Obituaries

Obituaries April 13, 2016

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obit-ChaputIvah Lillian Chaput

Ivah Lillian Chaput, 86, of Newport died peacefully on April 4, 2016, in Newport.

She was born on September 14, 1929, in West Burke to Elmo and Florence (Bentley) Legacy. On June 7, 1947, she married Felix Chaput, who predeceased her on November 7, 2007.

Mrs. Chaput owned and operated a farm in Troy with her late husband, Felix, from 1946 until 1972. At that time she operated the Poole Nursing Home in Barton until she retired in 1984.

Her hobbies included sewing, working in her flower garden, reading, and putting puzzles together.

She is survived by her children: Lillian Vezina and her husband, Charlie, of Irasburg, Laura Brown and her husband, Leslie, of Troy, Felix Chaput Jr. and his wife, Madeline, of Derby Line, Frank Chaput and his wife, Sheila, of North Troy, Francis Chaput and his wife, Debra, of North Troy, Lorreta Lieblein and her husband, Peter, of Newport, Marie Ingalls and her husband, Mark, of Irasburg, and Jacqueline Eldred and her husband, Michael, of Coventry; by 44 grandchildren; 45 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and by her stepbrother Irving Morton of Temple Hills, Maryland.

She was predeceased by an infant daughter, Linda; by her brother Walter Legacy; her stepmother Olive Legacy; and by three grandsons: Leslie J. Brown Jr., Shawn F. Chaput, and Tyler Sanville, who was an infant.

Funeral services were held on April 9, in Newport. Spring interment will be in St. Ignatius Cemetery in Lowell.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

Christopher K. Lynch

Christopher K. Lynch, 45, of Newport died suddenly on April 6, 2016, at his home in Newport.

He was born on May 6, 1970, in Newport to Jim and Gail Lynch.  He was a brother of Katy and Stephen Lynch, and grandson of the late Lawrence and Margaret Dugan of New Hartford, New York, and the late Dr. James A. and Gertrude Lynch of New York, New York. He was also half-brother to Claudia Lynch and uncle to her son Nick Farfan of New York City. His family also included Nieves Madrid and Mia Bauman, partners of Katy and Stephen Lynch.

His childhood years were spent in North Troy. He had countless adventures with his wonderful friends from the Troy and Westfield area who remained close to his heart throughout his life.

He graduated from North Country Union High School in 1988 and received his bachelor of science from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1992. He spent three years in California before settling in the East Village of New York City, where he lived for many years. He worked in movie distribution for Dreamworks SKG and also pursued his passion for music production.

He married Christina Gerber in 2003 and they welcomed a daughter, Frankie Lynch, later that year. Mr. Lynch was happiest being with his “Little Bean.”

A reception for family and friends was held on April 9 at the Derby Line Village Inn.

Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, 4473 Barton Orleans Road, Orleans, Vermont 05860.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

obit-monfettePaul William Monfette

Paul William Monfette died on April 2, 2016.

He was born on May 10, 1922, in Newport to Carl and Winefred “Sabourin” Monfette.

The family moved to Morgan after the flood of 1927 flooded them out of their home on the Glen Road in Newport. They settled on a 130-acre farm in Morgan, where they farmed and logged the land. Between the loss of his mother when he was a youngster, and the struggles of surviving the Great Depression, Mr. Monfette did not have an easy childhood. However, he made the best of life. The struggles instilled within him a strong work ethic. He was a kind, practical man, but one who also understood the importance of helping others in need.

After graduating the eighth grade from the Whitehill School in Morgan, his father moved the family to Hill Street in Newport, a street where Mr. Monfette spent most of the rest of his life. It was there he met Dot when she was about 13 or 14 and he was about 18.

“Oh God, I thought he was the best looking thing,” she said. “He was the best looking man I’d ever seen, but I wasn’t the only one that noticed that. Every other girl on the street was after him. All the girls liked him.”

The couple married on August 9, 1942, at the Baptist Church on East Main Street in Newport. Mr. Monfette was 19 and his new wife was 15. About a decade later they renewed their vows at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church in Newport. Their marriage survived the odds, including a two-year separation when Mr. Monfette was drafted into the Army to fight in World War II.

He was assigned to the 36th Texas Army National Guard Infantry Division, eventually becoming a squad leader in Fox Company. On February 3, 1945, he suffered life-threatening wounds on the battle in France. Following a lengthy stay in a makeshift hospital in Marseilles, France, while still recovering from his wounds, he helped run a war front prisoner-of-war camp. He was later assigned to a special detail of American soldiers whose mission was to assist the newly liberated prisoners — many of them Jews and other people the Nazi regime considered undesirables — from a concentration camp called Dachau. He spent about three months at Dachau, including accompanying the military police into nearby Munich, Germany, to interrogate what the locals knew about this devilish camp.

In talking about his time at the camp, he was once quoted as saying: “I have seen things no man should have to see.”

When he returned home to his teenage bride in 1946, he still suffered from the wounds of war — physical wounds and mental wounds. His wife nursed him back to health with love and understanding. From witnessing the horrors of war, Mr. Monfette became a man of peace who hated war.

