Obituaries

Obituaries 9.23.20

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Robert F. Fischer

 

Robert F. Fischer, of Boca Grande, Florida, and Craftsbury Common, died on Saturday, September 5, 2020.

Robert was born on November 25, 1945, in Newark, New Jersey, to Albert and Jennie Fischer.  He graduated from Union Township High School in 1963, and attended Seton Hall University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree.

Upon graduating university in 1967, he was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Vietnam, where he served with honor and distinction.  He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Good Conduct Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with three battle stars, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

After returning from Vietnam he continued his education at Seton Hall University, earning a master’s degree in business administration.  Over the span of his active working career he spent nine years in civil engineer management, one year in pharmaceutical sales, and 30 years as a self-employed entrepreneur in retail manufacturing and marketing.

In 2001 he retired to Florida with his first wife, Sarah Jane Minar, of Plainfield, New Jersey, divorced in 2007 after 34 years of marriage, and in 2016 married Jane Brouwer McVickar of Boca Grande and Craftsbury Common.  In retirement he pursued a lifelong passion for anthracite railroad history by authoring several books and magazine articles concerning northeastern railroads.

Some of the publications he co-authored were articles in Pirate Coast magazine and an upcoming edition of Gasparilla Island magazine about his wife, Jane’s, family in Boca Grande, and several other articles featured in Pirate Coast.  He also wrote a very popular book that can be found on bookshelves around the island and beyond called Boca Grande:  Once a Railroad Town.

His writing career culminated with the publication of Combat Bandsman, a Vietnam War memoir recounting his service in the Mekong Delta with the ninth infantry division.

Robert also presented several “history bytes” for the Boca Grande Historical Society, where he was a member for many years.  He was also a member of the Greensboro, Vermont, Historical Society, where he had a summer home, and wrote historical articles for the Hazen Road Dispatch, its historical journal.

In 2015 the veteran’s administration determined that Robert was afflicted by a cancer directly attributed to his wartime service in Vietnam, where he had been repeatedly exposed to the deadly herbicide agent orange.

He was predeceased by his parents.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jane; his stepson and dear friend David Peyton Jamison; his sister Marianne Amelia Kane; his niece April Kane; his nephew Phillip Kane; and his adopted daughter Jennifer.

In death he departs this world with the knowledge he had enjoyed a blessed Christian life, and is moving on to the next with loving anticipation and hope of spending eternity with his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob was an honorable man, a talented author, and a funny, kind, warm, generous human being who was always concerned for his family first and foremost.  He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

There will be a private service at The National Cemetery in Sarasota, Florida, at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Boca Grande Historical Society, 170 Park Avenue, Boca Grande, Florida 33921; or the Greensboro, Vermont, Historical Society, 29 Breezy Avenue, Greensboro, Vermont 05841.

 

Nicholas Alexander Young

Nicholas Alexander Young died unexpectedly on Friday, September 11, 2020.

He was born on July 21, 1999.

He was a great young man with a kind soul and a huge heart.  He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and kayaking with his uncle Bernie and cousin Mya.  He also enjoyed Boy Scouts and gaming.

He graduated from Lake Region Union High School and was employed at Ethan Allen.

He will be greatly missed by his mother, Mandy Peters; his grandparents Bernard and Ruby Peters; his aunts, uncles, and cousins:  Randy and Donna Peters, Adam, Cindy, and Chad LaCoss, Carl and Christopher, Trinity and Robert Burgess, Joshua, Sherry Peters and Kaiser, Bernie Peters and Mya; his many more additional family members; and his dear friends Nicholas Prescott and Matt Townsand.

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

 

Allen E. Raboin

Allen E. Raboin, 54, of Derby died suddenly on Thursday, September 17, 2020, at his home in Derby.

He was born on December 7, 1965, in Newport to Norman and Gervaise (Choquette) Raboin.

