Obituaries

Obituaries 1.27.21

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Pamela Tifft

Pamela Tifft, 69, died peacefully at North Country Hospital on Friday, January 15, 2021.

Pam resided in Vermont for almost 50 years.  She owned Crystal Lakes Antiques and Collectibles in Barton.  Before moving to Barton, she lived in Morrisville.  She enjoyed family, playing scrabble and card games at her senior center, loved her animals, and was a member of Orleans Federated Church.

Her young years were spent in the Philadelphia area and the Pocono Mountains.  She was an avid small boat sailor on Lake Naomi, Pennsylvania.

She attended Mitchell College and Wagner College.

She is survived by her sister Jody Lacey (L. Nick) of Annapolis, Maryland; her brother Rick Tifft (Terry) of Grand Junction, Colorado; her nephews Colin Lacey and Rich Tifft (Holly); her niece Kate Lacey (Luke Hoverman); her great-nieces Ava and Margot; and her nephew Jaxton.

Although not a woodchuck, she was a lover of Vermont.  Her family is grateful for the support and kindness of her local community.

Donations in Pam’s memory to Orleans Federated Church, P.O. Box 132, Orleans, Vermont 05860, would be greatly appreciated.

A private family service will be held in the summer. Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com.

 

Harley Westley Stone

Harley Westley Stone of Craftsbury died peacefully on Sunday, January 17, 2021, at his home with his wife, Cathy, by his side.

Harley was born May 8, 1949, on his family farm below Runaway Pond in Glover to Hugh and Blanche (Lamonda) Stone.  He was one of their nine children, learning the hard work of farming, which he did both in Vermont and Connecticut.

He and Cathy married on April 7, 1984.  Farming for himself in Vermont brought him to Glover, Westmore, Walden, Craftsbury, Cabot, and Hardwick.  Harley will also be remembered as a truck driver for Weatherboard in Hardwick and Fisher Auto Parts in Morristown.

Harley leaves behind his wife of 36 years, Cathy Jean (Joralemon) Stone; his brother Dale (and Audrey) Stone of Sutton; his sisters:  Lois Menard of Glover, Peggy (and Tom Bly) of Derby, Julie Willey of Barton, and Tammi Hodgdon of Orleans; his sisters-in-law Sandy Stone of Glover and Bonnie Stone of Irasburg; and his many beloved nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Harley was predeceased by his parents; and brothers:  Hugh Stone Jr., Norman Stone, and Jim Stone.

Services will be held at a later date to gather with family and friends.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Harley’s memory may be made to the Lamoille Area Cancer Network, 198 Farr Avenue, Morristown, Vermont 05661.  Arrangements are made with the des Groseilliers Funeral Home.

 

Mary Liz Riddle

Mary Liz Riddle was born in Branford, Connecticut, in the winter of 1935.

She died in St. Johnsbury at the age of 85 just after the rise of the full moon on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.

She is survived by her two beloved children Susan Harrington and Paul Schmidt; her grandson Wyatt; her brother’s family; and her many friends.

Her much loved “little brother” William Riddle predeceased her.

Mary Liz’s mother was an elementary school teacher, and much to her chagrin Mary Liz was slow to learn to read.  Little did her mother know that this would become Mary Liz’s gift as she learned to savor words, expressing herself through poetry and writing throughout the rest of her life.  She was named Mary Liz by her childhood friend Susanna Joannidis who said, “You’re not a Mary, you’re a Mary Liz!”  Forevermore, Mary Liz insisted that she be called by that name and would not answer to Mary.

She could be a bit of a curmudgeon, as she would say, but was also just as quick with tears of sympathy for a friend’s troubles, or a ready laugh at the humor of life.  A born storyteller, she saw the potential for story in any happening, large or small.

Educated as a physical therapist in the early days of the discipline, she wholeheartedly loved this work.  She had the attitude of a Vermonter even before she came to live in Vermont.  Her first physical therapy job was in New York City, but the night before she was to start her job a blizzard hit the city.  Not to be deterred, she simply took out her skis and glided down the empty streets of the city to her new employment.

After she married, she moved to Brattleboro and began to raise her family.  She became the physical therapist at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townsend and established their first physical therapy department — consisting of her.

After her divorce, she found a way as a single mother to work as a physical therapist at Grace Cottage Hospital during the school year, but then to bring her children to a camp in the Adirondacks for the summer.  Working as a camp counselor there, she led many canoe trips.  Mary Liz favored the slower, less athletic children, and her hiking groups were known for always being the last off the mountain.

