G. ‘Jerry’ Lavallee,

WWII vet

WEBSTER — Gerard “Jerry” A. Lavallee, 96, formerly of N. Grosvenordale, died Aug. 28, 2014 in Brookside Nursing Home, Webster. He was the husband of Florette (Coderre) Lavallee of 67 years.  

Born on June 27, 1918, he was the son of Napolian and Alice (Pariseau) Lavallee and grew up in Webster, before volunteering for the Army and serving in N. Africa, Italy, and N. Ireland as a lineman during WWII. He came home and met his wife of 67 years Florette Coderre. He enjoyed being with family, cooking, gardening, and traveling. 

He worked as a carpenter for Gerard Morin Construction Co., as a maintenance man for Jens Risom Design and Superwinch Co., and also ran a home business sharpening saws. 

In addition to his wife Florette, he leaves his sons; Dennis Lavallee (Sherry) and Paul Lavallee (Leslie); grandchildren, Jeremy and Derek Lavallee; and a sister, Alice Peters. He is predeceased by his brother, Lawrence Lavallee and sister, Jean Koslowski. 

The Mass of Christian Burial is at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial with military honors in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: St. Joseph Church or Kindred at Home Hospice, 130 Rumford Ave. Suite 211, Auburndale, MA 02466.  Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.

 

Dane M. Picard

N. GROSVENORDALE —  Dane M. Picard, 23, of Marcy Lane died Aug. 26, 2014, in Day Kimball Hospital.  Born in 1991 in Putnam, he is the son of Michael L. Picard of N. Grosvenordale and Monique A. (Santerre) Picard of Putnam.

Dane graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School and the United States Coast Guard TRACEN in 2009.  He worked as a System Tech for Charter Communications. He was a member of the Valley Springs Sportsman Club and the N.R.A. He was a volunteer for the East Thompson Fire Department, and a former Community Fire Department volunteer. Dane loved the great outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, boating, shooting and scuba diving.

Dane had a beautiful spirit. He loved and embraced life, people, and his country to the very fullest.  Dane and his brother Cody were preparing for and looking forward to becoming Connecticut State Troopers together.

In addition to his parents, he leaves his brother, Cody M. Picard of N. Grosvenordale; girlfriend Emily Mackenzie of N. Grosvenordale; maternal grandparents, Maurice G. and Arlene M. Santerre of N. Grosvenordale; paternal grandmother, Ann T. Picard of Dayville. 

The Mass of Christian Burial was Sept. 1 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery.  Donations: Valley Springs Youth Activities, 65 Valley Rd. N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.

 

Brian Beeler 

NEW LONDON — Brian Joseph Beeler, 45, of New London died Aug. 23, 2014.   

Brian was born May 30, 1969, son of Bradley J. Beeler and the late Mary M. Beeler, of Pomfret Center.

He leaves his wife Lillian Otero Beeler; daughter Lillian Rosario; sisters Amy M. Beeler of Pomfret Center, Melissa S. Beeler of Bolton, Elizabeth R. Beeler of Southbridge; niece and goddaughter Emily T. Cioffari of Bolton; aunts and uncles, John McLaughlin of Pomfret, Cho Golden of Pomfret, Janice Beeler of Berwick, Maine, James and Barbara Beeler of Rocky Hill, James and Dodie Tuttle of Vernon.

A Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 29 at Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial in South Cemetery, Pomfret. Donations: Connecticut Humane Society, 701 Russell Road, Newington, CT 06111. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Doris L. Robillard

N. GROSVENORDALE — Doris (Tellier) Robillard, 85, of Riverside Drive, died Aug. 27, 2014, in Regency Heights of Danielson.  She was the wife of the late Raymond M. Robillard.  Born in 1929 in Thompson, she was the daughter of the late Adolph and Marie Rose (Dubeau) Tellier.

Mrs. Robillard worked as a teacher’s aide for Tourtellotte Memorial High School. She also worked for Belding Corticelli, Ethan Allen, and The Webster Times. She enjoyed going to the Casino and was a fan of the New England Patriots. 

She leaves her son, Michael J. Robillard of N. Grosvenordale; her daughter Susan-Raye Eklund of N. Grosvenordale; her grandchildren, John Eklund of N. Grosvenordale, and Kristen L. Robillard of Southbridge; nieces, Joyce Sledzick of Dudley and Linda Manso of N. Grosvenordale.  She was the sister of the late Theresa Vaillant, Jeannette Tellier, Anita Cournoyer and Evelyn Galinski and the aunt of the late Nancy Oleszewski.

The Mass of Christian Burial was Sept. 2 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: Christopher Heights Activity Fund, 338 Thompson Rd., Webster, MA 01570. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.

