Putnam Town Crier - Obits pg 8 12-5-19

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Joan McMerriman
BROOKLYN — Joan McMerriman, 79, of Brooklyn, died Nov. 26, 2019, at Davis Place in Danielson.
She was born Feb. 20, 1940, in Putnam, daughter of the late James and Mary (Shimski) McMerriman.
Joan was raised by her mother in Danielson and stayed with her mom till her passing in 1984. Joan was an extraordinary kind and compassionate person taking care of her mother. She loved animals, game shows, mocha ice coffee and had a sweet tooth.
She leaves a brother Eugene McMerriman of Brooklyn; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a brother Lloyd McMerriman and a sister Lois.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 6 in St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in the spring at Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

Rita Goodman
DANIELSON — Rita Goodwin, 85, of Danielson died Nov. 27, 2019, at Crestfield Nursing Home in Manchester. Born March 1, 1934, in Danielson, she was the daughter of the late Andrea Cote. Rita was the wife of Albert K. Goodwin. They were married on May 16, 1953, at the Methodist Church in Danielson.
She enjoyed animals, plants, gardening and the ocean. Rita was a machinist working for Electro-Motive Mfg. Co., Loos & Co. and Delta Rubber where she retired.
She leaves her daughter Mary Lou (David Leach) of Brooklyn; son Mark Goodwin of Danielson; granddaughter Jenny Lynn Baron of Brooklyn and her cats Minnie and Goldie. A Graveside Service will be 11 a.m. Dec. 6 in Westfield Cemetery, Danielson. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

Antoinetta Cortigiano
WOODSTOCK — Antoinetta Cortigiano, 90, affectionately called Nella, died Nov. 23, 2019, in Danielson following a long illness.
She was born on April 2, 1929, in Rossano, Italy to Renato and Giuseppina Donato. She was married in Italy in 1955 to Leonard J. Cortigiano Jr. (who died in 2003), following a whirlwind courtship.
She emigrated to the U.S. that year on board the Andrea Doria and later became a U.S. citizen. The couple settled in Bridgeport where they had two children, Laura and Leonard. The family moved to Trumbull in 1958. She enjoyed gardening, and hosting large family gatherings. She and her husband frequently enjoyed dinner and dancing with family and friends. She enjoyed bowling, and racquetball and attended ceramics classes.
She traveled to her native Italy many times to maintain close relationships with her mother and her five siblings who predeceased her: Leda, Teresa, Aldo, Massimo, and Domenico, their spouses, and nieces and nephews. Occasionally, she and her husband enjoyed spending the winter months in Florida. She was an avid fan of professional tennis.
She leaves her children, Leonard Cortigiano (Keary Nichols) and Laura Cotnoir (Marc); her granddaughter, Nicole Cotnoir; nieces and nephews in the U.S. and relatives in Italy.
A Celebration of Antoinetta’s Life for family and friends will be held at a later date. Donations: Charity of your choice Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam.

Rita A. Cutler
POMFRET — Rita A. (Roy) Cutler, 97, died Nov. 26, 2019. She was born in 1922, the daughter of the late Marie-Louise and Phillip Roy of Plainfield. She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond Cutler Sr. who died in 2015.
Rita was a mother and homemaker. She was a communicant at The Most Holy Trinity Church where she met and married her beloved “sweet-prince,” Raymond on November 27, 1941. She volunteered with the Saint Monica’s Guild at Holy Trinity and the Pomfret Fire Department’s Women’s Auxiliary. She worked at Day Kimball Hospital as a nurse’s aide on the maternity ward.
She leaves two sisters, Yvonne Hart of Danielson and Rosemarie Poulin of Plainfield and her children Raymond Cutler from Pomfret, David Cutler from Thompson, Joanne Mortellite from Seminole, Fla., Anita Cutler from Pomfret, and Susan Rhodes from Colorado Springs, Colo.; leaves 14 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and her “adopted daughter,” Judy Blackmore. She was predeceased by her daughter Elaine Auger from Putnam in 2016 and her son Russell Cutler from Ballouville in 2018.
A Mass of Remembrance was Dec. 3 at The Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Donations: Day Kimball Hospital Hospice, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260; or the Pomfret Volunteer Fire Department, 67 Hampton Rd., Pomfret, CT 06258. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Estelle T. Wright
N. GROSVENORDALE — Estelle T. Wright, 70, of Riverside Drive, died Nov. 28, 2019, at home. Born in 1949 in N. Grosvenordale, she was the daughter of the late Urbain and Henrietta T. (Couture) Boutin.
Estelle worked as a salesperson at Xtra Mart for 24 years. She loved reading, crafting, knitting, games of all kinds, and woodworking and especially loved her border collie “Pogo.”
Estelle lived life to the fullest extent enjoying every moments she could on adventures in the outdoors. She loved to be on the water kayaking and spending to time at the ocean reading a book or enjoying quiet peaceful time. Estelle always knew what she wanted in life and nothing stopped her from that. In her last years she camped as often as she could and enjoyed many memories with friends and family.
She leaves three sons, Donald Mitchell of Brooklyn, Richard Mitchell of Deleware, A.J. Mitchell of Danielson; her two daughters, Dawn Hippert of Brooklyn, and Heather Mitchell of Saco, Maine; four brothers, John Boutin of Mayoden, N.C., Norman Boutin of North Carolina, Urbain Boutin of North Carolina, Louis Boutin of N. Grosvenordale; three sisters, Matilda Andrzejewski of Fabyan, Cybil Obrian of Canterbury, and Joyce Gregoir of Putnam; grandchildren Robert Jubinsky, Alex Mitchell, Tyler Gaucher, Zachary Costa-Mello, Samantha Broomhall, Benjamin Hippert, and Garret Hippert. She was predeceased by her brother, Alex Tobin.
Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6 in Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St. N. Grosvenordale. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale. Donations: Northeast CT Cancer Fund, c/o Day Kimball Hospital, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT. 06260.

