Obituaries pg 8 4-2-15
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Frederick A. Nelson
PUTNAM — Frederick A. Nelson, 80, of Smithfield Ave., died March 24, 2015, in Day Kimball Hospital. He was the husband of Lucille J. (Beausoleil) Nelson for 55 years. Born in 1935 in E. Hampton, he was the son of the late William and Lillian (Moard) Nelson.
Mr. Nelson worked in maintenance department for Ellis Technical High School and for Putnam Herzl. He enjoyed traveling, bowling and watching the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. He was always very social. He will be missed by his two cats, Sasha and Sadie. “Mr. Book It” has booked his last journey.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his son, David Nelson (Patricia) of Putnam; his sisters, Jean Johnson of Putnam, and Joan Belanceau of Putnam; grandchildren, Jennifer Nelson, Michael Nelson, and Matthew Mayo. He was predeceased by his five brothers; Francis, John, Donald, Robert, and Ronald Nelson.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 28 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Donations: St. Mary Church. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Joyce C. Duval
DANIELSON — Joyce C. Duval, 84, of Mason Street, wife of Romeo Duval Jr., died March 26, 2015. She was born on March 8, 1931, daughter of the late Anathol and Winifred (Russell) Fortier. She grew up in Rogers and Dayville; graduated from Killingly High School in 1949 and on Aug. 6, 1955, married Romeo Duval Jr., who was the love of her life for 60 years. Together they raised a family in Wauregan and then retired to Naples, Fla.
Joyce worked for many years at American Standard in Wauregan and then at the Ritz-Carlton and LaPlaya Resort in Naples. She was a founding member of the Atwood Hose Fire Co, Ladies Auxiliary in Wauregan. She loved her dogs Wobbles and Teddy and her many cats. She really loved her home in Naples, FL and the time spent on the beaches in her retirement.
In addition to her husband Romeo, she leaves her daughters, Penny Tyler (Tim) of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Roxanne Trentlage (David) of Memphis, Tenn., Cynthia Cinami (Michael) of Woodstock; son Michael Duval (Lisa) of Holyoke, Mass.; five grandsons, Benjamin, Daniel, Micah, Caleb, and Levi; three granddaughters, Alyssia, Marina and Katherine; three great-grandchildren, Madison, Logan and Katie; her sister Theresa DeFazio of Westerly, R.I. She was predeceased by her sister Thelma Daley.
Calling hours are from 6 to 8 p.m. April 1 at Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson, at a later date. Donations: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908.
Raymond E. Heath
POMFRET CENTER — Raymond E. Heath, 85, of Pomfret Center died March 23, 2015, at Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam. Born July 25, 1929, in Craftsbury, Vt., Ray was a dairy farmer for most of his life.
He was the first selectman of the town of Pomfret for eight years and worked as the bus coordinator and head custodian at Pomfret Community School until he retired in 2005.
He leaves his wife Lurena (Tarr) Heath; sons Russell and C.A., and daughter-in-law Jennifer Heath, all of Pomfret; grandchildren Lesley Slater (Gerald), Heather Stoddard (Jeffrey), Adam Heath, Kyle Heath (Tasha), and Cameron Heath; great-grandchildren Mitchell, Matthew, Summer and Mason. He is predeceased by seven brothers and one sister
The funeral was March 27 at Smith & Walker Funeral Home 148 Grove St., Putnam. Donations: Pomfret Senior Center, 207 Mashamoquet Road, Pomfret, Center, CT 06259.
Ann H. Montigny
PUTNAM — Ann (LePine) Montigny, 71, of Sabin St., died March 27, 2015, in Davis Place in Danielson. She is the wife of 51 years to Robert H. Montigny. Born in 1943 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Napoleon and Beatrice (Champagne) LePine.
Mrs. Montigny worked as a machine operator for Danco and Linemaster Switch.
