- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Linda A. St Jean
WOODSTOCK VALLEY — Linda A. St. Jean, 60, of Woodstock Valley went to be with her Lord, Nov. 20, 2013, at Backus Hospital, Norwich, after a nine-month battle with cancer.
She was born Nov. 8, 1953, to Henry and Elaine Johnson. Linda made her home in Woodstock Valley most of her life. After graduating from Woodstock Academy she went on to have a family and graduated from QVCC with an associate’s degree in business administration. She loved cooking, sewing, quilting, beading and making jewelry.
She leaves her companion Frank Graves; , her three children: Jennifer S. W. Harris, Jason A. St. Jean (Jenny), Angela Nowakowski (Steve); seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; her mother Elaine Johnson, her brother Robert Johnson (Grace); her sisters Donna Williams (Scott), LuAnne Daley; her aunt and godmother Barbara Wheeler. She was predeceased by her brother Richard Johnson, her father Henry Johnson; her husband Arthur St. Jean.
A Celebration of Life will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Evangelical Covenant Church, 24 Child Hill Road, Woodstock. Donations: Next Stop Forever, 45 Old Sawmill Road, Woodstock, CT 06281. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Wayne ‘Jake’ Belile
THOMPSON — Wayne “Jake” D. Belile, 49, of Druid Avenue died Nov. 19, 2013, in Regency Heights of Danielson. Born in 1964 in Rochester, N.Y., he was the son of the late Laurence and Ellen (Green) Belile.
Mr. Belile worked as an injection molder for Mold-X, and several other plastic companies.
He leaves his brothers, Kevin and Ricky; sister, Dawn.
Arrangements private. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, CT 06260.
Charles Seney,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — Charles E. Seney, 92, of Putnam, formerly of Dayville, died Nov. 14, 2013, at the Westview Health Care. He married Rita Ann Kilgariff on April 19, 1952, at St. Joseph Church, Dayville. She died July 8, 1980.
Born Nov. 19, 1920, in N. Grosvenordale, he was the son of Mederic L. and Mary (Gosselin) Seney.
He graduated from St. Joseph Parochial School, N. Grosvenordale in 1935 and from Tourtellotte Memorial High School in 1939. During WWII, he served with the U.S. Coast Guard aboard the U.S. Army FS-371 as a radioman in the Southwest Pacific, New Guinea, Philippines and Japan and was discharged in Boston in 1946 as RMIC.
He received a bachelor’s degree from Boston University in 1950 and a master’s from UConn in 1960. He taught at Short Secretarial School, Stamford and then at Williams Memorial Institute, New London, for a year. In 1952 he was appointed to teach at Putnam High School where he remained until retirement in 1981. During retirement he traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. Among his hobbies was genealogy. He traced his paternal and maternal roots to the 1600s in Canada and France. He was a member of the American French Genealogical Society, Woonsocket, R.I., and a life member of the Killingly Historical Society. His family research can be found on the library shelves of the above societies. He was a Past President and honorary life member of the Connecticut Business Educators Association, a life member of the BPOE 574 and Oscar W Swanson Post 67 American Legion.
He leaves his companion Phyllis G. Jaquish; sons John M. Seney (Melissa) of Danielson and Andrew P. Seney of Wilton Manors, Fla.; daughter Ann Pechie (Gary) of Danielson; three grandchildren, Shelly Seney Blanchette (Nate) of Manchester, Penn., Kaitlyn Pechie Whitney (Ryan) of Longmeadow, Mass., Geoffrey Pechie of Reston, Va.; two great grandchildren, Caden and Paige Blanchette. He was predeceased by two brothers, Merrill L. and Norman B. Seney.
Services were Nov. 23 at St. Joseph Cemetery, 50 Hartford Pike, Dayville with military honors. Donations: Thompson Historical Society, PO Box 47, Thompson, CT 06277. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Lillian B. Ginalski
VERNON — Vernon-Lillian Beatrice Ginalski, 99, formerly of Putnam, died Nov. 19, 2013, in Manchester. Born Lillian Beatrice Moran on June 13, 1914, in Putnam, she was the oldest and last surviving child of John Moran and Marie Louise Viens Moran.
On March 12, 1945, she married the love of her life, Mitchell W. Ginalski. Their wedding photograph became a family icon of the WWII war bride and groom. They lived all of their married lives in Putnam, where they enjoyed 39 years of wedded life together.
She was a life member of the Textile Workers Union of America. After her husband died in May 1984, she moved to Vernon to be closer to her sister and her sister’s family. In a life that spanned nearly a century, she enjoyed her family and friends, travels to Canada, Florida, California, cross-country USA, creating handcrafts, such as knitting and crocheting and baking holiday cookies.