Ernest H. Dumas
PUTNAM — Ernest H. Dumas, 90, of David St., died Nov. 27, 2019, at UMass Memorial Hospital. He was the husband of the late Theresa C. Dumas; they were married for 62 years. Born in 1929 in Ballouville, he was the son of the late Edgar and Dorothy (Cusson) Dumas.
Mr. Dumas was the owner and operator of Dumas Construction prior to his employment as the director of Putnam’s Highway Department. He enjoyed golfing.
He leaves his sons, Ronald Dumas (Donna) of Jacksonville, Fla., and Arthur Dumas (Audra) of Aurora, Colo.; his daughters, Diane DiVincenzo (Richard) of Putnam, and Joyce Dumas of Massachusetts; his brother, Ernest Dumas of Florida; daughter-in-law Donna of Putnam; 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Glenn Dumas; his brother Henry Dumas; sister Theresa; and his great-grandson, Connor James McKeon.
The Mass of Christian Burial is at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 7 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation Church, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Memorial’s Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Patrick D. Falkowski
PUTNAM — Patrick D. Falkowski, 23, of Lyon St., died unexpectedly Nov. 16, 2019. Born Feb. 14, 1996, in Worcester, he was the son of Kathleen A. (Hultberg) Falkowski of Putnam and Michael S. Falkowski of Tampa, Fla.
Patrick was a 2014 graduate of Woodstock Academy where he was the captain of the football team, and an All State Nominee. He received Honorable Mention at his senior year football awards ceremony. Patrick was also a member of the WPTP Youth Football League in Putnam. He was a member of the cross-country team at Woodstock Middle School. He enjoyed playing football, basketball, and loved watching the New England Patriots. He was a hard-working, devoted student and athlete loved by everyone. Patrick was a very sociable, kind, caring, laid back kind of guy who greeted everyone with a warm smile. He was always there to help anyone in need. He worked at Aubuchon Hardware in Webster for three years. He recently worked at U.S. Button Corporation for a short time.
In addition to his parents, he leaves two brothers, Matthew Falkowski of Putnam and Michael Pescosolido of Southbridge; sister Jenna Falkowski, of Tampa; his paternal grandmother Patricia LaRosa of Philadelphia; four aunts: Susan Hultberg Pratt of Florida, and Karen Hultberg Fenuccio of Lunenburg, Mass., Patricia Dimitt of Virginia, Deanna McClintic of Pennsylvania; an uncle, David Hultberg of E. Brookfield, Mass.; cousins: Michelle Hippert of Charlton, Leandra Carey of Auburn, Ryan Carey of Delray Beach, Fla. Tyler Carey of Amherst, Mass., Nicholas Fenuccio of Keane, N.H., and Joey Fenuccio; friends from Woodstock Academy and the Connecticut area. He was predeceased by maternal grandmother Barbara Lee Hultberg and maternal grandfather, Clement M. Hultberg.
The Service was Dec. 3 in Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. Donations: GOFUNDME.com page/Funerals for Patrick or Facebook/Susan Hultberg.