In addition to her husband, she leaves her son, Wayne Montigny (wife Charlene Blanchette) of E. Killingly; her daughter, Michelle Rickaby (Robert) of N. Grosvenordale; her sister, Nancy Shippee (Clifford) of Danielson; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her brother, Gerald LePine.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 30 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Donations: American Diabetes Association, 2080 Silas Dean Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Sr. Mary Roy, DHS
PUTNAM — Sr. Mary Roy, 87, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, died March 30, 2015, at the Holy Spirit Health Care Center where she had been in residence since August, 2010.
Born Mary Roy on July 2, 1928, in Pittsfield, Mass. she was the daughter of Roger and Amelia (Mercure) Roy. She entered religious life at Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam in 1944 and made her religious profession there on Aug. 16, 1948. She was then known as Sr. Mary Roger.
After her profession she was assigned to teach on the elementary level from 1948 to 1966 in Putnam, Gadsden, Ala., Waterbury, West Warren, Pittsfield, and in West Haven. She obtained a bachelor’s in education in 1966 and taught middle school in Plainville in 1967 and in 1969 she was assigned to teach at Cathedral High in Bridgeport.
Meanwhile she obtained a master’s in library science and in 1972 she worked part time at Annhurst College in the library. In 1980 she worked as librarian at Marianhill High School in Southbridge. In 1983 she returned to Alabama and taught at All Saints School in Anniston. In 1989 she did social ministry in Talladega, Ala., in Gadsden and in Anniston until 2010. She retired to the Provincial House in Putnam in March of 2010 and to Holy Spirit Health Care Center in 2010.
She leaves one brother, Roger, and his wife Helen of Raynham, Mass., and two nephews—Robert of Bridgewater, Mass., and Roger Jr. of Phoenix.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. April 1 in the Provincial House Chapel with burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Putnam. Donations: DHS Retirement Fund, Holy Spirit Provincial House, 72 Church St., Putnam, CT, 06260. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Priscilla Viens
EASTFORD — Priscilla (Spink) Viens, 66, of Eastford, died March 26, 2015, at home, following a brief battle with cancer.
She was born Nov. 9, 1948, daughter of Helen Spink of Eastford and the late Ellsworth Spink.
Priscilla was a 1966 graduate of Woodstock Academy and worked multiple jobs in the area.
She gained ultimate satisfaction in serving others and cherished her time as the local “Avon Lady” and her work as a waitress. She always took care to know her customers’ personal preferences and would even bring them homemade baked goods.
Priscilla worked at the Rite Aid Distribution Center for 17 years prior to her retirement.
She was a hard worker and was always willing to take new associates under her wing. She cherished the friendships she made at Rite Aid.
She enjoyed motorcycle riding and annual family trips to New Hampshire and the Woodstock Fair. Most of all, she enjoyed being in the company of friends and family wherever they were. Her selfless devotion was unwavering as she cared for her family and all around her.
She leaves her husband Henry Viens; her son Shawn Davis (Tiffany) of Southbridge; step children Ann Tonucci of Lisbon and her children, Daniel Viens of Virginia, Scott Viens and his children, Sandy Spires and her children, all of Florida; brothers Ellsworth Spink Jr., Peter Spink Sr. (Donna); sister-in-law Marie Dalton of Minnesota. She was predeceased by her infant son Sanford Davis, step daughter Mary Rita Viens, sister-in-law Peggy Spink and nephew Eli Spink.
A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. April 4 at the Eastford Congregational Church, Church Road, Eastford. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Mildred Kuszewski
DUDLEY — Mildred J. “Millie” (Antonson) Kuszewski, 90, died March 20, 2015, at Webster Manor.
She was born in Webster, the daughter of the late Andrew and Irene (Guerin) Antonson.
Her husband Theodore “Teddy” Kuszewski died in 1998.
Millie was the personnel secretary at the American Optical Company in Southbridge for more than 35 years.
In their retirement years, Ted and Millie traveled extensively.