 

Jannette Sullivan

E. THOMPSON — Jannette Sullivan, of East Thompson, died Aug. 25, 2014, at Westview Healthcare in Dayville.  She was born on April 7, 1923, in East Hampton to John F. and Dorthea (Charlesson) Anderson.

She attended the East Hampton school systems, moving to Cromwell with her family as teenager. She worked for several years at the W. A. Pierson Greenhouses & Nursery in Cromwell, raising and cultivating orchids. Wallace and Andy Pierson named one of their cymbidium Orchids, “The Jannette Anderson,” in honor and recognition of her care and success in growing these beautiful flowers.  She was an avid swimmer and loved music and dance. She had a passion for classic movies with an uncanny ability to identify every character in every movie.  

Those who loved Jannette will remember her wonderful baking abilities that included Swedish coffee cake, homemade roles and her famous scones. She had a deep love of cats and dogs and never turned away one of the many stray animals that arrived at her doorstep. Her passion for playing card games, like pitch, were only rivaled by her unending ability to win each hand. 

She married Norman T. “Sully” Sullivan and they moved to East Thompson, buying their homestead on Quaddick Town Farm Road. There were many a family-filled Memorial Day gatherings, packing the field with friends and relatives playing softball and eating Sully’s famous steamers.  Mrs. Sullivan was a Thompson Brownie leader for several years and also worked with the Thompson Public Health Nurses, scheduling appointments and providing transportation to clinics.  Norman “Sully” Sullivan died in 1983. Mrs. Sullivan remained at their home until her declining health required care at Westview.

She leaves her daughter, Donna Rossi (Enzo) of Buffalo, Wy.; her stepdaughter, Maureen Thomasen of Grand Junction, Colo.; her granddaughters: Ellen Reilly (Tim) of Rockford, Ill.., and Beth K. Fisher of Seymour, four grandsons: Vaughn Modeen (Sue) of E. Hartford, Christopher Modeen of Middletown, Jaime Thomasen of Manchester, and William Thomason of Grand Junction; three great-grandchildren Grace and Sullivan Reilly of Rockford, and Kyle Modeen of E. Hartford.  She was predeceased by her parents, sister Leona Smigel and brother Warren Anderson.

The Funeral Service was Aug. 30 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, with burial in E. Thompson Cemetery

 

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s sporty RPC shoutout is sent along to Dick Bianchi.  Most people don’t realize that Bianchi’s given first name is Edward.  During his heyday in high school, Bianchi was a stalwart on the offensive and defensive line for the Putnam Clippers football team.  Bianchi blew out another candle on the cake on Tuesday, September 2.

In a brief announcement from the office of Putnam Superintendent of Schools William Hull it was revealed that the Clippers have a new Director of Athletics following the resignation in June of the previous AD Rick Konieczni.

Putnam stayed within its system with the naming of Molly Panteleakos from what was described as a “very strong pool of candidates for the position.”  Panteleakos has been a member of the Putnam faculty since 2012, serving as a Physical Education teacher at Putnam High School.

“Mrs. Panteleakos will be an advocate for the high school, our coaches, but most of all, for our students,” said Superintendent Hull.

Mrs. Panteleakos, who has earned a reputation as a hard working, dedicated professional during her brief tenure at Putnam High School, has a bachelor’s from Eastern Connecticut State University in physical and health education.  She has a master’s in educational technology, also from ECSU.

Mrs. Panteleakos assumed her new position with the start of the 2014-2015 school year. 

Going The Distance In Memory

 of Grandma

Woodstock resident Cary Bentley, who recently completed the excruciating Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hill Climb in New Hampshire, is off on his next physical challenge and he’s hoping that his effort catches on with local residents.  On Sunday, November 2 Bentley will join tennis professional Caroline Wozniacki and thousands of other runners in the New York Marathon.

Bentley will be running the marathon on behalf of the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.  His run is dedicated to the memory of his late grandmother Ruby Bentley who died after struggling with the dreaded disease.  The New York City Marathon has been a personal goal of Bentley’s for some time.  He’ll be part of the “Athletes To End Alzheimer’s” team.

“We as a family saw firsthand the impact this devastating disease had on my grandmother’s daily life as she battled the disease until the end.  It was truly heart breaking, and words can’t describe what Alzheimer’s took from her,’ said Bentley in an e-mail.

“Running for the Alzheimer’s team is an opportunity to continue to spread the word.  Alzheimer’s disease is greater than one person or family.  More than five million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease,” he stated in the e-mail.

