Todd Chaffee

Todd Chaffee, 44, died on March 19, 2017, at his home in Westford.

He was born on April 15, 1972, in Newport, a son of Debra (Maskell) Chaffee and the late Clair Chaffee.

Mr. Chaffee attended primary school in Albany, junior high school at Craftsbury Academy in Craftsbury, and graduated from Lake Region Union High School in June of 1990. He loved to hunt, fish, shoot archery, and watch NASCAR. He loved his “four legged babies” — dogs Bailey and Bella — and above all else, he loved his children: Leah, Erin, and Eli. He worked for New England Air for 18 years, and thought of the employees as part of his extended family.

He is survived by his son Eli Chaffee; and twin daughters Leah and Erin Chaffee, all of Essex; the mother of his children ,Wendy (Barkman) Chaffee; his mother Debra Tallman of Alaska; a niece, Mollee Tollmann; brother-in-law, Chad Tollmann; several uncles and aunts: Tom and Rocky Chaffee of Albany, Sherm and Bev Chaffee of Barre, Steve and Julie Maskell of Eden, Calvin (Butch) Maskell of Albany, Dennis and Lisa Maskell of Hardwick, Candy Maskell of Craftsbury, and Penny Maskell of Craftsbury; and many cousins.

He was predeceased by his sister Jennifer Tollmann; his father, Clair Chaffee; and his grandparents: Irma and Lee Chaffee, and Calvin and Nadine Maskell.

Visiting hours were held on March 25, at A.W. Rich Funeral Home in Essex Junction. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions in Mr. Chaffee’s memory may be made to benefit his children at Teresa Bazan, P.O. Box 9162, Essex, Vermont 05451. The family also invites you to share your memories and condolences by visiting www.awrfh.com.

Patrick E. Cochran

Patrick E. Cochran, 70, died unexpectedly at his home in Derby on March 16, 2017.

Born on July 9, 1946, in Berkley, California, he was the son of L. Wayne Cochran and Mildred Cochran.

Patrick attended Peekskill Military Academy in Peekskill, New York. He was a member of the Vermont Army National Guard for over 20 years. He retired in 2006 as a captain.

Patrick dabbled in many jobs over his lifetime. His greatest love was being a dairy farmer. His most recent job was working for North Country Union High School as a bus driver. He loved the children and traveling to many sports events and field trips with them.

His survivors include his three daughters: Shannon McKenna and her husband, Luke, Tracy Davies and her husband, Eric, Cortney Jordan and her husband, Michael; one brother, Linden Cochran of Jersey City, New Jersey. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren: Shaylyn Russell, Jensen Spooner, Amelia McKenna, Dalton Davies, Claire Davies, Aspen Cochran, Jetta Cochran, and Nova Jordan. He also leaves behind his beloved dogs, Leibchen and Gus, who went everywhere with him.

Mr. Cochran was preceded in death by his parents.

A funeral service was held at the Wolcott Mennonite Church in Wolcott on March 25.

In lieu of flowers, donations to help defray funeral costs can be sent to Tracy Davies, 9 Maplewood Drive, South Burlington, Vermont 05403.

Online condolences may be made at www.curtis-britch.com.

 

Antoinette M. Fugere

Antoinette “Toni” M. Fugere, 96, of Newport, died on March 24, 2017, in Newport.

She was born on December 3, 1920, in North Troy, to Hormidose and Jane (Gaucher) Leblanc. On June 16, 1951, she married Giles Fugere who predeceased her on January 13, 2015.

She was a member of St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church of Newport and a former member of the Daughters of Isabella. She held membership with the American Legion Post #21 auxiliary of Newport. She and her late husband enjoyed their camp on Newark Pond, and traveling to several different states and overseas. She spent 13 years wintering to Florida.