She was one of the founding members of Manitou in Brattleboro, a nature conservation project initiated by her friend Pam Mayer to encourage community with nature.  Mary Liz could create a labyrinth from any found materials and always had her dowsing rods at the ready.

With a love of music and singing, Mary Liz’s world expanded to include Sacred Circle dancing.  The dances and their stories became a deeply spiritual expression to her.  She danced and taught in Brattleboro at Parker Huber’s home, as well as other venues.  Always drawn toward stories and the books that held them, she asked Ellen Becker, a master bookbinder in the area, to teach her bookbinding.  Ellen said definitely not, but that she could come to tea.  Thus began Mary Liz’s bookbinding career.  By the end of her life, she had grown from a traditional bookbinder to a book artist and many of her creations were displayed and sold at Memphremagog Arts and the Artisan’s Guild in Vermont.

Mid-life, Mary Liz decided to travel out west and stopped in Missoula, Montana, for a visit.  She stayed for ten years and it is here that her writing was developed as she studied at the University of Montana.  When she returned to Vermont in 2003, she and her former partner made their way to the Northeast Kingdom, where they bought a house in the hills over Lake Willoughby.  Mary Liz quickly became part of the community, working in the milfoil abatement program on the lake, and also at the Cobleigh Public Library, a source of great joy to her.

She had retired from physical therapy by then and was becoming certified in the more subtle healing arts:  Cranial sacral therapy, myofascial release, and Reiki.  Still, writing was foremost, and she spent many days writing and contemplating as she looked out to the lake and mountains. Just as with book arts, her boundaries of expression continued to expand throughout her life, and her writing eventually began to include performance art.  She was thrilled to perform at the St. Johnsbury Atheneum, creating characters that would arise out of the audience to speak, or at times move seamlessly from the spoken word to sung word.

During her years in the Brattleboro area, Mary Liz became an enthusiastic member of Write Action.  She participated in the annual picnic open reading, and entered, and twice won the annual Write Action prose contest.  Two of her poems are included in the 2010 Write Action Tenth Anniversary Anthology.  Mary Liz also found great inspiration as a member of Reeve Lindbergh’s “End of the Road” writing group, as well as the St. Johnsbury House writing group.

In her later years, when Mary Liz moved to St. Johnsbury, she continued her creative pursuits and also developed many new friendships.  She began to learn to meditate in the Buddhist tradition.  In the autumn of 2020, she underwent unexpected surgery.  Ever a fighter, she strove to heal, enlisting the help of many friends, but sadly it was not meant to be.  She completed her transition under the tender hospice care of the Surrogate Son Hospice House in Concord.  Her son, Paul, was with her when she died.

Hopefully, in the spring there will be a celebration of life when all who loved and enjoyed Mary Liz can meet outside to remember a woman of verve and spirit who never stopped following her dreams.

 

Gardena Davison Paquette

Gardena Davison Paquette, 86, of Barton died on January 22, 2021.

Mrs. Paquette was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, on January 21, 1935, to Jayne (Muiry) and Frank F. Davison.  Garde grew up in Hanover, New Hampshire, and spent her summers at Willoughby Lake.

During these summers at Willoughby she met and fell in love with Carl E. Paquette. They married on June 21, 1958.

After attending Hanover High School, Garde graduated from the University of Vermont with a teaching degree in 1957.  She then started her teaching career in Montpelier.

After raising her children she returned to teaching, first as a substitute for area schools and then spent 23 years working for the Newport school district.

Upon her retirement, Garde loved to travel and spend time with her family. She also enjoyed volunteering at the Barton Public Library and became very involved with her church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Newport.

She leaves her son David; her daughters Cathy, and Peggy (Paquette) Cain and her husband, Michael; and her grandchildren:  Hayley, Alyssa, and Lindsay Paquette, and Cameron and Jackson Cain.

She was predeceased by her husband, Carl; her sister Deborah Gallup; and her brother William H. Davison.

A memorial service will be planned this summer.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Garde’s memory for their foster children’s services, P.O. Box 125, Newport, Vermont 05855, or to Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care, 154 Hitchcock Loop Road, Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756.

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

 

Elton Brian Ovitt

Elton Brian Ovitt was born on July 3, 1949, to his parents, Herbert Curtis Ovitt and Mary Gertrude Hartshorn Ovitt.

He went home to be with his Lord and Savior when he died on Friday, January 15, 2021, at 6:33 p.m.  He was surrounded by his loving family.