She leaves two brothers, Andrew Antonson (Lorette) of Putnam, and Donald Antonson (Elaine) of Wilsonville; nephews Scott Antonson (Lisa) of N. Grosvenordale, Tom Kelly (Fran) of Callabash, N.C., Eddie Kelly (Luann) of Punta Gorda, Fla., Don Kelly (Deena) of Douglas, Mass.; nieces, Dawne Rivard-Woods of Spencer, Mass.,, Nancy Ledoux (Earl) of Quinebaug, and Maureen Kline (Matthew) of N. Brookfield, Mass.
She was predeceased by her sisters Edith Lazarowski and Dorothy Kelly.
A memorial service will be held in the funeral home at 11 a.m. April 11.
Being the thoughtful person that Millie was, she donated her body to the UMass Medical School Anatomical Gift Program.
She was a member of St. Andrew Bobola Church in Dudley.
Donations: Charity of donor’s choice.
Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Inane pg 9 4-2-15
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By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC column is dedicated to former Putnam High School football lineman and track star Quentin Frost. As a lineman he was a solid hole opener on the gridiron and strong shot-put performer for the Clippers of the ‘50s. Today Frost enjoys a little golf and plenty of down time in retirement. He celebrated a birthday on the Ides of March.
Once upon a time there was an athletic conference that featured a number of small high schools that competed very evenly for more than 50 years. The teams, which were evenly matched and enjoyed the camaraderie that goes along with good sportsmanship, were sometimes ridiculed by their bigger brothers, the large schools, as being second class.
As a matter of fact they were far from being country bumpkins.
Working together, the coaches, athletic directors and administrators cooperated in providing the athletes with conference tournaments in basketball, baseball, softball and many other sports that were the envy of conferences around the States.
The league was known as the Quinebaug Valley Conference.
One day two strangers, one from Putnam and another from Woodstock, stirred the pot, agitating for a move to join the big boys in the Eastern Connecticut Conference.
Although not warmly embraced by everyone involved in the conference and the fans in the community, they moved the teams, forming a conference featuring 18 teams, generally playing in Large, Medium and Small divisions. A move that since its inception, about 15 years ago, just hasn’t seemed to work, in plain English.
“The big boys are too overwhelming for their little brothers.” “How can we do things so the competition is fair to everyone?” “My school doesn’t fit into any format. We’re not big enough to play with the big boys but too big for the little guys.” These were the items and concerns that plagued the new group since the formation of the “super conference.”
Very seldom could the grown men and women responsible for putting the pieces together for the student-athletes come to a consensus.
Was it the size of the schools? The fairness of the schedule? The travel distance between schools? The safety of the athletes? Those were the items on the façade that were discussed, while in reality, little concern was paid to what was best for the student-athletes.
Finally, the conference, which on the surface was run by individuals who smiled in your face while sticking a dagger in your back, began to crumble. Woodstock Academy, which has always been an enigma, large school unable to compete in some of the major sports, decided to get out of the sandbox and explore options in another league, the NCCC.
This move prompted four other schools, East Lyme, Fitch, Ledyard and New London to form their own league, the SCAC.
This friendly foursome omitted one of its supposedly good friends Norwich Free Academy because the Wildcats boast a school population of more than 2000 students. Or was it simply because they just didn’t like the people who run the programs at that school?
While all this was going on some of the smaller schools, Wheeler, Tourtellotte and Griswold threatened to investigate moving to other conferences of similar size.
But fearing that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side” the decision makers froze in fright, horror and panic. They were unable to make a decision.
Remember the Quinebaug Valley Conference?
The league that was the envy of others for miles around, which included the likes of Griswold, Tourtellotte, Plainfield, Putnam and even Woodstock.
The league that was disrupted by two strangers who are nowhere to be found today.
For the benefit of the student-athletes, these schools, their administrators, athletic directors and coaches, should get together and act on behalf of the kids, who just want to compete on a level playing field.