Bentley has set a goal of $3,500 to assist the Alzheimer’s Association in its fight to end this devastating disease.  He’s looking for support in his quest to reach his financial goal.  Any donation is 100% tax deductible and can be made on his personal fund-raising page at http://act.alz.org/goto/carybentley-nycm14.  Those individuals who prefer can mail a check payable to “Alzheimer’s Association,” including the event information (2014 NYC Marathon – New York, NY & Mr. Cary Bentley) on the check.  Checks should be mailed to Alzheimer’s Association, New York City Chapter, 360 Lexington Ave. – 4th Floor, New York, NY 10017.

Following The Machnicki Tour

Putnam resident Will Machnicki, who plays golf out of Mohegan Sun Country Club at Pautipaug, has been busy on the links this summer.  In July he played in the annual Connecticut Father & Son Tournament and most recently competed in the Connecticut Mid-Amateur.

On Thursday, September 4 Machnicki will once again be in competition representing the Mohegan Sun CC at the CSGA’s 74th Four-Ball Championship.  He’ll be representing his home course with fellow golfers Chris Grieder and Frank Villazante.  The Four-Ball is being held this year at The Course at Yale.            

The Ageless Boys of Summer

One of the best kept baseball secrets is the Rhode Island & Massachusetts Senior Baseball League, which competes at local sites throughout the Ocean State and the Bay State.  The league has two divisions, the Over 50 and Over 58, composed of former high school, college, minor league and major league players.

Pomfret’s John Smutnick, who during the winter in Florida has participated in the Roy Hobbs World Series, is active in both divisions.  He pitches and plays shortstop for the EWG Waves in the Over 50 Division and for the Raves in the Over 58 Division.  One of Smutnick’s teammates is former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, who continues to toil on the mound and at first base when not on the hill.

“The guys who play on these teams are diehard baseball men, who just don’t want to give up the game.  Personally, I play because of my love of the game,” said Smutnick.

Mike Fortin and Jim Dexter of Danielson are members of the Marlins.  Believe it or not, Fortin is a catcher, while Dexter pitches and plays third base.

From The Where Are 

They Now Files

Remember Denny Morrison the name?  The once great running back and standout baseball player of the Killingly High School Redmen is still in the area. During his days on the gridiron for Killingly he was literally unstoppable as a runner.  He was also one of the top players on the former Deary Bros. softball team that dominated area leagues.  Morrison currently holds a middle management position at the Rite Aid plant in Dayville.  He sends along best wishes to all his former teammates and friendly opponents.

Wedding Bells…

Former Putnam resident Jillian D’Elia and Donnie Marshall, the former University of Connecticut basketball standout, recently celebrated their lives by saying, “I do.”  The destination wedding took place in the Virgin Islands and was attended by the groom’s mother Bobbi Marshall and the bride’s parents Barney and Sara Seney.  Also on hand was the bride’s sister Jennifer D’Elia, her aunt Lois Pray, as well as the couple’s children Savannah and Malia.

Jillian is a marketing executive with United Natural Foods Inc.  Her husband, who had a brief career in the National Basketball Association, is a member of the broadcast team for the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Energy is contagious…Exercise regularly, at least five times a week, 40 minutes a day.

(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

The recent death of Deborah “Deb’ Pratt went almost unnoticed with the exception of the sorrow shared by her family and very close friends.  Pratt who was a dedicated employee of the Putnam School District died Aug. 21, 2014.

Deb Pratt was what is normally described as a person who is a great behind the scenes individual.  Not one to look for accolades, Pratt was a faithful servant in every capacity she was asked to undertake while employed at Putnam High School or in the volunteer organizations in which she was a member.

At Putnam High School, Pratt was best known for her work as an assistant to the Director of Athletics position.  Anyone who attended Clipper men’s or women’s basketball games of football contests would always be greeted with a smile and friendly hello by Pratt.  She was the person responsible for oversight at all games, a job she took very seriously.

During her tenure in the Putnam High School athletic office, Pratt worked for a number of Athletic Directors and was cherished by each.  She started when she was asked to assist Bob Demars.  Then she worked for AD’s Chris Coderre, Pat Devine and most recently for Rick Konieczni.

“Deb Pratt was a lady who was liked by everyone who met her.  She treated everyone equally in all that she did.  She was a dedicated worker who toiled long hours to ensure that the student athletes at Putnam were well cared for.  She always did more than what was asked of her.  Her death leaves a big void in the Clipper athletic department,” said former Putnam Athletic Director Chris Coderre.

In recent years Pratt was an active member of the Putnam Lions Club and the Woodstock Volunteer Fire Department.  She enjoyed helping others.  Volunteerism was a niche that helped her fill that part of her life.  She is survived by a son, Joshua Pratt of Woodstock.

Individuals who wish to honor Pratt’s life are encouraged to support the Deborah L. Pratt Scholarship Fund, c/o Putnam High School, 152 Woodstock Ave., Putnam, CT 06260.