Obituaries

Obituaries & Services 7.7.21

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Jaqueline E. Angiletta

 Jacqueline E. Angiletta, 64, of Derby, died on June 25, 2021, in Newport.

She was born on August 15, 1956, in Southington, Connecticut, to Robert and Georgianna (Taylor) Angiletta.

Jacqueline loved going to yard sales, fishing, and attending Native American tribe powwows, and was a member of the Nulhegan band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation.

She is survived by her loving fiancé, David B. Hill, of Derby; daughters Jennifer Angiletta of Middletown, Connecticut, and Spurgeon Angiletta of Meriden, Connecticut; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; her sisters:  Marcia Novicelli and her husband, James, of Wallingford, Connecticut, Melissa McCray and her husband, Edward, of Meriden, Connecticut, Roberta Angiletta of Wallingford, Connecticut; brother Robert Angiletta and his wife, Patricia, of Meriden, Connecticut; brother-in-law Timothy Brandt of Meriden, Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at a later date.

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

 

 

Bonnie J. Dewing

Bonnie J. Dewing, 69, of Orleans died on June 29, 2021, in Newport.

She was born on November 4, 1951, in Newport to Winston and Velma (Libby) Bowman.   On June 10, 1972, she married Terry L. Dewing, who survives her.

Bonnie was a bookkeeper for the former Austin’s Drug Store.  She enjoyed doing arts and crafts, shopping, animals, and spending time with her family and friends.  Her favorite holiday was Christmas.

She is survived by her husband, Terry L. Dewing, of Orleans; by her son Kevin D. Dewing and his wife, Nikki; by her sister Diane C. Bowman and her partner, Theresa Gray, of Orleans; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was predeceased by her parents; her brother Donald D. Bowman; and sister-in-law Karen Bowman.

There will be a private family gathering at the convenience of the family.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Shelter, 502 Strawberry Acres, Newport, Vermont  05855.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

 

 

Irene Adele Faggiani

Irene Adele Faggiani, 94, of Irasburg, died peacefully at her home on June 22, 2021, surrounded by her family, friends, and angels.

She was born on March 13, 1927, to the late Joseph and Harriet (Orzechowski) Rzonca in Brooklyn, New York.  Irene spent her early years in Brooklyn and she was a true city girl at heart.  In her adolescence, the family moved to Laurelton, Queens, where she finished her secondary education at Andrew Jackson High School.  Irene attended Queens College in Flushing, New York, and graduated in 1948 with her bachelor’s degree in sociology.  She further advanced her education and completed additional accreditation at the Fordham School of Social Work and New York School of Social Work.

Irene’s first job as a social worker was for the Catholic Home Bureau, New York City, helping young children and families.  Children were always the center of her life and she had a true gift relating to people of all ages with her compassionate heart and kind spirit.

Irene worked briefly in advertising in New York City before finding her dream job at Doubleday Publishing.  Her world always included reading, writing, words, and books.  She was modest in her intellect but was always engaging in conversation about a great book to read and current events.  She read the Sunday New York Times and novels until the time of her death.

While working in New York City, Irene met the love of her life, Les Faggiani, and they were married on April 10, 1955.  After honeymooning in Nova Scotia, they moved to Long Island where Les began his teaching career at Bay Shore High School. They bought a home on Seaman Avenue, Bayport, New York, and remained there until 1995.  It was in Bayport that they spent some of their happiest years together, raising a family and spending summers in Derby, at their cottage at Cousen’s Beach.

Irene received her master’s degree in elementary education from New Paltz State Teacher’s College, New Paltz, New York, in 1961 and taught grades fourth and fifth for the Bay Shore Union Free School District #1, Bay Shore, New York, from 1958 to 1961.  She stopped teaching to start a family and was a stay-at-home mom for several years.

Once her children were in school, she continued her education at Palmer Graduate Library School, C.W. Post College, Greenvale, New York, receiving her master’s degree in library science in 1974.  She was the children’s librarian at East Islip Public Library for decades, until her retirement in 1994.  This was another career Irene loved as she was surrounded by children and books.  She initiated many wonderful children’s reading programs, newsletters, and events.

Irene and Les retired to Irasburg to be close to their grandchildren, Ryan and Connor.  She treasured her time with her family and friends, but especially cherished her grandchildren.  In their retirement they enjoyed their family gatherings, long walks, kayaking, swimming, bike rides, traveling, and exploring the back roads of Vermont.  They spent a wonderful 51 years together as soulmates until Les’ death in 2006.

Irene was a dedicated and loving mother.  She was a surrogate mother to many, sharing kind words, sending cards, and spending time with those whom she loved and who loved her in return. But her most beloved role was grandmother.