She is survived by her daughter Denise Robillard and her husband, Bernard, of Irasburg; by her grandchildren: Irene Hughes and her husband, Chris, of Auburn, Maine, Martine Antell and her husband, Nicholas, of Waterbury, Patrick Robillard and his wife, Cara, of Weymouth, Massachusetts, and Phil Robillard and his wife, McKenzie, of Hudson Falls, New York; by her great-grandchildren: Cameron Hughes,  Mason Antell, Nolan Hughes, and Hailey Antell. She is also survived by her brother George Leblanc of Barre; and by her sister Rita Viens of  Rockford, Michigan; by her sisters-in-law: Juanita Fugere of Derby, and Agnes Brewer and her husband, Elwin, of Newport; and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Roland and her sister Alice.

Friends may call from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 13, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road, Newport, followed by a Mass to be celebrated at 11 a.m., at St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Newport. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Vermont Affiliate, Inc., 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495. Online condolences can be shared at curtis-britch.com.

 

 

Ralph F. Hamblett

Ralph F. Hamblett, 71, of Derby died on March 25, 2017, at his home, surrounded by his family. He put up a courageous battle with lung cancer.

He was born on February 28, 1946, in Newport, to Tarlton and Jessie Hamblett. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1967 as a licensed funeral director. After college he was stationed at Fort Myers, Virginia, in the U.S. Army where he had the honor to serve in The Old Guard. After his service to the country, he worked at, and then bought into, the family business, Ralph F. Hamblett, Inc., located in Newport, which specialized in commercial rentals, and property sales. During his time there he helped start and run Hamblett Plumbing and Heating, The Emporium Ice Cream Shop on Main Street in Newport, and The Pick and Shovel hardware store in Newport. Later in his busy life he was able to work doing stained glass, operating a sawmill, maple sugaring, driving a dump truck, and he co-owned Foxwood Stables in Derby. Over the last 15 years, before retiring, he was a co-owner of the Farmyard Store and Taylor Rental in Derby with his son Nathan.

Mr. Hamblett had many hobbies and memories, such as racing at Can-Am Speedway, flying airplanes, spending time with friends and family on Lake Memphremagog, hunting and fishing at his camps in Norton and Holland, and riding his Harley to Sturgis with his sons.

He is survived by his sons: Marcus Hamblett and his wife, Erika, and their son Chase, and Nathan Hamblett and his wife, Tracy, and their sons: Jacob and Jesse; his brothers: Tim Hamblett and his wife, Beverly, and Michael Hamblett and his wife, Jackie; and four nephews.

A family service will be held at a later date.

If friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Mary Wright Halo Foundation, 1073 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Online condolences can be shared at www.curtis-britch.com.

 

Huguette C. McA’Nulty-Black

Huguette C. McA’Nulty-Black, 84, of Barton, died peacefully in her beloved home on March 20, 2017.

She was born on April 26, 1932, in Derby Line, to Lucien and Olive (Chainey) Desjardins. On May 21, 1955, she married Dr. James A. McA’Nulty who predeceased her on October 16, 2000. She later married Marcel Black who also predeceased her.

Mrs. McA’Nulty-Black was trained as a nurse, graduating from Holy Ghost Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was an avid bridge player for 50-plus years and a member of many local bridge groups. She had accumulated many American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) master points over the years and was well on her way to becoming an ACBL Life Master.

She enjoyed gardening and was an award-winning rose cultivator with numerous blue ribbons presented at Orleans County events, such as the Barton Fair. She was passionate about antique collecting and refinishing furniture, and she loved to collect hats and wear them with flair, which was one of her trademarks.

She was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Barton.

She is survived by her children: Deborah Cianciulli and her husband, Paul, of Summit, New Jersey, Celeste Molnar and her husband, David, of Andover, New Jersey, Andrew McA’Nulty of Dracut, Massachusetts, Matthew McA’Nulty and his wife, Catherine, of Mons, Belgium, and James McA’Nulty of Vermont; by 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; by her siblings: Roland Desjardins of Florida; Jeannette Auger of Glover; Paulette Lebrun of Florida, Mona Brosseau and her husband, Guy, of Florida, Mary Jane Denney and her husband, Geoff, of Ontario, Canada, Roger Desjardins and his wife, Barbara, of Florida, and Hubert Desjardins of Barton; by her 11 stepchildren with Marcel Black; and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two siblings: Emile Desjardins and Angeline Perrault.

