Vivian W. Geoffroy
Vivian W. Geoffroy, 97, of Albany, died on March 20, 2017, at the Union House in Glover.
She was born in Holland on June 20, 1919, the youngest of Hollis W. and Gertrude F. Wheeler’s 21 children.
She married John B. Geoffroy on August 20, 1951. After they were married, they established their home in Albany, where they raised their family. Her interests included gardening, canning, embroidery, reading, and word search puzzles. Her greatest pleasure was family gatherings. For many years, Mrs. Geoffroy wrote for the Newport Daily Express.
She is survived by her loving children: Ronald Geoffroy, Richard and Debbie Geoffroy, David Geoffroy and his partner, Judy Thielman, Joyce and Raymond Chase; by her nine grandchildren: Robert and Angela Geoffroy, Andrea Phelps and her partner, Travis Bailey, Lynn and Josh Michalak, Trish Geoffroy and her partner, Stephen Davenport, Amber and Kyle Benson, Mary and Paul Trepanier, Katie Chase, Julie Chase, Mykaela Chase and her partner, Dakota Aither; and by ten great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her son Peter A. Geoffroy in 1987; and her husband, John B. Geoffroy, in 1991.
A graveside service will be held on Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m., at the Albany Village Cemetery in Albany.
Online condolences may be made at www.curtis-britch.com.
Lawrence William Gray Jr.
It is with deeply saddened hearts that his family announces the death of Lawrence William Gray Jr., 53, known to his family and friends as “Charlie,” on March 6, 2017.
He was born on May 7, 1963, in Barre, and moved to Newport in 1976. He graduated from North Country Union High School in 1981, and worked at Fedele’s Market for a few years before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, to study drafting. Shortly afterward, he began working at Alliance Fire Protection, where he remained for the next 32 years.
He married his loving wife, Cecilia, on August 11, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and they made their home in Tempe, Arizona. He always appreciated a good beer, watching the Patriots win, and the company of family and friends. He loved going to concerts, somehow always getting great tickets to see some of his favorite bands over the years, especially Bob Seger. Mr. Gray was a loving husband, father, son, and brother. He had a gentle, caring soul and never hesitated to help someone out and lend a hand, never looking for anything in return. Whenever he came back to visit Vermont, his family knew the city life hadn’t changed him, and he was still the same ol’ Charlie. He will be dearly missed, and his family will carry his precious memory in their hearts forever.
Mr. Gray is predeceased by his brother, Randy. He is survived by his wife, Cecilia, and stepson, Steven, of Tempe; his mother, Gencie, of Richmond; his father Lawrence Gray and his wife, Pat, of Barre; by his siblings: Rick and his wife, Debby, of Duncan, South Carolina, Tammy of Richmond, Lori and her husband, Gaetan, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, Tim of Richmond, and Andy and his partner, Tammy, of Derby; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews, and wonderful friends.
Funeral services were held in Mesa, Arizona, on March 13, and the family is planning a life celebration get-together in Newport this summer. For information, please e-mail: [email protected].
Leo R. Guyette
Leo R. Guyette, 86, of Newport, died peacefully with his family by his side at North Country Hospital on April 3, 2017.
He had been struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for many years and he could not fight it any longer.
He missed his wife, Joyce, for the past two years, and had as recently as April 1 said he was ready to see her again.
Mr. Guyette was born on August 9, 1930, in Montreal, Quebec, to Harland and Aline (Richie) Guyette. They lived in Lowell, Newport Center, and Newport while he was growing up. At 17 he joined the Army and served for eight years. He always wished he would have stayed in longer. He loved his country and the American flag.