Irene was fluent in Polish, her first language.  She enjoyed dancing and aspired at one time to be a professional dancer.  She loved going to the ballet, theater, and museums.  Irene enjoyed playing her piano, listening to music, sewing, watching old movies, trying new foods, having a glass of good wine, driving her car, and she was always up for new experiences.  Irene was the champion of Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and any other board game requiring vast knowledge.  She was a lover of animals, plants, and living things.  She never asked for anything in return for her generous ways and charitable contributions.  She had a zest for life and was a shining star — always with a smile, a kind word, and a helping hand.  She always believed it was better to give than receive.  She made the world a better place.

Irene loved their home in Irasburg, where she remained independent and very active until the time of her death.  In her own words, “I am curious, like to solve problems and find answers, and believe in excellence in any undertaking.”

She is survived by her son Robert Faggiani of Chesapeake, Virginia; her daughter Kate Fletcher (Ed Whipple) of Coventry; her grandsons Ryan Fletcher of Rochester, New York, and Connor Fletcher of Coventry; her brother Richard Rzonca (Joan) of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin; her niece Deborah Miskell (Donald) of Pahrump, Nevada; her nephew Paul Rzonca (Noriko) of Hachioji Japan; her niece Diane Rzonca of Gurney, Illinois; her nephew Peter Rzonca (Nancy) of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin; and many other relatives across the country.

There will be a celebration of her life in September, 2021.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Irene’s name can be made to the East Islip Public Library or by planting a memory tree with the Arbor Day Foundation.

 

Jeffrey Scott Lavallee

Jeffrey Scott Lavallee, 56, of Norton, died unexpectedly on June 28, 2021, in Norton.

He was born on October 3, 1964, in Southington, Connecticut, to Earl and Shirley (Hadley) Lavallee.  On September 12, 2009, he married Julie Charest who survives him.

He graduated from North Country Union High School in the Class of 1982.  He worked as a carpenter in Florida and built several 7-Elevens.  More recently he was manager and school bus driver for the Town of Norton.

Among his many hobbies, he enjoyed snowmobiling, boating, fishing, playing cornhole, and horseshoes, and he especially loved spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Lavallee, of Norton; his stepchildren: Tommy Charest and his wife, Michelle, of Holland, and Emillie Roy of Bangor, Maine; by his grandchildren Jackson and Quinn; four brothers; one sister; and his aunt Marion McLam of Connecticut.

He was predeceased by his mother Shirley on August 29, 2011.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

 

 

Roy F. Montminy

Roy F. Montminy Sr., 92, of East Windsor, beloved husband of the late Clara Marie (Sutter) Montminy, died on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at Windsor Health and Rehabilitation.

He was born on March 10, 1929, in Glover, to the late Floyd and Myrtle (Ticehurst) Montminy.  He proudly served his country in the Army during World War II.  Roy worked as an auditor for Pratt and Whitney in East Hartford for several years.  He enjoyed flipping houses and spending time with his family.

Roy is survived by a son Roy F. Montminy Jr.; and many nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by two children: Marie Ann and Steven “David” Montminy; and four brothers: Joseph, Forrest, Ralph, and Bruce Montminy; and a sister, Cecile Brown.

Services will be held privately at the convenience of the family.  Memorial donations in Roy’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 300 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451; Alzheimer’s Association 200 Executive Boulevard, Suite 4B, Southington, Connecticut 06489; or Beacon Hospice, Attention Lorraine, 111 Founders Plaza, East Hartford, Connecticut 06108, and please make check payable to the Amedisys Foundation.

For online condolences please visit, www.carmonfuneralhome.com.

 

Mary Jean Pierce

Mary Jean Pierce, 91, of Newport, died peacefully on July 3, 2021, at Newport Health Care Center where she was a loved resident for the past four years.

She was born on the family farm in Derby on November 5, 1929, to the late Raymond E. and Julia (Leavens) Blake, the fifth of six children.

Mary Jean married Kenneth C. Pierce Jr. on May 15, 1948.  They were married for 68 years at the time of Ken’s passing in 2016.

To this union were born three children who survive her: Daniel Pierce and his wife, Cindy, of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Cathryn Comar and her husband, Jim, of East Dorset, and Susan Wright and her husband, Roy, of Derby.  She is also survived by her grandchildren: Trish Pierce White, Jessup Pierce, Ryan Comar, Amy Comar Pickering, and Devan, Damen, and Taylor Wright; along with 10 great-grandchildren: Judah, Aliyah, and Sarayah White, Jack and Nora Pierce, Lily Comar, Corbin and Levi Pickering, and Brody and Myles Wright.  Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the apple of her eye, and she was looking forward to having two more great-grandchildren in September.

She is also survived by her sister Hazel Fontaine and sister‑in‑law Penny Flood both of Newport; and numerous nieces and nephews who affectionately knew her as “Aunt Jeana.”