David A. Froehlich Sr.
WOODSTOCK VALLEY — David A. Froehlich Sr., 72, of Barber Rd., died Nov. 29, 2019, at home. Born in 1947 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Alfred and Winifred (Wonoski) Froehlich.
David worked as a truck driver and heavy equipment operator for the town of Woodstock for 40 years. He also operated Froehlich’s Sawmill and helped out in the operation of the Happiness Brothers Hereford Farm. David was a jack of all trades and enjoyed tinkering and puttering with just about anything.
He leaves his children, Brian Froehlich (Janet) of Woodstock Valley, David Froehlich Jr. (Misty) of Killingly and Stacey Hopkins (John) of Pomfret; his brothers, Donald Froehlich of Woodstock Valley and Steven Froehlich of Woodstock Valley; and his sisters, Jean Plaza of Webster, Barbara Liszka of Woodstock Valley, and Linda Szpyrka of Woodstock Valley; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his former wife Lorraine (Boucher) Froehlich of Woodstock; a good friend and caregiver, Lillian Hopkins.
Visitation is from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 4 in Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. A gathering will begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 5 in the funeral home with a Funeral Service at 10 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial follows in Barlow Cemetery, Woodstock. Donations: Hospice of Northeastern Connecticut, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260.

Catherine A. Thomas
THOMPSON —Catherine (LaRoche) Thomas, 67, of School St., died Nov. 26, 2019, at Day Kimball Hospital. Born in 1952 in Putnam, and a lifelong resident of Thompson, she was the daughter of the late Donat and Constance (Borse) LaRoche.
Ms. Thomas was a student at Annhurst College and graduate of Nichols College. She worked as an accountant for Davis Publication in Worcester. Catherine was the town chairman for the Thompson Democratic Town Committee for 40 years and was a member of the Thompson Recreation Committee for 30 years. She received the 2019 Ella Grasso Women’s Leadership Award.
She enjoyed going to concerts, making frequent day trips to the beach in the summer and vacationing in Kittery, Maine. Catherine was an avid Yankees Fan and loved the Red Sox rivalry with her friends.
She leaves her brother, Paul LaRoche of N. Grosvenordale; close friends, Larry and Erica Groh, Ken Beausoleil, Cindy Dunne, Renee Waldron, Paul, Jeanne and Diane Dery, the Williams Family, Donna, Doug, Don and Laura and Lynn and Al Landry. She maintained a consistent relationship with all the members of the Thompson Democratic Town Committee. She will be remembered for her leadership, spirit and humanity.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 4 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: TEEG, P.O. Box 664, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.

Luke J. Zinsky Jr.
PUTNAM — Luke John Zinsky Jr., 59, of Putnam, died Nov. 30, 2019.
He was born Nov. 30, 1960, in Bridgeport, son of the late Luke and Joan Zinsky.
Luke met and later married the love of his life, the late Janniece Deveau Zinsky, at Masuk High School in Monroe. Married 30 years, they built a beautiful life together filled with family, sports, beach vacations and lots of love and laughs as he was always making people smile.
Luke graduated from New Haven University with a degree in engineering, started his own plastic recycling business and later moved on to pharmaceutical sales. He was a very hard worker. He was known for his great sense of humor, optimism and love for a good home-cooked meal.
He leaves four children Luke J. Zinsky III of Jewett City, Eve M. Corbin (Christopher) of Danielson, Hannah L. Helton (Ethan) of Danielson and Ethan A. Zinsky of Putnam; four grandchildren, Hailey, Christian, Brooke and Ella; two brothers Robert and Edward Zinsky and families.
Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 6 with a service at 5 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. Donations: American Cancer Society, 825 Brook Street, I-91 Tech Ctr, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3045.

John T. Stefanik,
WWII vet
WEBSTER — John Thomas Stefanik, 95, died Nov. 14, 2019 after a period of declining health.
John was born Feb. 9, 1924, in Webster, the only son of Andrew and Angela (Gajewski) Stefanik. He is predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Barbara (Madura), and by his infant son Matthew.
John graduated from Bartlett High School in 1941 where he was a three-letter athlete. He enlisted in the Marine Corps that summer and was in boot camp when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He saw action in the Asiatic-Pacific Theatre, including Guadalcanal and New Hebrides. The Japanese evacuated Guadalcanal on his 19th birthday, a memorable birthday present. John was proud of his service in the Marine Corps.
After the war he attended Nichols College where he played basketball and baseball. He played professional baseball from 1948 to 1951 in several leagues on the East Coast. He returned to Webster and married Barbara on April 25, 1953, and together they eventually owned and operated the popular Andy’s Restaurant until 1981, famous for its Rose Room. He then worked for the Town of Webster until retirement.
He was a two-time inductee of the Bartlett Athletic Hall of Fame and former president of the Webster Exchange Club. He was a passionate Red Sox and Patriots fan and loved to watch UConn girls’ basketball games. He enjoyed all sports particularly baseball and golf. He liked to socialize and to travel. In his later years he was a familiar figure about town, out with his friends taking their daily morning walks. John’s Slovak heritage meant a lot to him.
He leaves sons Gregory of Webster, Mark (Anna-Lee) of Dudley, Jeffrey (Donna) of Woodstock, Christopher and his companion Lori Johnson of Webster; and daughter Angela and her fiancé Robert Alves of Putnam; grandchildren: Jessica-Lee of Dudley, Samuel of Newport, R.I., Alison of Philadelphia, Adam of Emigrant, Mont., Katherine of Auburn, Andrew of Dudley, Matthew and Stefanie of Putnam, Nicholas of Providence, Abigail of Bristol and a great-granddaughter.
The Funeral Mass was Nov. 20 in St. Louis Church, with burial with military honors in St. Joseph Garden of Peace. Donations: Day Kimball Hospice, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam. Scanlon Funeral Service, Webster.