She was predeceased by all five of her siblings: Edward Moran, Lawrence Moran, William Moran, Raymond Moran and Lorraine Mierzwa and her dearest friends from a younger day Josie Rucki Kentile and Anna Lamothe. She leaves behind her immediate family in Connecticut: three nephews, a niece, a great-nephew and a great-niece: Stephen M. Mierzwa (Debbie), Mary Ann Mierzwa, Robert J. Mierzwa (Carol) and their two children Thomas Henry and Emma Amelia, and John E. Mierzwa; cousin Olga Kay of New Hampshire and a sister-in-law Josephine Gleniewicz and her family of Long Island, NY; and attentive friends: Adeline, Barbara, Bernice, Nancy, Rita, Vicky and her daughter Maureen.
A Mass of Christian Burial was Nov. 26 at St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Smith & Walker Funeral Home,. 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Joseph S. Gomes
WAUREGAN — Joseph S. Gomes, 90, of Wauregan, died at home. He was born Nov. 11, 1923, in Taunton, Mass., son of Joseph and Virginia (Andrade) Gomes. Joseph was a mechanic his whole life and later in his life delivered Meals on Wheels with his wife for eight years.
He leaves behind daughters: Joanie Dionne (George) of Brooklyn, Norma Dionne (Robert) of Killingly, and Virginia Egan; six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild. He was predeceased by his wife Mary Gomes and his brother George Gomes.
A Memorial Service was Nov. 23 at Glory Chapel, Central Village. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Normand J. Labrec Jr.
STERLING — Normand J. Labrec Jr., 53, of Sterling, died Nov. 16, 2013, at home. He was born March 10, 1960, in Putnam, son of the late Normand J., Sr. and Wanda (Schap) Labrec.
He had made his home in Sterling for the last ten years, and formerly lived in Moosup. Normand worked as a truck driver and yardman for M & M Transport Services for many years and held a crane operator’s license. He was talented in woodworking and auto mechanics, but his passion was cooking and cartoons. He would help anyone he could.
He leaves his sister, Cheryl Proctor (Dennis) of Canterbury; niece Tracy Herman (Louis) of Scotland; nephew Charles Proctor of Ottawa, Ohio; great nieces and nephews: Brianna, Julia, Makayla, Joshua, Skye and Chase; his two best friends Richard Denomme and Al Lapointe.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Gagnon and Costello Funereal Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Pierre LeQuéré
NORWICH — Pierre LeQuéré, 91, of Norwich, died Nov. 18, 2013, in Norwich.
He was born July 2, 1922, in Pont-Audemer, France, son of Pierre Marie and Maria (Le Merrer) LeQuéré. Pierre arrived in New London in 1944 as a handsome French sailor aboard the submarine Argo. It was then that he met the love of his life, Beatrice Hubert LeQuéré of Danielson. During their 65 years of marriage, they traveled to France several times and retired to Florida where they built their dream home. They returned to Connecticut eight years ago.
He loved laughter and good times. He retired as a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 after 26 years. He was a U.S. citizen and true patriot, who loved his chosen country. He was a member of the American Legion Post 21. For many years he marched in local parades and felt honored and privileged to carry the American Flag.
He leaves his daughter, Joyce Page (Ralph) of Norwich; two sons Jean-Pierre (John) LeQuéré (Candy) of Higganum, and Marc LeQuéré (Maura) of Port St. Lucie, Fla; grandchildren: Lauri Kenniston, Robin Page Kelly, and Rebecca Kowalski; great-grandchildren: Ryan Brenek, Olivia Kelly, and Sofia Kelly; nephew Jean LeQuéré, and nieces Monique Papeteau and Colette Costys all of France; two life- long “amis” Fred Knorr and Jacques Noe, who enjoyed sharing wonderful wine together as well as life’s joys and sorrows. Pierre was predeceased by his wife, Bea, on Nov. 28, 2010; his great grandson, Page Kelly; his parents; his brothers Yves, Andre and Basile, as well as his sister Marie Yvonne Costys.
The Chapel Service was Nov. 23 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: Center for Hospice Care, 227 Dunham St., Norwich, CT 06360. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
William J. Sabolesky
WOODSTOCK — William “Bill” J. Sabolesky, 48, of Rt. 171, died unexpectedly Nov. 21, 2013. He is the husband of Michelle (Allard) Sabolesky. Born in 1965 in Norwich, he was the son of the late Joseph and Norma (Chasse) Sabolesky.
Mr. Sabolesky worked as an electrician for JD Leblanc. He enjoyed fishing and collecting assorted matchbox and die cast cars.
In addition to his wife, he leaves his dogs, Benny and Crissy; his sisters Patricia Avery of Moosup and Suzanne Fenner (Irving) of Brooklyn; brother in law, Richard Allard (Pam) of Pomfret; mother and father in law, Richard and Emily Allard of Putnam.
The service was Nov. 26 in Maplewood Cemetery, Norwich. Donations: William J. Sabolesky Memorial Fund P.O Box 131, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.