Timothy Scott Bussell
In the early morning hours of October 18, 2021, Timothy Scott Bussell, 62, of Derby Line lost his brief but courageous battle with a rare, fast progressing cancer. Tim died peacefully, in Burlington, with his wife, Cathy, and daughter Lindsay by his side.
Tim was born February 15, 1959, in Paso Robles, California. He and his family moved to Derby in his sophomore year of high school. He attended North Country Union High School, graduating in 1977. It was here he met the love of his life, Cathy (Lyons) Bussell. The high school sweethearts married in 1979, buying a home on Elm Street in Derby Line. He resided there until his death. That little house was Tim’s castle and his family, his greatest treasure.
Over the years, Tim held different jobs including Ethan Allen Manufacturing in Orleans, Northeast Tool, and Lyndonville Tap and Die, both in Lyndonville, Tivoly in Derby Line and since 2002, Columbia Forest Products in Newport.
Tim had many interests and was an artist. He painted in oils and acrylics, designed T-shirts and tattoos. Several murals on the hallways of CFP reflect his artistry. He was a craftsman and loved woodworking and crafted a hand-carved chess set complete with a red velvet line case with a playing board on top put together square by square, as well as wooden toys, clocks and sailing ships. Photography was his passion, and he’s known among friends and family for his breathtaking nature pictures of changing seasons, birds, bugs, and flowers. He loved football, with his team being the Seattle Seahawks because of the years he spent living on the west coast. Tim’s all-time favorite musical group was The Beatles, but he loved a good southern rock tune as well. Tim loved Halloween and started counting down weeks in advance. The little house on Elm Street became known to neighborhood children as the “Halloween House.” He took pride in his outdoor decorating and handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters in full costume himself.
His favorite thing in the world was spending time with his family, especially his four grandchildren, affectionately nicknamed the rugrats. Nothing made him happier. He was the fun grandpa — an eternal kid himself — who had backyard campouts and sleepovers in the summer, and in the winter the tent would go up in the middle of the living room. There is no doubt about it; for Tim, family and friends were everything. It was said so well in the tribute his workplace wrote up in memory of him when he was described as a “rock, an example of quiet strength.” Tim was a soft spoken, gentle man, and always had a shoulder to lean on for those who needed one.
Tim leaves behind his wife, Cathy (Lyons) Bussell, of Derby Line; son Chris (Mindy Emerson) Bussell of Derby Line; daughter Lindsay (Neil) Walker of Sheffield; his precious rugrats Hayley and Brodie Bussell and Caden and Rylee Walker; his mother Kathleen (Rideout) Guyette of Newport; sister Susan (Mark) Oyster of New Paris, Pennsylvania; brother Douglas Hillman of Ventura, California and many nephews and nieces. He also leaves a special friend, Frankie Buffi, who looked to Tim as a mentor and father figure.
He was predeceased by his stepdad, Merrill Guyette Jr.; brother Thomas (Patty) Bussell formerly of Derby Line; sister Sherry (Guyette) Armstrong; and his mother- and father-in-law, Thelma and Hector Lyons, formerly of Derby.
To say Tim will be missed by his family and friends is an understatement, but his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date at the discretion of the family.
Bella Choiniere Collette
Bella Choiniere Collette went to be with her Lord when she died on November 3 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, surrounded by family and loved ones.
Bella was born in Brownington, to newly emigrated parents, Conrad and Ida Choiniere (Quebec). She joined siblings Germain and Gertrude. Bella was always proud of the fact that she was the first in the family to be a U.S. citizen. Two younger brothers, Real and Gaston, soon followed
Bella met the love of her life, Maurice Collette of Orleans, during the years before WWII. They married after Maurice’s return from the Pacific Theater. There was much joy over the years with the birth of four daughters, eight grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Bella’s greatest joy was her family. Her dedication to them was immeasurable. Bella would regale her family with tales of her childhood and growing up on the farm in Brownington. She maintained deep relationships with the extensive family north of the border, but her greatest legacy is the love that she showered on her daughters and their families. A doting grandmother, she was happiest with a baby on her lap.
