Boguszewski pg 7 7-18-13
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Boguszewski
graduates
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. --- Adam Boguszewski of Putnam graduated in May 2013 from Hofstra University with a bachelor's in history .
He was among more than 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students who celebrated completing their studies at commencement ceremonies in the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Obituaries pg 8 7-18-13
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George Davis Jr.
ASHFORD — George E. Davis Jr., 73 of Ashford, unexpectedly went to be with the Lord July 7, 2013, at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. He was the husband of Jeannette (Picard) Davis. She died June 7, 2005.
He was born Sept. 29, 1939, in Putnam, son of the late George E. and Evelyn (Basto) Davis.
He attended Woodstock Academy and graduated from HH Ellis Technical School in 1960 as a tool and die maker. He was employed at A & M Tool and Die Co. in Southbridge. He enjoyed woodworking, going to antique car shows and doing genealogy research. He was a member of the Congregational Church of Eastford. He participated in church mission trips, traveling to Romania and Venezuela.
He leaves two daughters: Christine Guile of Waterbury and Lisa Whiteway (Phil) of Ellington; six grandchildren: Jeremy Guile; Margaret Guile; Michael Bentley; Brian (Danielle) Bentley; Kyle Bentley; Katelynn Davis; Stephanie Whiteway; two great-grandchildren, Ariana Paternostro and Mia Paternostro; three sisters, C. Sandra Martin of Cleveland, Tenn.; twins, Jennifer (Philip) Simms of Campbell Hall, N.Y., and Johanna (James) Wenger of S. Woodstock.
A Memorial Service was July 11 at the Smith & Walker Funeral Home 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery later. Donations: Congregational Church of Eastford, 8 Church Road, Eastford, CT 06242; or to the Ashford Volunteer Fire Department, PO Box 1, Ashford, CT 06278.
Beausoleil Service
PUTNAM — A Memorial Service for Robert “Rosie” Beausoleil will be held at 10 a.m. July 20 at St. Mary Church of the Visitation. Following the graveside service, the family would like to invite anyone who would like to celebrate his life to join them at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the Laurel House, 8 Tracy Road, Dayville. If anyone has photos they would like to share, please scan and e-mail to me: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you want to bring them to the Laurel House, that’s OK, too, but please be sure and put your name on the back so that they can be returned to you.
Jeffrey F. Keehner
CENTRAL VILLAGE — Jeffrey Francis Keehner, 47, of Central Village, died unexpectedly July 10, 2013, at home.
He was born Sept. 20, 1965, in NYC, son of Kathleen (McVay) Reynolds and the late Frederick Keehner.
He made his home in Danielson and Brooklyn area most of his life. He was a graduate of Killingly High School. He worked for Tennent Tree Service for several years. He loved fishing and football, and was an avid fan of the NY Giants. He was involved with the Green Valley Blackhawks Football Team with the New England Football League for several years.
He leaves his mother Kathleen, his children: Kendra and Austin Keehner, siblings: Fred Keehner; Virginia Bradley; Steve Reynolds; Stephanie Reynolds; Timothy Reynolds.
A Memorial Service will be at 10 a.m. July 20 in St. James Church, 12 Franklin St., Danielson. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Norman Therrien,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — Norman Ulde Therrien, 88, of Putnam, died July 12, 2013, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. He was the husband of Doris (Dumouchel) Therrien, They were married June 14, 1947, in Sacred Heart Church in Webster. She died Dec. 6, 2004. He was born Jan. 6, 1925, in Thompson, son of Ulde and Rose (Boucher) Therrien.
Norman was a veteran of WWII serving with the U.S. Army Company C, 315th Engineer Battalion where he was awarded two Purple Hearts. He served in the European Theatre and arrived in France shortly after D-Day. He was honorably discharged Dec. 8, 1945. He worked for Sysco as a saleman for several years, retiring in 1985. He had worked for other food service companies including a milkman for Deary Brothers Dairy. Norman enjoyed traveling with his wife throughout the U.S. and abroad. After retiring he and his wife spent many years in Ft. Myers, Fla., where they relaxed and played golf. Norman returned to Putnam after his wife’s death. He was a communicant of St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam. He always had a big smile and a great sense of humor; he could always make friends or strike up a conversation with anyone he met.
He leaves his children Kathleen Raymond (Richard) of Putnam; Elaine Hall (James) of S. Windsor; Michael Therrien of Putnam; his sister Muriel St. Hilaire of Putnam; grandchildren: Jeffrey, Neil, Brian, Adam, Jessica, Melanie, and 10 great-grandchildren.
A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial was July 16 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam with burial with military honors in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Matulaitis, 10 Thurber Road, Putnam, CT. 06260. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St.
Ronald E. Aldridge
COOPER CITY, Fla. — Ronald E. Aldridge died June 24, 2013, at home.
Ron was born on Feb. 29, 1936, in Coffee County, Georgia, and was the youngest of eight children born to Willie and Mary (Johnson) Aldridge. Ron grew up in rural Georgia and started working at age 8 picking cotton for a penny per pound then worked in the tobacco fields at 10. Ron lost his hearing at 9. Becoming deaf did not stop him from anything. He learned to read lips and never used formal sign language. Ron played basketball for Patterson High School in Pierce County, Georgia. He moved to south Florida in his early 20’s where he worked as a bookkeeper in the banking and mortgage industries.
Ron leaves his wife of 56 years Patricia Gagnon Aldridge of Cooper City; daughter Ronna Lynn Aldridge-Goldbach, son in law Scott Goldbach, grandson Ryan of Putnam; 10 sisters in law and two brothers in law. He was predeceased by his parents, three sisters and four brothers. There will be a gathering in celebration of Ron’s life to be announced at a later date. Donations: American Cancer Society.