Elton was born in Island Pond.  He was the youngest of four children weighing almost 12 pounds.  He grew up in the small town of Island Pond, and at the young age of 19, he became smitten by a shy 16-year-old girl who was working at her family’s snack bar.

Elton later married his “sugar bear,” Yvonne J. DeLaBruere, on April 29, 1972, and they began their lifelong journey together.  They would have been married 49 years this coming April.

On July 16, 1976, Elton and Yvonne welcomed their daughter Monica Renee Ovitt to their little family.  On February 18, 1979, they added their son Nathan Lee Ovitt to complete their family.

Elton accepted the Lord as his personal Savior on June 24, 1983.  After the death of his lovely parents, the Ovitt family moved to Haines City, Florida, in November of 1987.  They then joined the Baptist Temple of Dundee and began serving the Lord by driving a church van.  Elton then was asked to lead as a youth pastor.  He and his wife served in this ministry for approximately ten years.

He used his musical talents weekly singing and playing his guitar for all who would listen.  In 2001 Elton was ordained and then his title changed to an associate pastor of the Baptist Temple.  Elton served as the associate for approximately ten years, and in August of 2012, he was voted in as the pastor of The Baptist Temple.  He served his God faithfully and dedicated 28 years, to his church.  God used him and his family throughout the years, and under his direction the new sanctuary was completed in 2016 debt free.  He loved his church family, and unconditionally and selflessly gave of his time to meet the needs of his family and congregation.

Elton was predeceased by his father, Herbert Curtis Ovitt (73); his mother, Mary Gertrude Hartshorn-Ovitt (66); his brother Herbert Edward Ovitt (55); and his and Yvonne’s unborn baby.

Elton is survived by his beautiful wife, Yvonne J. Ovitt; his daughter Monica Renee (Ovitt) Williams and her husband, Robert Presley Williams Jr., and their children:  Mako E. Williams, Uriah K. Williams, and Mayan A. Williams; Elton and Yvonne’s son Nathan L. Ovitt and his wife, Christine M.Ovitt, and their children:  Jordan C. Ovitt, Kirra M. Kivi, Kennedy M. Kivi, Justice C. Ovitt, and Jacob C. Ovitt; his older brother Alan Harold Ovitt; and his older sister Helen Irene (Ovitt) Fillman.

Elton was loved by all who met him.  He was a gentle, kindhearted man, who loved to make people smile. He will be greatly missed.  Until his family and friends meet him again on the other side, they love him.

A celebration of life for Elton is going to be on March 7 at 11 a.m., at the Baptist Temple of Dundee at 206 Center Street in Dundee, Florida.  Everyone is invited to attend.  His family wanted to celebrate on this day, to allow family and friends to travel.  He will be laid to rest at a private family graveside ceremony.

To send flowers to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Elton Ovitt, please visit Tribute Store.

 

Alice Menard

Alice Menard, 84, died peacefully at her home on Monday, January 18, 2021, with her family by her side.

Her beloved husband, Arthur, predeceased her on January 27, 2020.

She was born May 17, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Delair, New Jersey, the daughter of Harold Poinsett Lee and Eunice Hayes Lee.

She is survived by her brother Robert Hayes Lee.

She was predeceased by her sister Patricia Rai Lee.

In her youth, Alice loved music and fun.  She participated in roller skate dancing competitions and traveling.  She graduated from Pensauken High School in 1953.  Her job as a bookkeeper for the Camden, New Jersey, Courier-Post newspaper led to many lifelong friendships.

In 1959, she met the love of her life during a blind date.  She married that country boy, Arthur Menard, on September 3, 1960, at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Craftsbury.  They welcomed their first of six children in 1961 and raised their family on the family dairy farm in Craftsbury.

In 1987, she received the title of grammy and in 2013, was promoted to great-grammy.  Her greatest joy was her family and friends.  She kept a welcoming home that made everyone feel comfortable.

Alice continued her career as bookkeeper, managing the finances for the family farm.  She grew a bountiful vegetable garden and beautiful flower gardens.  She was a marvelous self-taught cook and enjoyed making applesauce, pickles, and homemade meals for her family.  Many memories were made at Sunday dinners with the whole family.

Alice was very active in the church, Our Lady of Fatima, often supplying food for fundraisers and helping in the kitchen for church dinners.  In more recent years, she joined the ladies union at the United Church on the Common, where she shared meals and friendship.

Alice enjoyed time spent with her friends, especially shopping trips, lunch outings, phone calls, and just stopping by for coffee.

