Obituaries

March 14, 2012 Obituaries

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Mary E. Chase
Mary E. Chase, 79, died on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at her home in Craftsbury, in the loving care of her family.
Mrs. Chase was born in Burlington on May 30, 1932, the daughter of Carl R. Fortune Sr. and Lois Hadley Fortune Lathe. She was a 1950 graduate of Craftsbury Academy and served her country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict era. While in the Army, she met and married Rodolph L. Chase. While her husband stayed in the Army, she was discharged and began their family but continued her work as a disbursing specialist for the Army as a civilian.
Mrs. Chase was a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Morrisville. Over the years, she and her husband were stationed in many places and also traveled throughout Europe. While her focus was always on family, wherever they lived she also kept busy working; as a secretary and Avon lady in Texas, a librarian in Germany, a secretary in Virginia, a hot lunch cook at Craftsbury Academy, and a bookkeeper in Craftsbury for her husband’s and son’s refrigeration business, which she continued to do until recently. In 1971, Mr. and Mrs. Chase retired to their home in Craftsbury.
She enjoyed playing games, gardening and doing puzzles. She loved her home, being with family, and special get-togethers, including her infamous “garage” parties.
She leaves her husband, Rudy; her children: Rudy and his wife, Joanne Chase; twins Robin and her husband, George Stebbins, and Raymond and his wife, Joyce, all of Craftsbury; a brother, Carl “Chip” Fortune and his wife, Elaine, of Hyde Park; four sisters: Jeanne and her husband, Henry “June” Young, of Craftsbury, Barbara and her husband, Noel Lussier, of Hawthorne, Florida, Lois Charron of Craftsbury, and Charlotte and her husband, Clem Royer, of Morrisville; nine grandchildren: Karen and Valerie Mason, Nicholas Chase, Alex and Ben Stebbins, Kathleen, Julianne and Mykaela Chase and Andrea Phelps; four great-grandchildren: Aubriella, Olivia, Averie and Aliya; and 17 nieces and nephews including a special niece, Holly Charron.
She was predeceased by her parents; her brother Raymond Fortune; and by a brother-in-law, Dale Charron.
A memorial service was held on March 10, in Craftsbury. Spring interment will be in the Craftsbury Village Cemetery.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Lamoille Area Cancer Network, P.O. Box 38, Lake Elmore, Vermont 05657.
The Malcolm R. Davis Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
Marcia L. Cota
Marcia L. Cota, 60, of Rutland died unexpectedly on Sunday, March 11, 2012, at her residence.
She was born on October 27, 1951, in Providence, Rhode Island, the daughter of Wesley and Hazel (Rivard) Patnode. Mrs. Cota graduated from the Scituate High School in Rhode Island in 1969 and attended the Roger Williams School of Nursing.
She married Marvin Cota on July 27, 1974. Mrs. Cota had been employed as a benefits coordinator for the state of Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in Rutland for 12 years, retiring in 2004 due to her failing health. Prior to that, she worked for six years as a peer advocate counselor for the Vermont Center for Independent Living.
She enjoyed her yard in the summer, decorating her home, and especially her puppy dogs, Lexie and Bradley. Mrs. Cota enjoyed helping people and was a fearless advocate for the disabled.
Survivors include her husband Marvin Cota of Rutland; a sister, Elaine Furtado, and a half-sister, Dorothy Finnerty, both of Hope, Rhode Island; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, and by a brother, Wesley Patnode Jr.
Friends may call from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14, at the Aldous Funeral Home, 44 North Main Street, in Rutland; and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road, in Newport. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 16, at the United Church of Christ in North Troy, with the Reverend Richard O’Hara officiating. Burial will be at a later date in the North Troy Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Regional Ambulance Service Inc., 275 Stratton Road, Rutland, Vermont 05701. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Douglas C. Davis Sr.
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Douglas C. Davis Sr., 62, of West Charleston died on March 9, 2012, in Newport.
He was born on January 16, 1950, in Concord, New Hampshire, a son of Roger and Elsie (Paul) Davis.
Mr. Davis was a self-employed mechanic. He enjoyed working on cars and boats, and he loved the ocean.
He is survived by his children: Anthony Davis and his wife, Lisa, of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, Douglas Davis Jr. and his wife, Chris, of Orleans, Debra Davis of Orleans, Jacinda Hann and her husband, David, of West Charleston, and Anthony S. Davis of West Charleston; by 11 grandchildren; and by two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a brother, Richard Davis of Kentucky; and by several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Edmond Davis.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 15, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home, 37 Lake Road, in Newport.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, Vermont Division Inc., 55 Day Lane, Williston, Vermont 05495. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Milton Dale Hammond
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Milton Dale Hammond, 87, of Newport Center died on March 5, 2012.
He was born on July 2, 1924, in Newport Center, a son of Earl and Marion (Colburn) Hammond. He farmed on his family farm for 33 years until 1957 when he married Phyllis Joy Sleeper from Scarsdale, New York. However, before that date, he had been gradually becoming an independent entrepreneur.