Mr. Guyette loved to travel and got to see most of the United States with Mrs. Guyette. They loved the West and loved visiting family in Florida. He worked at many places in his life. Out west he worked at the Idaho Potato Plant, a pig farm, and as a mechanic. When he came back to Vermont he worked at Ethan Allen until he retired in 1997. His pride and joy was being the custodian at the United Church of Newport. He made sure things looked just right for funerals and weddings. He was pretty much the wedding planner for everyone there, making sure the girls walked down the isle at the correct time. He worked there until his was well into his 70s. He is survived by his children: Lorine Hines, and her husband, Bob, of Dumfries, Virginia, Daniel Guyette and his wife, Stephanie, of Dumfries, Rene Guyette and his partner, Nicole, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, Keith Guyette and his wife, Ellen, of Sebring, Florida, and Ann Jones and her husband, Rusty, of Derby; by his stepchildren: Joann Guyette and her husband, Mark, Larry Davis, Fay Willis and her husband, Gary, Rita Johnson and Brent Hodgdon; by many grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. He was also survived by his brother Roland Guyette and his wife, Sandra, of Vergennes, by Joyce Guyette’s sisters Marilyn Cassavant and her husband, Leo, of Island Pond, and Jean Webster of St. Johnsbury; by special friends of the family, Raymond and Patty Jones and their family, Linda Thayer, Ashley Shangraw, and Brian McNeal.
He was predeceased by his parents; his brother Arthur Guyette and his wife, Rosalie, and Joe Guyette; his sister Anita Forcier and her husband, Fernand; his brother-in-law Arthur Webster; daughter-in-law Barbara Davis and her husband, Larry; and by his wife, Joyce (Webster) Guyette.
Funeral services for Mr. Guyette were held on April 7, at the United Church of Newport, with the Reverend James Merriam officiating.
Contributions in his memory can be sent to the Cruzin’ for Cancer Motorcycle Ride-in for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Please send donations to Kathie Duckless at 827 Lake Road, Newport, Vermont 05855. Online condolences can be shared at curtis-britch.com.
Pamela B. Space
Pamela Buckton Space, 90, died peacefully at Gracewood Senior Living in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, on February 24, 2017.
Born to English parents and raised at Villa La Roccia in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy, she became a U.S. citizen after marrying her beloved David, a U.S. Naval officer. She moved 26 times with him during their 64 years of marriage, but resided in Lino Lakes since 1996. She was known for her kindness, generosity, and talents. She always smiled and gave sincere compliments to everyone she met in her delightful British accent. Over the years she volunteered at many charities and donated gallons of blood. She gave up her aspirations to be an opera singer to become a wife and mother, but continued to share her beautiful voice at her church and local venues. She spoke four languages, and was an accomplished pianist, painter, quilter, knitter, and gardener. She loved Jesus and her family, and had a passion for animals of every kind. She is mourned and missed by her husband, David Space; children: Lionel Space and his wife, Noel, Richard Space and his husband, William Larson, Merrily Space, and Diana Eckerberg; by her grandchildren: Austin Lossing, Sarina Keran and her husband, Matt, Arianna Lossing, Andrew Eckerberg, and Matthew Eckerberg; and great-grandson, Leo Keran.
A memorial service was held at the Rice Creek Covenant Church in Shoreview, Minnesota, on March 25. Attendees were encouraged to wear bright colors or Hawaiian prints.
Jean Elizabeth Gardyne Webster
Jean Elizabeth Gardyne Webster, 92, died peacefully on March 14, 2017, at Parker Ridge Senior Living Community in Blue Hill, Maine, with family and friends at her side.
She was born at home on June 6, 1924, in North Troy, to Nellie Marion (Rice) and Harvey R. Gardyne, the third of four children. During the Depression, when her father was working steadily as supervisor at the Blair Veneer Mill, she watched as he passed on a few dollars to laid-off co-workers to tide them over and did not forget his quiet example.
She graduated from North Troy High School and then Green Mountain College in 1944, a campus with more women than men due to the war. After college, she headed off to the big city of Boston, and joined the post-war workforce. When she needed a ride home one Christmas, a friend gave her the number of another Boston area Vermonter heading north. That long car ride introduced her to Karl Webster, her future husband, who had grown up down the road in Orleans.
Mr. and Mrs. Webster started out their married life in a Spartan trailer in State College, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Webster was getting his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State University. They set up homes after that in Durham, New Hampshire, Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, York Harbor, Maine, and Orono, Maine, before retiring in 1990 to West Brooksville, Maine. She was a stay-at-home parent for many years before joining the University of Maine admissions office staff in Orono. Mr. and Mrs. Webster shared a love of sailing and wooden boats, and they spent many days cruising around Penobscot Bay on The Tuesday with their family and friends.