Delivery pg 7 7-18-13
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Delivery
Organizations working together to support local agencies. Lysa Molnar, representing the Putnam Elks and the Professional Insurance Agents ,along with Rachael Johnston from the Putnam Rotary Club deliver more than 500 books and snack products to TEEG for their Summer Program, all through the generosity of these organizations as well as that of the Thompson Lions. Included in this donation was 100 jars of all-natural jelly donated by Woodstock Hill Preserves to be used for TEEG's lunch program. Missing from photo - Ryan Lajoie from Thompson Lions. Courtesy photo.
Jacob pg 9 7-18-13
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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC sporty shout out is sent along to Walter Crabtree. Once a vaunted standout golfer at Putnam High School, today he confines his links activity to friendly rounds at Quinnatisset Country Club with his close acquaintances. Crabtree also celebrates another candle on the cake on July 20. Happy Birthday. Walt.
It pays to be a good student and at the same time to enjoy athletics in high school. Jacob Roy, a 2013 graduate of Tourtellotte Memorial High School and the Tigers number two-man on the golf team, was recently rewarded for his work in the classroom and on the links. Roy was the recipient of one of the 12 Connecticut State Golf Association’s annual scholarships. The monetary award of $2500 is also renewable for the next three years.
Roy, who will attend Nichols College in Dudley in September, is planning to study finance and economics with the goal of working on Wall St. in the future. During the summer months, Roy can be spotted at the Raceway Golf Course in Thompson where he works for club pro David Hall. Roy earned his spurs at Thompson by helping out around the course, where he was recognized by Hall and offered the opportunity to work in the pro shop.
While at Tourtellotte, Roy played varsity soccer and golf for four years. A High Honor student, at graduation he was the recipient of the Thompson Education Association, Thompson Lions Club and Faucher Family scholarships.
Roy is the son of Micci Roy, a teacher at Thompson elementary school and a familiar face around the Courthouse Bar & Grille in Putnam where she serves in various capacities on a part time basis. His brother Patrick Roy is a graduate of Johnson & Wales and is employed as a staff accountant at United Natural Foods Inc. at its Providence headquarters.
Bardier Redux…
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Brian Bardier of Putnam had his name frequently plastered across local sports sections reporting on his exploits on local golf links. Whether it was the Quinnatisset Country Club championships, the Walter Cosgrove Tournament in Worcester, the Norwich Invitational or various Connecticut amateur events, Bardier’s name was often associated with the winner’s circle or the top three finishers.
While catching up on some recent golf news, RPC ran across a report that had slipped by our wandering eyes earlier in the golf season. In May, Bardier and his longtime playing partner David Jones of Norwich combined to capture the Connecticut State Golf Association Two-Man Championship at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme. The pair fired an even par 142 (69-73) to win the event by a comfortable four strokes.
Further investigation on Bardier uncovered the fact that he’s currently spotted regularly at Connecticut National Golf Club. Rumor has it that his game is back.
Looking Back On A Relaxing Two Weeks…
They say baseball is a little boy’s game played by grown men. It’s also true that many aspects of baseball can be enjoyed by grown men even if they aren’t directly involved on the field.
On Tuesday, July 9 we had the opportunity to revisit one of our favorite places on the planet, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. The trip to the national shrine always serves as a fountain of youth, as strolling past Abner Doubleday Field and walking through the sacred halls brings back memories of days when playing baseball on the playground or schoolyard from dawn to dusk just wasn’t enough for a growing boy.
Whenever we walk through the Hall there are certain items of local flavor that we seek out. It’s always nostalgic to locate the scorebook and other memorabilia related to the longest game in professional baseball history, which was played in nearby Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Looking at the scorebook and seeing the name of Roger LaFrancois scratched in as a pinch hitter for his friend Rich Gedman is always special. Amazingly, LaFrancois caught an excruciating 26 innings in that contest.
Around the corner from the Pawtucket exhibit are a baseball and bat belonging to the man tabbed, “The Moose From Moosup” Walter Dropo. His memorabilia is there for his feat of getting 12 hits in 12 consecutive times at bat, a Major League record that remains intact more than 60 years later.
Finally, entering the Great Hall, where the game’s greatest players are enshrined, the life size sculptures of the immortal Babe Ruth and the late, great Ted Williams stand tall and as realistic as if the two sluggers were still alive and playing. These statues, the work of world-renowned sculptor Armand Lamontagne, bring home the fact that Lamontagne is a resident of nearby Scituate, Rhode Island just a short hop over the line from Connecticut on Route 101.
So no matter how many times the trek is made to Cooperstown, it’s always like the first time. Adding to the pleasure of the tip is the serenity and tranquility of the community of Cooperstown, as well as the bucolic setting through the winding back roads of upstate New York. Take the trip if you haven’t, it’s well worth the time.
The icing on the cake was the continuation of the sojourn to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where we had the opportunity to enjoy a Blue Jays game against the Minnesota Twins. Thanks to Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker of East Lyme, we had a perfect view of the game and the Rogers Centre from seats behind home plate. It was also an opportunity to see Blue Jays left fielder Rajai Davis of Norwich in action.
Baseball is truly a game that brings out the little boy, if not in everyone, at least in RPC.
From The Annals of Putnam Sports History…
August 1915: Putnam took two out of three games from the Southbridge A.O. Team. The teams drew a total of 9000 fans in the three-game set. Two of the contests were played in Southbridge. (Information contributed by Willie Zamagni)
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: “Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” Henry David Thoreau
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