In 1947 he bought one of the first balers and then traded it for a second and used it until 1952 or 1953, then sold it to Earl Hammond, his dad.
In 1956 he bought a self-loading dump truck with which to draw gravel and in the spring of 1957 he bought a ton-and-a-half Chevy platform truck to haul milk.
In 1957 he started to build a garage and in March of 1958 he bought a new John Deere 420 Bulldozer for $3,500.
In 1961 he leased a MacLain sawmill in Derby for one year with the option to buy. In 1962 he bought the sawmill and operated it. After four years, Canadian Lumber began to enter this country at too low a price. He sold it.
From 1965 to 1967 he worked at the Veneer mill as a forklift operator. From 1967 to April of 1968 he worked for Herb March on the waterfront. From 1968 to April 1970 he worked for C. and O. Oil driving a fuel truck and in 1970 he started to work for Caulkins Cement Company driving a cement truck. In 1972 he logged on his own land during the winter and in the summer of 1973 he worked in Gordon Sleeper’s tree nursery. In 1974 he logged on Derby land in the winter and in March of 1974 he worked as a sawyer for Pelletier Lumber in Hardwick. In May of 1976 he became a sawyer in Charles Drown Mill in Coventry and left Pelletier so as not to have to drive so far each day. In 1983 he bought a shingle mill and in 1984 La Branche bought the Drown sawmill and Mr. Hammond continued as a sawyer there. In June of 1986 he retired from the mill but continued to go back to sharpening saw blades and chipper knives until he was over 80 years old.
At the time of his retirement, he and his wife, who was now an established artist, began to travel together in earnest. He joined his wife in Iceland for her first painting exhibition in 1990. They drove to Alaska four times, Newfoundland three times, and everywhere in between. He drove his wife to her exhibitions in Texas, Alberta, Canada, North Dakota, and was active at her many shows. However, the things he most loved were baling hay and making maple syrup every spring for over 40 years on the Lake Road, and his friends.
He is survived by his wife Phyllis Joy Hammond of Newport Center; by his brothers: David A. Hammond of Cleveland, Ohio, and Eric Hammond and his wife, Barbara, of Orleans; and by several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Priscilla Plante.
Funeral services were held March 9 in Newport. Spring interment will be held at the Lake Road Cemetery in Newport Center.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, 502 Strawberry Acres, Newport, Vermont 05855. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Ruth Mary Paul Hunt
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Ruth Mary Paul Hunt, 87, died on February 17, 2012, in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, surrounded by her five children.
She was born on November 8, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, the middle daughter of Leslie and Bertha (Bennett) Paul. When she was eight, her family moved to Washington, D.C., where she graduated from McKinley Technical High School. On June 25, 1943, she married Ralph Hunt of Rutland, who predeceased her in 2008. They celebrated a joyous fiftieth anniversary in 1993, with a renewal of vows ceremony and reunion of thirty-three members of their family.
During their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Hunt lived in Newark, Belleville, Berkeley Heights and Upper Saddle River, all in New Jersey; Grantham, New Hampshire, and Newton, North Carolina. They enjoyed their summer cottage on Lake Bomoseen in Hydeville. They traveled to all 50 states, plus they toured Europe several times, including a trip to the Soviet Union. Their health declined following a severe automobile accident in November of 1993, but they remained upbeat and positive that they could accomplish more than others expected. They continued traveling back to the mountains of Vermont, despite their physical limitations. After Mr. Hunt’s death, Mrs. Hunt moved to South Carolina.
Mrs. Hunt was devoted to her large family, a busy homemaker working hard with sewing, cooking and mending to help make ends meet. She was deeply proud of everyone’s activities. She was an accomplished violinist, who was selected as concertmistress in her high school orchestra. She continued playing her beloved violin throughout her life, performing in churches, nursing homes and other locales, usually in duets with her husband, an accomplished pianist. In addition, she sang and rang hand bells in church choirs.
Mrs. Hunt is survived by her five children: Lawrence Hunt and his wife, Dorothy, of Eagle Mountain, Utah, Carol Ruhle and her husband, William, of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Shirley Harris and her husband, Geoffrey, of Holland, Joyce Wetmore and her husband, Robert, of Lahore, Pakistan, and William Hunt and his wife, Jacqueline, of Fort Collins, Colorado; 19 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; her sister Grace Balee; her brother-in-law Billy of Wichita, Kansas; four nieces and two nephews and their families; and by a number of cousins. She was predeceased by her husband; her sister Margaret Hallberg; and her brother-in-law Frederick Hallberg.
A private service will be held later this year. Funeral arrangements were handled by the Goldfinch Funeral Home of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
Douglas R. James
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Douglas R. James, 64, of Jay died suddenly on March 5, 2012, at his home.
He was born on November 8, 1947, in Vernon, a son of Winthrop and Madeline (Smead) James. He graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1965 and soon joined the Army and served until 1969. He later joined the Vermont State Police from which he retired as a sergeant after almost 30 years of service.
During that time, he was a member of the Vermont State Police Bomb Squad. He was also actively involved in the area and was a retired Jay Peak Ski Patrol volunteer, a founding member and current chief of the Jay Volunteer Fire Department, and a mentor to all his firefighters. He also enjoyed working on firework displays.