She is survived by her children:  Barbara Menard Pugliese of Medford, Massachusetts, Annette Menard of Craftsbury, Kenneth Menard and his wife, Rita, of Craftsbury, Ernest Menard and his wife, Sharon, of Craftsbury, Lynne Jewett of Morrisville, and Lauri Menard of Craftsbury; her grandchildren:  Antonia, Julia, Alicia, Eric, Michelle, Kristen, Andrea, Michael, Tiffany, Bradley, Kaitlyn, Nicole, and Jenna; and her great-grandchildren:  Owen, Ryan, Madison, Jessa, Casey, Benjamin, and baby boy Turausky.

A celebration of Alice’s life and a graveside service at the Village Cemetery in Craftsbury will be held and announced at a later date

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The United Church of Craftsbury, 7 Church Lane, Craftsbury, Vermont  05826.

Online condolences may be made by visiting faithfh.net.

 

Betty Ann Limlaw

Betty Ann Limlaw, 79, of Newport died on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

She was born on July 18, 1941, in Newport to the late Harold and Viola (Grow) Hauver.

On November 7, 1964, she married Walter Limlaw, who predeceased her on August 30, 2004.

Betty attended Newport High School.  She worked at Aubuchon Hardware, was a cook at Derby Green, was a house cleaner, baby sat for many years, was a maid at the Border Motel, and was also a supervisor at the former Rite Aid in Derby.  She loved cooking and was known to be the best maker of doughnuts and popcorn balls.  She enjoyed playing bingo scratch tickets, watching her soap operas on CBS, doing puzzles, and was a big Elvis Presley fan.

She is survived by her children:  Ricky Limlaw and his wife, Diana, of Holland, Lisa Miller and her husband, Reese, of Currituck, North Carolina, Janet Roberge and her husband, Roger, of Newport Center, Walter Limlaw Jr. and his companion, Rhonda Camley, of Derby, and Harold Limlaw and his wife, Tammy, of Barre; her 11 grandchildren; her eight great-grandchildren; and her several nieces and nephews.

She was also predeceased by her brother Paul Hauver; and her sister Nancy Tinker.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 29, at the Derby Center Cemetery with the Pastor George Lawson officiating.

If friends desire, memorial contributions in Betty’s name may be made to the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, 502 Strawberry Acres Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.  Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com.

 

Sue L. Jacobs

Sue L. Jacobs, 81, of West Charleston died on Monday, January 18, 2021, in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on January 2, 1940, in Holland to Tilton and Eleanor (Judd) Trucott.

On October 1, 1959, she married Wendell Jacobs, who predeceased her on August 2, 1994.

She graduated from Derby Academy.

Sue was employed by Slalom Ski Wear, Bogner, and at one time was librarian for Charleston Elementary School.  Among her hobbies, she enjoyed crocheting, listening to country music, and taking care of her flowers and lawn.  She also enjoyed attending many of the jam sessions held in the local area.

She is survived by her children:  Keith Jacobs and his companion, Karen Robitaille, of Derby Line, Linda Benway and her husband, Shane, of West Charleston, and Rhonda Percy and her husband, Michael, of Holland; her five grandchildren: Amanda Barwell, Kristal Wood, Kelsie Fletcher, Kyran Percy, and Mikayla Jacobs; her great-grandchildren:  Olivia and Kate Barwell, Liam, Finn, Ellie, and Micah Wood, and Bradyn and Kaelynn Fletcher; her siblings: Laurel Mosher and her husband, Gary, of Holland, Brenda Fortin and her husband, Rosaire, of Derby, and Leon Trucott of Derby; and by her numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her brother Morris Trucott.

A graveside service will be held in the spring at the West Village Cemetery.  Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Mary Wright Halo Foundation, 1093 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, Vermont 05855.

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

 

Donald Haley

Donald Haley, 75, of Holland died on Friday, January 1, 2021.

Donald enjoyed fishing, hiking, gardening, and especially reading.  He read about science, history, nature, astronomy, and gardening.  If he saw a word he didn’t know, out came the dictionary.  Donald never stopped wanting to learn.

Donald leaves behind one brother; his close friend Susan; as well as many friends and acquaintances.  They made his last days easier and happier by helping and visiting.

The family wants to give a thank-you to home care and the nurses at North Country Hospital for their help in making him comfortable.  They were excellent.

There will be a remembrance at Donald’s flower garden in the spring, and all are welcome.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Donald’s name may be made to the Norris Cotton Cancer Center North, 1080 Hospital Drive, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819.

Online condolence may be made at curtis-britch.com.

 

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