Mary Jean was predeceased by her husband, Ken; her parents; and by her brothers: Herbert and Charles Blake; and sisters, Lucille Lague and Marion Kerr; as well as several brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Mary Jean was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a very dedicated and hard worker, holding many jobs from cooking to bookkeeping over the course of her married life.   She also was involved in numerous social groups and there were many who benefitted from her knitting and quilting skills.  She was very fond of the Bible and was always ready to attend a Bible study.  She was a member of the United Church of Newport.

Mary Jean was very much a people person and always enjoyed socializing with new and old friends over her many years.  A real joy in her life, however, was her cottage on Seymour Lake where she and Ken spent their summers over a span of 50 years.  Her friends and family were always welcome at the cottage for a swim and often a cookout.  She was a great cook and always encouraged visitors to “stay and eat!”

The family would like to thank the staff at Newport Health Care Center for the excellent care she received during her four-year residency and especially those that made her so comfortable in the last weeks of her life.  The family also appreciates all the expressions of love for her made by the staff and caregivers.  She was called a “favorite” by many and “our little spitfire.” As one caregiver said, “She could make us laugh without even trying!”

Funeral services will be held at the United Church of Newport, 63 Third Street, Newport, on July 9, at 1 p.m.  Family and friends will be received at the church one-hour prior to the service at noon.  Interment will follow the service at the West Village Cemetery in West Charleston.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont, 300 Corner Stone Drive, Suite 130, Williston, Vermont 05495, the Mary Wright Halo Foundation, 1073 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, Vermont 05855, or the United Church of Newport (address above).

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

 

 

Rhonda Poole

Rhonda (Parker) Poole, 67, of Barton, died unexpectedly on Saturday, July 3, 2021, at her home.

Born in Newport on March 6, 1954, she was the daughter of Richard and Doris (Soutiere) Parker of Brownington.  She attended schools in Brownington and Orleans.

She did personal care for people in the region for many years.  She enjoyed helping people and treated everyone she met and knew with love and respect.

Rhonda’s interests included crocheting, ceramics, the company of her birds, gardening, spending time with her family, and receiving visits from her friends, neighbors, and caretakers.

She is survived by her son Erik Murray, whom she loved very much, and his wife, Chrysta, of Barre; her “mother” Emma Cook of St. Johnsbury; and two sisters, Lisa and Jana.

A graveside service will be held at a later date.

Rhonda relied on the care and loving support from the folks at the Visiting Nurses Association and other services in the area.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to a charity of one’s choice.

 

Laura Weatherstone

Laura Weatherstone, 99, of Island Pond, Vermont died on June 30, 2021, at her home.

She was born May 5, 1922, in Nottingham, New Hampshire, to Jasper and Doris (Tuttle) Wilkins.  She attended elementary schools in Nottingham and Durham, New Hampshire, and graduated from Dover Senior High School, New Hampshire.

She worked in Springfield, Massachusetts and married Calvin (Cappy) F. Weatherstone of Island Pond, on June 20, 1946, who predeceased her on June 16, 2006.

Mrs. Weatherstone served as an elected auditor for the town of Brighton and an elected trustee of the Island Pond public library.  She started and continued a weekly children’s story hour at the library until she and her husband spent winters in Winter Haven, Florida.

Mrs. Weatherstone served as president of the now disbanded women’s club of Island Pond and continued her membership in the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Vermont as a direct member.

She worked for the state of Vermont Department of Security on three separate temporary assignments in Essex, Orleans, and Caledonia counties.

Later she worked at the Farm Credit Service at the Newport office and after ten years took an early retirement.

She is survived by her daughter: Pamela Newland of Eliot, Maine; six grandchildren: Leslie Ofsuryk and husband, David, of Holland, Jared Lefebvre and his wife, Shamitra, of Newport,  Aaron Lefebvre of Holland, Adam Lefebvre and wife, Vaneeza, of Groveton, Idaho, Jennifer Newland of Eliot, Maine, Joanthan Newland and wife, Jamie, of Saco, Maine; and great-grandchildren: Trevor Dodge, Shelby Dodge, Eric Bubier, Abigail Bubier,Cody Bubier, Ava Lefebvre, Isabelle Lefebvre, Salena, and Makio; and by her sister-in-law Jeannette Wilkins of Nottingham, New Hampshire, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was predeceased by her daughter Deborah Lefebvre; by her siblings: Virginia Cobb, and Robert and Earl Wilkins; and by her son-in-law Clinton Newland.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 9, at St. James Catholic Cemetery, Island Pond.

Online condolences at curtis-britch.com.

 

Lois White

Lois White of Windsor, died peacefully on July 2, 2021, with her family by her side.