Allen received his auto body repair technician certificate from the Technical Careers Institute of West Haven, Connecticut.  He was the co-owner of Newport Auto Works, which he considered his second family.  He was a member of the Newport Elks Lodge #2155, as well as the Border Line Ridge Riders.

He enjoyed his outdoor landscaping and woodworking projects around the house.  His love for the farm carried on with his love of riding his tractors, and taking pride mowing and tending his lawn.  He loved spending time with family and friends, especially around the bonfire.

He is survived by his loving wife, Cheryl Raboin; his sons Joshua and Cody Raboin, all of Derby; his parents, Norman and Gervaise Raboin, of Newport Center; his brother Andre Raboin and his fiancé, Melissa Ruiz, of Peterborough, New Hampshire; his sister Alice Bonin and her husband, Gilles, of Pembroke, New Hampshire; his in-laws Wayne and Lorraine Gray, as well as Thomas and Tiffany Gray; and his nieces and nephews:  Ryan, Sean, and Michele Bonin, Dillon and Maegan Raboin, Hunter Gray, and Madison Mosher.

Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 25, at the Curtis-Britch and Bouffard Funeral Home at 4670 Darling Hill Road in Newport.  Please follow CDC guidelines, and please wear a mask.  Funeral services will be held privately at the convenience of the family.

Donations in Allen’s memory may be made to the Allen Raboin Memorial Scholarship Fund, in care of Community National Bank, 4811 U.S. Route 5, Newport, Vermont 05855.  Scholarship recipients will be North Country Career Center students aspiring to a career in the automotive industry.

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

 

Susan Elaine Courchesne Green

Susan Elaine Courchesne Green, 75, of St. Petersburg, Florida, died on Friday, September 11, 2020, at the Haven Hospice Center.

She was born in Newport to Leo and Elaine (Lippens) Courchesne.

Leo was serving in England with the U.S. Army at the time of Susan’s birth.

Susan attended Trinity College, later graduating with a degree in English literature.

She moved to Florida after her marriage, where she worked and retired from Southern Bell.  She enjoyed crafts, was a pet lover, and above all devoted to her family, friends, and neighbors.  On her own birthday she never failed to send flowers to her mother.  Her greatest pleasure came from helping others.

Susan was predeceased by her husband, William “Billy” Green Jr.; her parents; her godmother Zena Gagnon; and her parents-in-law William Sr. and Shirley Green.

Susan is survived by her two sons Travis Green and his wife, Heather, of Trenton, Florida, and Trace Green and his wife, Karen, of Ocala, Florida; her grandchildren:  Sydney, Madison, and Robert; her brother Jim Courchesne and his wife, Penny; her sister Sara Williams and her husband, Jerry, all of St. Johnsbury; her aunts Lucille Meunière and Annette Trombley; her uncle Harold Lippens and his wife, Patricia; and her extended family and friends.

There will be a memorial Mass at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Newport on Friday, September 25, at 10 a.m.  Due to COVID-19 family and friends will gather at a later date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to one’s local hospice, the care and support they provide is immeasurable and made Susan’s last days comfortable and peaceful.

 

Joseph N. Fournier

Joseph N. Fournier, 77, of Island Pond died peacefully Monday night, September 14, 2020, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, after a short bout with a rare form of pneumonia.

Born on July 15, 1943, in Van Buren, Maine, he was the oldest of ten children born to Lawrence and Alma (Duplissis) Fournier.  Joe, as he was known, was always a workingman.  He went to work when he was 16 years old to help support the growing family, who often moved around Maine and New Hampshire for work opportunities.

He eventually settled into Island Pond, where he married his wife of 53 years, Janice (Reynolds).  Joe and Janice met when working at the Stratford Plywood Mill in Stratford, New Hampshire, and were married on July 1, 1967, at the St. James Catholic Church in Island Pond.