What a unique situation these student-athletes could enjoy, if only some adults with common sense and a touch of humility could come together and finally say, “Let’s do it for the kids.” Bury the hatchet and not in each other’s heads.
Where are today’s men and women like, Chuck Haney, Dottie Morrill, Dave Vitale, Glenn Anderson, George Dropo, John Schiffner and Bob Demars, the founding fathers and administrators of the successful Quinebaug Valley Conference?
If you’re out there step forward and identify yourselves, for the sake of the student-athlete.
PSA Grad Shines on TV
College basketball junkies are in their glory as March Madness is providing non-stop action with its annual event that creates a frenzy every year leading up to the Final Four.
Early round games always provide conversation around the water cooler with its buzzer beaters and upsets.
The University of Dayton, which features former Putnam Science Academy standout Scoochie Smith, was featured on television despite being a #11 seed. The Flyers kept their East Coast faithful up beyond 1 a.m. as they snuck by Boise State 56-55 in a First Round game played in the friendly confines of the Dayton Arena.
UD then played David versus Goliath, when it took down heavily favored and #6 seed Providence College 66-53, much to the chagrin of local Friar faithful. The Flyers bubble finally burst but not without a fight as coach Archie Miller’s team lost in the Third Round, 72-66 to the University of Oklahoma.
Smith acquitted himself well, scoring in double figures in all three games, including a team high 16 points in the final game.
For those who remember him from his days on the Maple Street campus, there were plenty of smiles provided by Scoochie despite the sometimes late hours and weary mornings.
Cross-Country Touring
If you haven’t seen Dot Burnworth of the Sawmill Pottery lately it’s because she’s been away touring the country. Burnworth, along with YMCA Camp Woodstock, Summer Camp Director Hannah Richardson, have been seeing the sights of the U.S. in a very non-traditional fashion.
Burnworth and Richardson recently completed an approximately three-month bicycle trip that started when they dipped their wheels in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, Calif. and ended when their wheels touched the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine, Fla.
The pair bicycled the more than 3000 miles without any support group or any specific route or time table.
According to a close friend, Tony Gronski, director of Camp Woodstock, the pair did encounter some obstacles along the way but by some miraculous manner were always assisted by generous individuals or organizations, who were willing to provide shelter, repair assistance or even a meal.
The bicyclists entitled their journey “Beaches, Bikinis and Bibles” and relied heavily on each other for support, as well as moral support from local folks with whom they maintained contact throughout the cross-country trek. Any funds the pair raised will be donated to assist kids who wish to attend summer camp.
Stop into Sawmill Pottery and congratulate Burnworth if you have the opportunity. It may not even be too late to provide some post-ride financial support.
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Don’t major in minor things.
(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
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Marianapolis pg 10 4-2-15
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THOMPSON — Marianapolis Preparatory School’s quarter three honor roll includes:
Head of School
