucci of Westfield; her grandchildren:  Carly Lynn, Jeremy Lynn, and Danielle Gabucci; and by her great-grandchildren:  Xavier Lynn, Kayla Lynn, and Giovanni Lynn.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

obit hallFayalene Hall

Fayalene Hall, 78, of Barton died peacefully on April 22, 2014, in Barton.

She was born on October 27, 1935, in Sutton, to Clarence and Bernice (Gray) Sylvester.

She attended Lyndon Institute and worked as an LNA at the Greensboro Nursing Home.  She also sold Avon for many years.

Her hobbies included knitting, crocheting, sewing, growing plants and watching the birds.

She always looked forward to the annual family reunion held at her sister Ruby’s.  She so enjoyed spending time with her family.

She is survived by her children:  Lawrence Paquette and his wife, Sue, of Lyndonville, and Tammy Gagnon and her husband, Sylvain, of Orleans; her stepchildren:  Nancy Sheltra, Larry Hall and his wife, Vickie, Kenneth Hall and his wife, Bev, Shirley McCormick and husband Ramon, Joanne Cleveland and her husband, Richard, James Hall, and Judith Rutunno; her grandchildren:  Hope Bonneau, Ann Bathalon, Christopher Grenier, Tiffany Paquette, Crystal Brigham, Michelle Gagnon, Kristen Gagnon, Bria-Tylynn Vigeant and Dakota Vigeant; her seven great-grandchildren; several step-grandchildren; and by many special nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her daughter Gabriel Grenier; her siblings:  Reginald Sylvester, Bill Sylvester, Roland Sylvester, Opal Randall, Ruby Stone, Lila Nolan, Orene Muzzey, Eula Freeman, and Erlene Sudman; and by a special companion, Sonny Salls.

Funeral services were held on April 26, in Newport.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Maple Lane Nursing Home Activities Fund, 60 Maple Lane, Barton, Vermont 05822.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

obit RondeauBernard P. Rondeau

Bernard P. Rondeau, 84, of Newport died peacefully on April 21, 2014, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

He was born to Joseph and Evelina (LeBlanc) Rondeau, the fifteenth of 18 children, and he grew up in Newport Center.

On August 21, 1954, he married Alice Hebert, and they would have celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary this summer.

Mr. Rondeau was a dairy farmer for most of his life and was later employed by Yankee Milk and Tivoly.  He was a member of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Newport.  He was an avid square dancer for 28 years, and he greatly enjoyed all of the traveling he and his wife were able to do, primarily after retirement.

He is survived by his wife, Alice, of Newport; his three children:  Catherine Comtois and her husband, Richard, of Derby, Deborah Cormier and her husband, Mark, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Stephen Rondeau and his wife, Sheri, of Vashon, Washington; his nine grandchildren; his eight great-grandchildren; his sisters:  Noella Rondeau of Newport, and Sr. Lucienne Rondeau of Methuen, Massachusetts; his brothers:  George Rondeau of Columbia, Tennessee, and Paul Rondeau of Claremont, New Hampshire; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents; six sisters:  Simone Therrien, Jeanne Bathalon, Therese Laramee, Laurette Tweed, Lucille Brouillard, and Sr. Francoise Rondeau; and by his brother Gerard Rondeau.

A funeral Mass was held on April 25, in Newport.

Should family and friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Vermont Affiliate, Inc., 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495; or to a charity of one’s choice.

Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch.com.

obit tennyFrancis B. (Frank) Tenny

Frank (Francis B.) Tenny died on April 5, 2014, at the retirement home, RiverWoods, in Exeter, New Hampshire.  He had developed dementia over the last years.  At 93, he had lived a long and satisfying life.

Mr. Tenny was probably destined for a life involved with Asia.  Born in Rochester, New York, on December 22, 1920, he was whisked off by his parents to Yokohama, Japan, at the age of three months.  Later on, he enjoyed his Japanese kindergarten, but he was always annoyed when his Japanese playmates slipped on their wooden geta and rushed out the door ahead of him while he had to wait to get his shoes tied.

He said, “I spent my early childhood in Japan where my father was founder and first president of Kanto Gakuin University in Yokohama.  I attended the University of Rochester, but the Pearl Harbor attack took place the year I graduated and at age 21 I was drafted.

“Because of my knowledge of Japanese, I spent World War II in code breaking activities in the U.S. and New Delhi.  At the end of the war I was in China investigating Japanese code breaking efforts there.  I got an M.A. in Chinese at Harvard, and after a few years in a newspaper career, I joined the U.S. Information Agency, was later absorbed into the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Department of State, and had postings in Surabaya, Indonesia, Bangkok and Tokyo.

“When Henry Kissinger reopened cultural exchanges with China, I accompanied the Philadelphia Orchestra on their China tour during the Cultural Revolution.  Later I directed the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, established by Senator Javits.  I received the Order of the Rising Sun Class Three from Japan and also the Knowlton Award from the U.S. Military Intelligence Corps.”

Mr. Tenny and his wife, Robin, and daughter, Laura, moved from Virginia to Barton in 1983.

Mr. Tenny thrived on a life of farming in the morning and translating early twentieth century Japanese novels into English in the afternoon.  He enjoyed battling the raccoons for the peas and the corn (they usually won), driving the John Deere tractor into town, working with the Old Stone House Museum, getting to know Vermonters, going to concerts, and walking among the hills and lakes of this beautiful country.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Robin, and by his daughters, Carol and Laura.

He was predeceased by his son Charles Tenny.

Donations may be made in Mr. Tenny’s memory to the Charles Tenny Memorial Fund of the Japan-America Society of Vermont, which promotes cultural exchange between Japanese and Vermont high school students, care of the Japan America Society of Vermont, 123 Ethan Allen Avenue, Suite 306, Colchester, Vermont 05446; or to the Old Stone House Museum, 109 Old Stone House Road, Orleans, Vermont, 05860; or to a charity of one’s choice.

Services

Lorraine Maloney

Committal services for Lorraine Maloney will be held at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 3, at the Newport Center Cemetery.

Robert Picard

A graveside service for Robert Picard will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, May 3, at the Newport Center Cemetery.

Harold Hansen

A graveside service for Harold Hansen will be held at 1 p.m., on Saturday, May 3, at the North Troy Village Cemetery.

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