In July 2005, Joe retired from the state of Vermont and the Vermont Agency of Transportation after 23 years of service.  He began his career in April 1982 with district nine, working out of the Island Pond Garage, and remained there until his retirement.  He will be remembered for his dedication in maintaining Vermont 114 from Island Pond to the Canadian border in Norton, including Vermont 147, some of the harshest areas of the Northeast Kingdom.

In his retirement years, he remained dedicated to working for the state during the summer months by roadside mowing, from 2006 until 2013.  In the summer of 2014, Joe switched gears and decided to do something different.  He went back to work for the state of Vermont, seasonally, this time for the Agency of Natural Resources, and the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.

For six summers he worked at Brighton State Park in Island Pond, and took great pride in being named employee of the year for the park in 2015 by his fellow staff members.  Joe was preparing to go back to the park for a seventh season, on a part-time basis, when he was diagnosed with lymphoma in May.  A battle he fought courageously until the end.

Joe’s many hobbies over the years included hunting and fishing, “puttering” around the house, watching NASCAR races and baseball (especially the Boston Red Sox, even on his final night on earth), and playing cards.  In his younger years, he enjoyed going to his hunting camp, as well as dancing.

The family wishes to thank the many dedicated doctors, nurses, and medical staff who helped to take care of Joe and his needs during the last five months; his care team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center; the nurses who patiently tended to him during his weekly infusion treatments; and especially the nurses in the intensive special care unit during Joe’s last days, who sat with him to keep him company when his family could not be there — and who he comically entertained.  The family finds comfort knowing he is no longer suffering.

Joe is survived by his loving wife, Janice L. Fournier, of Island Pond; his twin sons Terry of Island Pond and Todd of London, England; his daughter Kathy Jo of Island Pond; his five sisters:  Irene Bean and her husband, David, of Maine, Jacqueline Noyes of Washington state, Gloria Cross and her husband, Randy, of New Hampshire, Rita Fournier of Texas, and Sally Arseneau of Texas; his brother Richard Fournier and his wife, Esther, of Nevada; his two grandsons Ian Fournier and Benjamin Fournier; his sister-in-law Rita (Hart) Fournier of Vermont; his uncle Joseph Fournier of California; and his many nieces and nephews.  He will also be greatly missed by his furry four-legged companions:  Kali, Fern, and Landon.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister Marlene Reynolds; his two brothers Clifford Fournier and Danny Fournier; and his many aunts and uncles.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, September 24, at St. James Catholic Church in Island Pond at 10:30 a.m., where a Mass will be celebrated.  Interment will follow at St. James Catholic Cemetery in Island Pond.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in Joe’s memory may be donated to St. James Window Repair and Replacement Fund, care of Mater Dei Parish, 191 Clermont Terrace, Newport, Vermont 05855.

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

 

Sheila E. Atherton

Sheila E. Atherton died on Friday, September 11, 2020, in Newport at the age of 74.

She was born on October 13, 1945, in Ware, Massachusetts.

She leaves behind her partner, Donald Atkins; her son Dean Hill of St. Albans, her son Kevin Hill and his wife, Caroline, of Sheffield, her son Tim Hill and his partner, Tassie, of Essex, her son William Hill of Sutton, her daughter Doreen Hill of Coventry, as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, Phineas and Maude Atherton; and her sister Velma Aubrey.

Sheila worked as a nurse’s aide at the Union House Nursing Home in Glover for many years.  Upon her retirement she started mending and alterations of clothing in her home.  She also loved making quilts and giving them to family and friends as gifts.

In June 1997 Sheila received her high school diploma.  This was an accomplishment she was extremely proud of.

She also loved going to her partner, Donald’s, camp in Norton on weekends and meeting the other locals for playing cards and eating out.

Her daughter Doreen moved in with Sheila several months ago to care for her and provide companionship.

A service for the family will be held at the Craftsbury Cemetery at a later date.

Should anyone choose to do so, they may make a donation in her memory to the Glover Volunteer Fire Department, or Glover Ambulance Squad.

Sheila will be remembered with fondness by her many family members and friends.

 

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