He was an avid hunter and enjoyed his hunting trips and going to deer camp with Kurtis and Bruce, and four-wheeling with RJ and Lee. Mr. Hammond and his life partner, Peggy, liked to go on their annual trips to Las Vegas, Nevada, and to Florida to see his dad at Christmas time. They also enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner with camp members and their families.
He is survived by his life partner Peggy Loux of Jay; his father Winthrop James of Fort Myers, Florida; his brother Dennis and his partner, Michael Pereira, of Los Angeles, California; and by his sister Sandra of Seattle, Washington.
Funeral services were held on March 13 in Newport.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Jay Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 116, Jay, Vermont 05859. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
J. George Kruegel
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J. George Kruegel, 90, of Newport Center died on March 11, 2012, in Newport.
He was born on January 27, 1922, in Hackensack, New Jersey, the son of H. Albert and Dorothy (Christiansen) Kruegel. On July 17, 1948, he married Dorothea Rathjen, who predeceased him.
He was employed by Western Electric and then AT&T as a mechanical switchboard technician.
Mr. Kruegel retired in Vermont where he made many friends. He was a proud veteran of World War II and a member of the Tin Can Sailor’s Association. He also loved to play and watch baseball and he was an excellent swimmer.
He is survived by his children: Kenneth Kruegel and his wife, Patricia, of Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, John Kruegel of Stone Mount, Georgia, Ellen Justin and her husband, Edward, of Elizabeth City, New Jersey, Joanne Burns and her husband, Bill, of Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, and William Kruegel and his wife, Chris, of Union Beach, New Jersey; by 14 grandchildren; by four great-grandchildren; by his son-in-law Robert Schaaf of Newport Center; by his sister Joan Kramer of Barnegat, New Jersey; by his brother-in-law Richard Parry of Pennsylvania; and by his sister-in-law Doris Kruegel of Florida. He was predeceased by his daughter Geralyn Schaaf on November 6, 2011.
Funeral services were held on March 13, in Newport. Spring interment will be in Lake Road Cemetery in Newport Center, with full military honors.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the North Country Hospital Oncology Department, 189 Prouty Drive, Newport, Vermont 05855. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Bonnie Kay Ladd
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Bonnie Kay Ladd, 67, of Glover died suddenly on March 4, 2012, in Newport.
She was born on January 23, 1945, in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, beloved daughter of Kathryn Baker. On December 26, 1962, she married Michael Ladd who survives her.
Mrs. Ladd was a stay-at-home Mom until her children were all in school and then she became secretary for the Glover School for 25 years. She was the Glover Church trustee for many years and a member of the Glover Church Women’s Union. She was a current member of the American Legion Post #76 Auxiliary.
She loved her antiques, decorating her home, and she enjoyed her collection of Elvis CDs and tapes. She also enjoyed going to her grandchildren’s sports events, dance recitals, and all school activities. She also loved family gatherings at the Ladd camp on Lake Salem and motorcycle riding with Mr. Ladd.
She is survived by her husband Michael Ladd of Glover; by her children: Michael Ladd Jr. and his wife, Beth, of St. Albans, Pamela Raymond and her husband, Wayne, of Stowe, and Matthew Ladd and his wife, Sheilah, of Glover; and by her grandchildren: Samuel, Kathryn, Isaiah, Ashley, Owen, Abigail, Jericho, and Cecilia. She is also survived by her brothers-in-law and their spouses: Dave and Maria Ladd, Jon and Brenda Ladd, and William and Lynda Ladd; and by many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister-in-law Jeanne Ladd and by her mother-in-law Shirley Rochefort.
Funeral services were held on March 9 in Glover. Spring interment will be in Derby Center Cemetery.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Glover Community Church Steeple Fund, in care of Roland Woodard, Box 198, Glover, Vermont 05839. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
Everett H. Miles
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Everett H. Miles, 72, of Derby died on March 6, 2012, in Lyndonville.
He was born on December 30, 1939, in Newport, a son of Harold and Mable (Messier) Miles. He married Annabelle Conley who predeceased him.
He entered the United States Army where he served in the reserves from 1959 to 1961. He worked on the C.P. Railroad in his younger years and then spent most of the rest of his life as an auto body repairman working, among others, at Vinton Motors, South Bay Body Shop, Fred Bugbee, Allen Boudreau, Mulkin Chevrolet, and Darel Randall.
He enjoyed fishing, NASCAR, raising collie dogs, and going to the fairs around the area. He was former owner of the Shamrock Restaurant.
He is survived by his children: Harlan Miles of Barton, and Robert Royer and his wife, Cathy Shay, of St. Johnsbury; by his brother Sid Chamberlain of Lyndonville; and by his sister Joyce Lefaivre of Lyndon. He was predeceased by six brothers and sisters and by a stepson, Charles Royer.
Funeral services were held on March 12 in Derby.
Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to Caledonia Home Health, P.O. Box 383, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819. Online condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at www.curtis-britch-converse-rushford.com.
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