A Mass was celebrated on March 28, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Barton, with the Reverend Timothy Naples officiating. Spring interment will take place at Welcome O. Brown Cemetery in Barton. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 85 St. Paul Lane, Barton, Vermont 05822.

Online condolences can be shared at curtis-britch.com.

 

Roland Eddie Robert

Roland Eddie “Pete” Robert, 86, of Derby, beloved husband of Andrea Robert, died March 21, 2017, at the Newport Health Care Center in Newport, surrounded by his family.

He was born on June 4, 1930, in Newport, the son of Paul and Odelle (Langlois) Robert.

Pete was a decorated paratrooper in the United States Army during the Korean War.

On August 14, 1952, he married Andrea Poutre. They met at a town hall dance in Newport, and were the belles of the ballroom. They were amazingly graceful and talented dance partners throughout the years.

Mr. Robert was a salesperson for Sanel Auto Parts for many years and retired in 1992. He held memberships with the American Legion Post #21 in Newport, where he was past commander, and the Newport Elks Lodge #2155. He was named Elk of the Year from 1985 to 1986.

Mr. Robert most enjoyed spending time with family and friends, dancing, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and playing bingo and cribbage.

He took great pride in his Abenaki heritage and relished reestablishing his roots through visits to Odanak, an Abenaki First Nations reserve in Quebec.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years Andrea Robert of Derby; daughters: Linda Stone and her husband, Rodney, of Irasburg, Carol Robert and her husband, Matthew McIntyre, of Enfield, New Hampshire; a son, Steven Robert and his wife, Denise, of Newport; a daughter-in-law, Brenda Robert, of Derby; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a brother, Lawrence Robert and his wife, Bea, of Huma, Arizona; sisters: Doris Bent and her husband, Norman, of Orleans, and Rachel Yeaton and her husband, Dean, of Plymouth, New Hampshire. Mr. Robert was predeceased by his beloved son Michael Robert in 2009.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 30, at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Derby Line. Friends may gather at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road, Newport, from 10 a.m. until the hour of the service.

In lieu of flowers contributions in Mr. Robert’s memory may be made to North Country Hospital Renal Dialysis, c/o Wendy Franklin, 189 Prouty Drive, Newport, Vermont 05855.

On-line condolences may be shared at curtis-britch.com.

 

Winona Orvis Yasko

Winona Orvis Yasko, 93, died March 23, 2017, at the Bel-Aire Center in Newport.

She was predeceased by her parents; her older sister, Lovina Orvis Baslow; and her husband, Michael A. Yasko, in 2001.

Survivors include her daughters: Michele Young and her life partner, Karl L. Mol, of Huntington, West Virginia, and Carolyn Marie Schwebel and her spouse, John, of Leonardo, New Jersey; and her younger sister Patricia Orvis of Brooklyn, New York.

She was born in Cornwall, on August 7, 1923, to Ralph F. Orvis and Agnes Wright Orvis. She spent her teenage years in the Jerusalem and Bristol areas of Addison County.

The Yaskos were married on October 10, 1942, in Bristol. During their nearly 60-year marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Yasko lived in a number of locations in Vermont, including St. Johnsbury, Barton, Bristol, and Bellows Falls. In their later years they and their Dalmatian, Daisy, became snowbirds at their winter home in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Mrs. Yasko was very active in community, school — including as a PTA president and class mother — and political affairs all of her life. She was an advocate for children and the elderly in Vermont and the Greater New England areas. She advocated for her disabled daughter. When a librarian would only allow her daughters to use books from the children’s room, Mrs. Yasko, who loved reading as did her daughters, made it very clear that her children could read any book they wanted to. (And they did, taking out the maximum five books at a time.)

A dark-haired beauty with brilliant blue eyes, Mrs. Yasko was an impassioned, independent woman from her early years. When she let it be known that her first votes would be given to Democratic, not Republican, candidates, her parents refused to give her a ride to town. She persisted and had to walk a long way down through the woods to cast her ballots.

She was above all a mother, who taught her daughters how to make her wonderful baked goods, including chocolate chip cookies, blueberry muffins, banana bread, and apple pies. She helped her daughters learn to sew, and made matching mother-daughter blue taffeta dresses, small pieces of which her now senior citizen daughters still treasure.