Bella had many talents, including that of being an exceptional seamstress. She could be found whipping up clothes for her children and grandchildren, prom and concert dresses, Halloween costumes, and an occasional wedding dress. She also loved to knit and crochet and make holiday crafts of all kinds. Bella and Maurice enjoyed sitting at the dining room table and putting together puzzles. Bella also loved their Sunday drives and walks in the woods. She loved to go for walks and did so frequently with family and friends.
Bella was an avid gardener, having been born with the Choiniere green thumb. She and Maurice looked forward to planting and tending beautiful vegetable and flower gardens each year. Being in Bella’s kitchen in late August was a wonderful experience, with the smells of pickling and preserving the garden’s bounty thick in the air. And like her mother Ida, Bella was an amazing cook, passing down her talent and skill to her children and grandchildren, who still struggle to hold a candle to the “master chef.”
Bella was first and foremost a mom and a housewife, but once her daughters were grown, she began to work part-time at Utton’s Department Store for Jack and Joan Parry. She enjoyed working there very much and did so for many years.
Bella and Maurice lived in Orleans until October 2000, when they moved to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, to be closer to their daughter Lisa and her family. But they remained die-hard Vermonters to the end, with a deep, deep love for their native state.
Of utmost importance to Bella, was her deep and abiding Catholic faith. Bella and Maurice were parishioners at St. Theresa’s Church in Orleans, where they began their married life, and later at St. Anne’s Shrine in Sturbridge. Bella’s faith gave her great solace during life’s ups and downs.
Bella suffered the ravages of dementia these past seven years and was devotedly and lovingly cared for at home by Lisa and her family, with whom she lived.
Bella was predeceased by her husband of 55 years, Maurice; her infant son Michael; by her brothers Germaine and Real Choiniere; and her sister Gertrude LeBlanc.
Bella leaves behind daughters: Muriel Miller (John), Suzanne Campbell (Phillip), Michelle Collette (Brad), and Lisa Sciullo (Tony); her grandchildren Cameron Spencer, Allison Ruhnke (Mark), Amy Tetrault (Jeff), Sarah Devendorf (Matt), Andy Murray, Alex Murray, Annalisa Sciullo (fiancé Brandyn), and Nichola Sciullo; and her great-grandchildren: Wade Ruhnke, Owen Ruhnke, Audrey Tetrault, Abigail Tetrault, Eloise Devendorf, Claire Devendorf, and Leo Devendorf; and her brother Gaston Choiniere (Patricia).
The family would like to thank three exceptional women: Linda Doskowski, Donna Leo, and Priscilla Pomeroy, who were not only Bella’s devoted caregivers, but have also become part of her family. Words cannot express how grateful the family is to Linda, Donna and Priscilla for the love and care they gave to Bella.
Calling hours will be Wednesday, November 10, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Curtis-Britch and Bouffard Funeral Home, 12 Elm Street, Barton.
A memorial Mass will be held Thursday, November 11, at 11 a.m. at St. Theresa’s Church in Orleans. Burial will take place directly after the Mass at St. Theresa’s Cemetery in Orleans.
Should friends desire, contributions in Bella’s memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 275, Winooski, Vermont 05404 or the Orleans American Legion Auxiliary, P.O. Box 45, Orleans, Vermont 05860, where Bella was a member.
Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com.
Arvilla Houston
Arvilla “Billie” Rachel Houston, 96, of Orleans, died peacefully on November 4, 2021
Billie was born on June 13, 1925, to Edson Smith and Glenda Woodburn Smith in Coventry. She grew up with her four siblings in Coventry, where she attended graded school and later attended Orleans High School. She graduated in 1945.
After high school, Billie worked as a waitress. She met her husband, Jack, and they married in 1948. They bought a house on Maple Street in Orleans in 1952 and started their family. She was a den mother for her two boys’ Cub Scouts troop and stayed busy as a stay-at-home mom. She was an active member of the Orleans Federated Church and volunteered for the Red Cross.