Elizabeth Acquaah-Harrison, Charlton, MA; Frances Adams, Woodstock, CT; William Aldenberg, Sturbridge, MA; Sage Auger, Danielson, CT; Margaret Azu, Oxford, MA; Ryan Barishian, Harmony, RI; Ryan Baronowski, Thompson, CT; Dalton Bodreau, Oxford, MA; Sarah Cavar, Brooklyn, CT; Aidan Cleary, Thompson, CT; Abby Cook, Thompson, CT; William Davey, Oxford, MA; Emma Dellea, Oxford, MA; Jordan Desaulnier, Dayville, CT; Kaitlyn Dodos, Charlton, MA; Taylor Downing, Brooklyn, CT; Suzanne Ellis, Webster, MA; Cooper Everson, Putnam, CT; Linyuan Feng, Ninghai, China; Simone Fournier, Putnam, CT; Zhangyuan Gao, Hangzhou, China; Samantha Gisleson, Thompson, CT; Gwyneth Gould, Charlton, MA; Olivia Gould, Charlton, MA; Delia Hannon, Putnam, CT; Shauna Harney, Webster, MA; Kathryn Hauver, Shrewsbury, MA; Tianshu He, Beijing, China; Emily Hebert, Woodstock, CT; Reed Hopkins, Putnam, CT; Zeliang Hu, Hangzhou, China; Zhepeng Huang, Hangzhou, China; Alexandra Kiritsy, Auburn, MA; William LaFiandra, Woodstock, CT; Sage Latour, Webster, MA; Katherine LeBlanc, Oxford, MA; Yuqian Lei, Chongqing, China; Hannah Listerud, Uxbridge, MA; Linnea Listro, Woodstock, CT; Fangzhou Liu, Beijing, China; Francesca Lupini, Chepachet, RI; Erin Miller, Webster, MA; Nicholas Niemiec, Brooklyn, CT; Thomas Nurse, Brooklyn, CT; Owen O’Connell, Worcester, MA; Bridget O’Leary, Rochdale, MA; Jenna Rainville, Plainfield, CT; Emma Sarantopoulos, Pomfret Center, CT; Yuzhou Shao, Hangzhou, China; Chengtao Song, Qingdao, China; Celina Stansky, Douglas, MA; Taylor Strong, Webster, MA; Janel Syriac, Woodstock, CT; Hung-Yu Ting, Taipei, Taiwan; Sarah Uwazany, Woodstock, CT; Elisabeth Villa, Auburn, MA; Mimi Vo, Worcester, MA; Myles Wagner, Dudley, MA; Mary Watkins, Sterling, MA; Chi-Ni Wu, Shanghai, China; Mingjia Xi, Beijing, China; Jiarui Zhang, Beijing, China; Ziyun Zhang, Beijing, China.
Dean’s List
Sophie Achilles, Princeton, MA; Nicole Anderson, Kittery Point, ME; Matthew Bellerose, Putnam, CT; Spencer Bodreau, Oxford, MA; Kayla Bolduc, Leicester, MA; Jordan Buell, Oxford, MA; Alessandra Caparso, Worcester, MA; Alyssa Caputo, Worcester, MA; Tyler Carlson, Charlton, MA; Kara Casavant, Worcester, MA; Xuanxuan Chen, Beijing, China; Joel Cheney, Woodstock, CT; Sofia Chokshi, Pomfret, CT; Riley Collette, Webster, MA; Jake Collins, Shrewsbury, MA; Meghan Darigan, Hampton, CT; Isabella DiNoia, Thompson, CT; Xixi Du, Beijing, China; Ava Dussault, Sutton, MA; Gordon Ellis, Webster, MA; Samantha Ellis, Grafton, MA; Kathryn Fontaine, Charlton, MA; Patrick Gagnon, Thompson, CT; Sabrina Godin, Glendale, RI; Colette Guarnieri, Webster, MA; Xintong Han, Suqian, China; Tianheng Han, Shanghai, China; Alyssa Harvey, Danielson, CT; Harry Holte, Sprague, CT; Colin Hourihan, Whitinsville, MA; Zheming Hu, Jiangxi, China; Chance Jackson, Dudley, MA; Alyssa Jalbert, Oxford, MA; Julia Jones, N. Grosvenordale, CT; Michaela Kirby, Sutton, MA; Shuang Kong, Beijing, China; Reanna Kuzdzal, Webster, MA; Artur Lachcik, Dudley, MA; Meghan Lauze, Rutland, MA; Drinda Lee, Charlton, MA; Xiaohua Li, Dongcheng, China; Kyle Longo, Danielson, CT; Katie Lorkiewicz, Webster, MA; Tomasz Mamro, Webster, MA; McKenna Moors, Uxbridge, MA; Jake Mueller, Woodstock, CT; Alex Murphy, N. Grosvenordale, CT; George Murphy, N. Grosvenordale, CT; Delainey O’Connor, Oxford, MA; Taylor Pacheco, Smithfield, RI; Cory Pacheco, Smithfield, RI; Ayana Patel, Brooklyn, CT; Eliska Popova, Pardubice, Czech Republic; Alexis Puhlick, Webster, MA; Deanna Rapp, Oxford, MA; Grace Rett, Uxbridge, MA; Megan Romprey, Thompson, CT; Matthew Sabacinski, Webster, MA; Yifei Shen, Tianjin, China; Yijun Shen, Taiyuan, China; Madison Snyder, Charlton, MA; Sarah Spiker, Brooklyn, CT; Cal Stawiecki, Thompson, CT; Zimou Sun, ShiqiZhongshan, China; Megan Tarantino, Millbury, MA; Marie Thibodeau, Woodstock, CT; Lydia Tourtellotte, Putnam, CT; Catherine Villa, Auburn, MA; Emma Willard, Thompson, CT; Jialu Xu, Xinzhou City, China; Hao Xu, Beijing, China; Hannah Yash, Webster, MA; Nan Zhou, Shanghai, China.