Born on August 4, 1925, in Palmer, Massachusetts, Lois moved to Belmont, Massachusetts, when she was two months old and resided there during her formative years.  In January of her senior year, Lois started college at Boston University (during the war years, the government wanted students who excelled in their studies to begin college before graduating) where she studied trigonometry, cartography, English, and physics for one semester.

In May of 1943, Lois joined her family in Ohio where her father was stationed.  Lois got a job running a TWX (teletype) machine for the Air Force that summer.  In the fall, Lois attended Drake University and initially majored in math and science.  She then transitioned to fine arts to continue studying the cello, which she started playing in the fifth grade and graduated in 1947 with a bachelor of music education.

During Lois’ freshman year at Drake, she started taking flying lessons, obtaining her pilot’s license in May of 1944.  Lois was accepted into the WASP (Women’s Army Service Pilots), but the program was discontinued toward the end of WWII.

After graduation, Lois relocated back east.  She obtained a job as a counselor and music director at Camp Songadeewin at Willoughby Lake.  She continued in that role for the next two summers.  In 1948, Lois and two Songadeewin counselors, playing their bugles, were featured on the cover of Vermont Life.  The cover has become a magazine classic.

Through a connection made at Songadeewin, Lois was offered a job at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City.  She assisted with the music and children’s programs at the church. Lois also played in the training symphony in New York City.  After a year in the city, Lois moved to Windsor to take a position as the sole music educator for Windsor High School (WHS) and State Street School.  She taught choir, orchestra, and band, giving music lessons in all instruments.  Lois taught in Windsor from 1948 until her retirement in 1986.

Lois met her husband, Raymond, at Kelley Drug Store where Ray worked helping his aunt, Mary Kelley run the store.  Through friends who acted as matchmakers, Lois and Ray became an “item.”  Lois and Ray married on August 7, 1950, on her family’s Willoughby Lake property.  While working full time in the Windsor schools, Lois and Raymond had three children: Jeffrey, in 1953, Frederick (Ted), in 1954, and Sara, in 1958.  To this day, Lois’ family continues to spend summers at their Lake Willoughby property.

Tragically, Lois lost her beloved husband in 1979, two days after a devastating fire on their Hunt Hill Farm in Windsor.

Lois served as the choir director at the Windsor Congregational Church and the local Unitarian Church.  She played cello in the Vermont symphony from 1948 until the 1980s.  The same symphony played two Sousa marches while Lois conducted on August 31, 1997, during the dedication of the Lois F. White Theatre.

A hallmark of Lois’ life was her lasting friendships.  She regularly communicated with former students and continued to receive letters from those she inspired musically.  Jesse Lombard, an education colleague who taught home economics, and Ruth Ewald, an active neighbor and hiking and biking pal, were amongst Lois’ cherished friends, as were Carol Tienken of Medford, Masssachusetts, and Barbara (Bunny) Mechler of Southbury, Connecticut.  In fact, a cross-country ski trip on Hunt Road in Windsor with her friend Ruth inspired Lois and Raymond to buy the Hunt Farm property and move from their Ascutney Street home.  Much of the family still resides on Hunt Road today.

When Lois retired, she was honored in the alumni day parade, she was later inducted as an honorary WHS alumni. Her contributions to Windsor music education remain unrivaled.  Even after retirement, Lois remained active musically.  Lois began playing chamber music with Lili Paxon, Isabella Erickson, and Marion Whitcomb.  The quartet performed at neighbors’ homes, churches, and schools.  Not only did Lois inspire music in her students, but family members as well.  All of Lois’ granddaughters learned the piano under her expert guidance and reminders to practice!

Lois is survived by her children: Jeffrey (Debrah Delier), Frederick (Leslie Rhoad), and Sara (Douglas Johnson); grandchildren:  Kara (Mike) Commo, Benjamin (Katie) White, Heather (Corey) LeBlanc, Evelyn (Ian) Cummings, Annah (Jared) Brooks, and William White and his partner, Brendan Collins. Lois found great pleasure in her seven great-grandchildren: Camden and Levi Commo, Owen and Oliver White, Grayson LeBlanc, and Henry and Nora Brooks.

The family is planning a private memorial service at Lake Willoughby.

Condolences to Lois’ family may be made in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.

Contributions in Lois’ honor and memory can be made to the “Raymond White Scholarship Fund” care of Terry Allen, 499 Brook Road, Windsor, Vermont 05089. The scholarship will later be renamed the Raymond and Lois White Scholarship Fund, and be for aiding the education of future Windsor High School alumni.

 

 

Services

 

Cherie Williams

A graveside service for Cherie Williams who died February 21, 2021, will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 10, at the Craftsbury Village Cemetery with the Reverend Kim LaRose officiating.

 

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