Billie liked taking long walks in her younger days with her late sister-in-law, Betty. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and spending time with her family. She babysat her two grandchildren, Jennifer and Tyler, every summer during school vacations and stayed busy over the years attending sporting events, concerts, and anything else her grandchildren participated in.
She is survived by her two sons: John Houston and his wife, Liz, of Milton, and Robert Houston and his wife, Diane, of Brownington; by her two grandchildren: Jennifer Riendeau and her husband, Daniel, of Albany, and Tyler Houston and his girlfriend, Mindy, of Orleans; by her two great-grandsons, Abram and Jase Riendeau; by Lisa Malshuk of Washington, who held a very special place in Billie’s heart; by Midge Hunt of Barton, who was a wonderful lifelong friend to Billie; and by numerous nieces and nephews in Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Alabama, California, and Italy.
Billie was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Jack Houston, in 2014; by her mother, who died in 1934 along with her youngest brother John Smith; by her brother Russell Smith and wife, Pauline; by her brother Ed Smith; by her sisters Marion McInnis and her husband, Donald, Doris Pagliaroni and her husband, Ed; by her sister-in-law Janine Robillard and her husband, Florine; by her brother-in-law Merton Houston and his wife, Betty; and by her sister-in-law Monna Marotte and her husband, Lester.
In honor of Billie’s wishes there will be no formal services. A small memorial gathering will take place at a later date. Should friends desire, contributions can be made to the Orleans Federated Church, P.O. Box 132, Orleans, Vermont 05860 or the Orleans Fire Department, 1 Memorial Square, Orleans, Vermont 05860 in Billie’s memory.
Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com.
Laurette Denise Perron
Laurette Denise Perron, 91, of Greensboro, died peacefully at the Greensboro Nursing Home on November 4, 2021, with family by her side.
Born in Hardwick in 1930, she was the oldest of 15 children of the late Rosaire and Alice Renaud. As part of a large French Canadian farming family, Laurette grew up with love, music, hard work, and faith as her foundations.
After completing the eighth grade, she worked in housekeeping and childcare. In 1953 she married Victor Perron of Greensboro. Before moving to the home that he built in Hardwick, they lived in a Greensboro cottage and hosted children from the Fresh Air program for several summers. Laurette enjoyed gardening, cooking, and raising her family. Her heart was broken when her oldest son died of leukemia at five years old.
The family moved back to Greensboro in 1970. Laurette got her GED and pursued nursing. She became a licensed nurse practicioner in 1983 and worked for many years at the Greensboro Nursing Home. She and Victor had a loving marriage and, again, she suffered heartbreak when he died in 1997.
Laurette was an active and devoted member of St. Michael’s Church. She directed and sang in the choir, helped at the chicken pie suppers, became a eucharistic minister, and strongly encouraged her children and grandchildren to continue in the faith. A talented musician, she played piano and accordion and sang beautifully at home, family gatherings, and was a church soloist. She was proud of her French heritage, spoke French fluently, and enjoyed French folk songs. She loved parties and sharing jokes and stories with a wonderful sense of humor. She enjoyed holidays, good food, and traveling, which included trips to Maine, Hawaii, Italy, and Aruba.
Laurette was predeceased by her son Richard; husband, Victor; sisters Monique Martin and Patricia Ribolini; and brothers Leon Renaud and Roland Renaud.
She is survived and will be missed by her son Robert Perron and his companion, Susan Hill; daughter Alice Perron and husband, MacNeil; grandchildren: Roy MacNeil and Mavis MacNeil and husband, Andrew Koehler; sister-in-law Nan Perron, and her many sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and godchildren.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 11, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Greensboro Bend, with interment in St. Michael’s Cemetery followed by a lunch reception in the church hall.
Online condolences and memories are welcome at dgfunerals.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Greensboro Nursing Home or Mary Queen of All Saints Parish.
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