Honor Roll
Athena Abdien, Paxton, MA; Christian Adams, Woodstock, CT; Nicholas Alessandro, Pomfret Center, CT; Mariah Aubin, North Grosvenordale, CT; Ryan Bernstein, Bronx, NY; Shealyn Biron, Pascoag, RI; Madison Bodreau, Quinebaug, CT; Emma Boisvert, Thompson, CT; Christopher Bouchard, Charlton, MA; Denise Brictson Valdez, Merida, Mexico; Jiarong Cai, Ningbo, China; Yidi Chen, Beijing, China; Andrew Collari, Leicester, MA; Nicole Day, North Scituate, RI; Christina Doherty, Charlton, MA; Garrett Downs, Brooklyn, CT; Kortney Drew, Thompson, CT; Timothy Edwards, Plainfield, CT; Joshua Eilerman, Thompson, CT; Eric Fontaine, Webster, MA; Rose Guarnieri, Webster, MA; Ryan Hourihan, Whitinsville, MA; Gabrielle Houssan, Millbury, MA; Yixin Huang, Chongqing, China; Andrew Jalbert, Oxford, MA; Peter Karapanos, Webster, MA; Ian Kelly, Grafton, MA; Matthew Kibaru, Webster, MA; Justin Kunkel, Webster, MA; Margaret LaFontaine, Sutton, MA; Troy LaFramboise, Webster, MA; Zackary LaRoche, Stafford Springs, CT; Dallas Lavallee, North Grosvenordale, CT; Emily Loftus, Grafton, MA; Christopher Lundt, Woodstock, CT; Caroline Lutz, Charlton, MA; Shannon McMaugh, Foster, RI; Alisha Mitchell, Cranston, RI; Huyen Phan, HoChiMinh, Vietnam; Phoebe Reagan, Pomfret Center, CT; Doreen Reagan, Pomfret Center, CT; Chelsey Reynolds, Oxford, MA; Timothy Saucier, Charlton, MA; Emily Sheridan, Smithfield, RI; Karim Shushubaev, Suvorova, Russia; Kellyn Snow, Webster, MA; Alexis Solomon, Worcester, MA; Nathan Whittenburg, Eastford, CT; Gabrielle Woodruff, Southbridge, MA; Zhaoqi Yu, Beijing, China; Chuze Zhang, Beijing, China; Meng Zhang, LiaoNing, China; Yujing Zhang, Beijing, China; YuJin Zhao, Zhongtingyuan, China.
Pomfret pg 10 4-2-15
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POMFRET — The Pomfret School Honor Roll for the 2014-2015 Winter Term includes:
Madison Dean of Woodstock, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2016
Gillian Horst of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2018
Olivia Kremer of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2017
Duun O’Hara of Woodstock, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2018
Rhone O’Hara of Woodstock, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2016
Cristiano Rovero of North Grosvenordale, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2016
Kayta Tsemo of Pomfret, a member of the Pomfret School class of 2018