In war, he was a demolitions expert, blowing up bridges and buildings, but when he returned home, he used those same skills on the Canadian Pacific Railroad. One of his first tasks was to blow out the ledges along the tracks as part of the transition from the smoke-belching steam-powered locomotives to the wider, quieter diesel-powered ones. His physical wounds of war, including metal shrapnel throughout his body, forced him to retire from the railroad in 1982. He was one of the last surviving old-time railroad men.

Although a very private man, especially when it came to his war years, in recent years he and his wife shared their story of love and war, and surviving 70-plus years of marriage. This was a five-part series written by Scott Wheeler in Vermont’s Northland Journal.

He was a real homebody. His favorite places in the world were the home he built in Newport and the camp in Sheffield. He took pride in his wife’s gorgeous flower gardens and would often sit on the deck or watch her through the living room window.

He loved to have his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren come to the house to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or for no special reason. He took great pleasure and pride in making the little ones giggle and smile as he would tap his feet, clap his hands, and play peek-a-boo. He loved them all so deeply.

Our Dad was a generous man. He always made sure that his family had food, clothing, a roof over their heads, and fuel to stay warm. It was a family joke that Dad would always make sure we ate and had socks on our feet to stay warm.

During his early years, he loved to play cribbage and poker with his brothers and sisters in Morgan. Later, when he no longer could play, he began to buy lottery tickets. He loved to sit in his recliner and scratch those tickets, hoping for a winner! Amazingly, he often would win enough to buy a couple more and still have a few dollars in his pocket.

Hunting at the camp in Sheffield with his sons-in-law and nephews was something he looked forward to doing each season. He enjoyed being with the guys as he would rattle off one joke after another.

Another passion he had was to watch his family play sports. Whether it was watching his girls play field hockey, or his grandchildren play baseball, he was in the stands cheering them on. He was a loyal follower of his son-in-law Mo’s baseball team, the Rangers. He never missed a home game!

He loved animals, but especially dogs. The family had many dogs through the years. When he no longer had a dog of his own, he was thrilled to have grand-dogs. Oh, how he loved to feed biscuits to Ruger.

“Just one more,” he would say, but keep feeding him.

He was very patriotic and today we honor his memory and service to his family and country. We salute you, Dad!

Rest in peace, until we meet again….

He is survived by his loving wife, Dot; his daughters: Shelia and her husband, Al, Paulette and her husband, Alvin, Sue and her husband, Mo, Jackie, and Tammi; his grandchildren: Larry Maxwell, Jennifer Simard, Joe Simard, Jeff Markum, Barry Shelton, Sarah Soskin, Emily Soskin, and Jonah Monfette; and by 14 great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his father, Carl, and mother, Winefred “Sabourin” Monfette; his 11 siblings: Levi, Blanche, Cecelia, Pat, Joe, Albert, Alfred, Pete, Alice, Willis, and Flora; his special granddaughter, Jackie Simard; and by his sons-in-law: Lawrence Maxwell and Daryl Markum.

Funeral services were held on April 8, in Newport. Spring interment will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery on May 10, at 1 p.m., with full military honors.

Donations in his memory may be made to Blue Star Mothers of Vermont, in care of Benita Stephens, P.O. Box 195, Bakersfield, Vermont 05441; or to the Military Order of the Purple Heart at purpleheart.org.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

obit-wingMarya Anne Wing

Marya Anne (Curran) Wing, 74, of Island Pond died suddenly on April 4, 2016.

She was born on September 19, 1941, in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the
daughter of Michael Curran and Elizabeth (Fenlan) Curran. She spent the first 20 years of her life in Medford, Massachusetts. Upon her graduation from St. Joseph’s Catholic School, she attended Boston College.

In 1961, while working as a nurse at a summer camp on Job’s Pond in Newark, she met Robert Wing. They married shortly afterwards and embarked on a military career that saw assignments in Germany, Virginia, Colorado, and Maryland. After retirement, they and their family moved back to Vermont, where Mrs. Wing enjoyed a career as a social worker and as head of the Brighton Emergency Rescue Squad.

She was a private, complex, and loving person, who adored her children and raised
them to be self sufficient and resourceful — and they adored her in return. She drew on a deep reservoir of strength to pull herself up during hard times, and she left this world as she lived her life — on her own terms, and in the deep embrace of her faith and her family.

She prayed daily for the health and well-being of her family. Today they pray for her, and invite all who knew her to take a moment and do the same.

She is survived by her husband, Robert Guy Wing, and her children: Jessica Puckett, Lisa Bean, Jenny Wing, and Robert Wing Jr. She was the proud grandmother of Jarren and Josh Puckett, Katherine and Grace Ayers, and Zachery and Althea Tapley. She also delighted in her great­grandchildren: Emily Demers, Oliver Puckett, and Vivian Lacy. She was mother-in-law to John Puckett, David Bean, and Tyrell Lacy, and former mother­in-law to Joseph Anthony Ayers and Peter Tapley. She is also survived by her brother Mark Curran of Rochester, New York.

As per her instructions, a small private funeral will be held in the summer. Afterwards, friends and family are invited to her beloved home on Turtle Hill to celebrate
the life and honor the memory of a much-loved mother, wife, and friend.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

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