She loved the many family cats and dogs and always allowed and encouraged their presence.

She had many jobs, including seamstress at a Van Raalte factory, where she was not always appreciated because her speed forced others on the line to keep up. She was a secretary for Governor Lee Emerson, a cashier at the Barton A&P, and sold Avon products, often coming home with freezing legs from walking to make deliveries. She later served as a school nurse at a correctional school for teens and at the high school in Bristol.

Mrs. Yasko often challenged what she saw as injustices in her workplace and other situations, a dominant trait that she instilled in her children.

After her girls were in high school, she returned to nurse’s training, which she had had to leave after her marriage to Mr. Yasko — a tall, dark, and handsome soldier from Pennsylvania whom she had met in a soda fountain in Burlington.

Through her professional education, she became a registered nurse from the Medical Center Hospital School of Nursing, she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Vermont, and received a pediatric nurse practitioner certification from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She also trained at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, where younger fellow students saw her as a big sister.

Mrs. Yasko’s main pride involved her nursing identity. On family drives it was not unusual when an accident was seen for her to attempt to help, crying, “I’m a nurse, I’m a nurse!”

An avid swimmer, for several years she ran the food concession at Crystal Lake State Beach, providing a lovely summer of swimming and selling experience for her daughters at young ages.

Winona Orvis Yasko was a force of nature. You may have seen her driving quickly around a corner on the wrong side of a curvy road. She could be loving or resentful, as a middle child, saying, “I get the neck of the chicken!”

To quote from another obituary, “She could simultaneously be ornery and have a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Her family is so sad to lose her. She made them smile and laugh. She infuriated them. She inspired them. She made them crazy. She loved them, and they loved her.”

She chose to donate her body to a medical school for the instruction of medical students.

Her remains will then be cremated and spread over Crystal Lake in Barton, the site of her summer home for many years.

She requested no flowers, but donations in her name to organizations of your choice, especially those that support pets, would be appreciated. To share remembrances, feel free to send them to [email protected].

Online condolences can be shared at curtis-britch.com.

 

Henry L. Young

Henry L. Young, 88, of Craftsbury, died peacefully early Saturday, March 25, 2017, at home under the watchful eye of his family. He had been courageously battling cancer.

Mr. Young was born May 20, 1928, in Denver, Colorado, the son of the late Henry A. and Bessie (Taylor) Young. He graduated from Craftsbury Academy in 1946. Upon graduation he had his own trucking business. He was a farmer, carpenter, a building trades teacher at Lamoille Union High School in Hyde Park, and worked in bridge construction for Beck and Bellucci until he retired at the age of 77. One of his pride and joys was working on the Rouses Point, New York, bridge that crosses Lake Champlain. He was a volunteer fireman for many years and one of the oldest members of the Masonic Meridian Sun Lodge #20. He was also involved with Operation Friendship, chaperoning groups to England and Sweden. Mr. Young enjoyed his retirement by spending time at the family camp on Eden Lake, going to their winter home in Florida, gardening, mowing his lawn, and spending time with his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jeanne (Fortune); his children: Cynthia Atkins, Valerie Pecor and her partner, Ron Leclair, Kent Young and his wife, Donna, Dawn Charlton and her husband, Craig, and Lisa Cook. He was a loving grandfather of Justin and his wife, Melissa, Adam and his partner, Dani, Kyle and his wife, Katherine, Josh and his wife, Bri, Elizabeth and her husband, David, Taylor, Eric, and Brian; and five great-grandchildren. He is survived by his brothers: Robert, Clair and his wife, Diane, and Joseph and his wife, Jeannine; and sister-in-law Madeline “Sugar” Young. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers: Frank and Fred; and his sister-in-law Priscilla Young.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Orleans Essex VNA and Hospice, Inc., 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, Vermont 05855, or to the United Church of Craftsbury, 7 Church Lane, Craftsbury, Vermont 05826.

Funeral services will be held at the United Church of Craftsbury in Craftsbury Common on Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. Per the family’s request there will be no calling hours. Refreshments will be provided after the service.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.curtis-britch.com.