Mrs. Webster was forever grateful for the Works Progress Administration’s decision to build a tennis court in her small town of North Troy where she taught herself to play and began her lifelong passion for the game. Tennis (as well as cribbage, crosswords, and Scrabble) brought out her friendly but fierce competitive spirit. She organized years of tennis clinics at summer camps and town courts, and taught crowds of kids who loved her approach to learning the game. She was honored by Green Mountain College’s invitation to join the college’s athletic hall of fame, and she was so happy to watch her grandsons pick up rackets and continue “Gamma’s” legacy.
Mrs. Webster relished her Scottish heritage, from the poetry of Robert Burns to the sound of the pipes, and held wonderful memories of her trips to Scotland to visit her ancestral home of Gardyne near Arbroath with her daughters and later with Mr. Webster.
Mrs. Webster had type O blood, one of the universal donor types. Throughout her life she lived according to that philosophy, donating her time to help out in whatever way she could, usually behind the scenes. Her whole-hearted kindness, generosity, and counsel will be remembered by many.
She will be missed by her husband, Karl S. Webster Jr., of Laconia, New Hampshire; daughters Susan Webster and her husband, Bruce Fowler, of Portland, Maine, and Anne Webster, of San Luis Obispo, California; by grandsons Samson Fowler and Liam Fowler of Portland; by sisters-in-law Beryl, wife of late Bruz Gardyne, of Derby Line, and Barbara, wife of the late Bob Gardyne, of Derby Line; also by extended family Leslie and her husband, George Lochtie, of Enosburg Falls, Chuck Gardyne of Thetford Center, David Gardyne and his wife, Sandy, of Rutland, Bill Gardyne and his wife, Nancy, of Derby, Scott Gardyne and his wife, Cindy, Newport, Steve Gardyne and his wife, Jean, of Maple Glen, Pennsylvania, Bill Stufflebeam of Bradenton, Florida, Jim Stufflebeam and his wife, Denise, of Bradenton, Bob Gardyne and his wife, Marie, of Pinole, California, Annie Adams and her husband, Jack McDermott, of East Falmouth, Massachusetts, Lisa Adams of Mystic, Connecticut, Britton Adams of Mystic; and many grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and cousins. She was pre-deceased by her father and mother; her sister, Virginia Stufflebeam; and her brothers Harvey “Bruz” Gardyne Jr., and Robert Gardyne.
A celebration of life will be held in Blue Hill in the summer. As she requested, her ashes will reside at Pleasant View Cemetery in Orleans. To honor Mrs. Webster, people are asked to consider making a donation in her name to: Nichols Day Camp in Blue Hill, and/or The Tree of Life Food Pantry in Blue Hill.
Gloria Rachel Whittemore
Gloria Rachel Whittemore, 77, of Glover, died peacefully on April 3, 2017, in Glover.
She was born on February 1, 1940, in Orleans, to Lionel and Rachel (Labounty) Duquette. On May 27, 1961, she married Wayne S. Whittemore who predeceased her on February 2, 2011. She graduated from Orleans High School in 1958.
Mrs. Whittemore was manager for A Cleaner Globe in St. Johnsbury. She and her late husband founded the B and W Snack Bar in Orleans with the Burns family.
She enjoyed teaching and making ceramics, antiquing, and playing basketball when she was in high school. She was a volunteer for the Rand Memorial Library in North Troy, and at the North Country Hospital Gift Shop. She was a member of the United Church of Christ in North Troy and she was a Girl Scout leader.
She is survived by her children: Lance Whittemore and his wife, Jane, of Powhatan, Virginia, Lisa Sullivan of Montgomery, and Laurie Grenon and her husband, Robert, of Westfield; by her two grandchildren: Halle and Sonja Grenon; her sisters-in-law: Nancy Duquette of Barton, and Louise Duquette of Irasburg; and by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by two brothers: Lewis and Roger Duquette.
Funeral services were held on April 7, at the Curtis-Britch-Converse-Rushford Funeral Home in Newport, officiated by the Reverend Timothy Naples. Interment will take place on Saturday, May 27, at 3 p.m., at the Irasburg Cemetery.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont, 300 Corner Stone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, Vermont 05495. Online condolences can be shared at curtis-britch.com.
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