Victor A. Brezniak,
Vietnam war vet
WEBSTER — Victor A. “Vic” Brezniak, 74, died Dec. 1, 2019, in UMass/Memorial University Campus.
He was born in Webster on Sept. 18, 1945, the son of Victor F. and Mary T. (Przystas) Brezniak and was a lifelong resident. He graduated from the Franciscan Friars Catholic School in Pulaski, Wisc.
He was a decorated U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam war. As a petty officer, he made 231 combat patrols as a river boat gunner. In that capacity, he boarded and searched more than 6,000 craft. He supported U.S. Navy Seal Troops which often took him deep into enemy-controlled territory on narrow, heavily fortified canals defended by opposing troops. He was a superb marksman and operated a 50-caliber machine gun in protecting our troops from the enemy. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery.
Mr. Brezniak worked in quality control at Stevens Linen Associates in Dudley and then at Guilford of Maine in Douglas before retiring.
He was a member of St. Joseph Basilica. He greatly enjoyed stamp collecting and belonged to the Oxford Stamp Club. An accomplished carpenter, he built the family home and always had projects to complete. In his retirement he worked as a delivery man for the former Cindy’s Flower Shop and Gifts in Webster. He was an amateur photographer.
He leaves his wife of 44 years, Eleanor M. “Ellie” (Trojanowski) Brezniak; a son, Gregory A. Brezniak of Oxford; a daughter, Catherine E. Brezniak of Webster; two brothers, James Brezniak (Lorraine) of Putnam, and Timothy Brezniak (Sandra) of Woodstock; three sisters, Constance Hvizdos (Richard) of Douglas, Mass., and Margaret M. Belec-Brezniak and Theresa M. Pelletier (John), all of Webster. He was predeceased by two brothers, Thomas P. Brezniak and David P. Brezniak.
The Funeral Mass is at 10 a.m. Dec. 5 in St. Joseph Basilica, Webster, with burial with military honors in St. Joseph Garden of Peace. Donations: St. Joseph Basilica, 53 Whitcomb St., Webster, MA 01570. Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, Webster.

Lois Carr
THOMPSON — Lois D. (Jaros) Carr, 60, died Nov. 27, 2019, at UMass Healthcare Center Hospital, Worcester.
She was born in Worcester daughter of Stanley Jaros and the late Jacqueline (Depasse) Jaros and lived in Thompson since 1987. Lois enjoyed cooking.
She leaves her husband of 29 years, Jeffrey R. Carr of Thompson; four daughters, Jacqueline Alexander (Daniel) of Killingly, Emily Carr of Putnam, Rachel and Anna Carr of Putnam; two grandchildren; a brother Gregory Jaros of Pennsylvania; a sister Charlene Carr of Dudley; her father Stanley Jaros of Florida. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

Kenneth R. MacDonald
PUTNAM — Kenneth R. MacDonald, 51, died Nov. 20, 2019, at the Trinity Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hartford.
Kenneth lived in Putnam for most of his life. He was a music enthusiast who was also interested in sports, baseball being his favorite.
Kenneth leaves his longtime companion Malissa Christy of Webster; his son Shawn MacDonald of Webster; his mother Pauline (Dorighi) MacDonald; three brothers: David MacDonald of Woodstock, and Scott and Jonathan MacDonald, both of North Carolina. He was predeceased by his father David MacDonald.
Donations: Vitas Hospice, 628 Hebron Avenue Suite 300 Glastonbury, CT 06033. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

Marilyn Van Dyke
WEBSTER — Marilyn N. (Carpenter) Van Dyke, 82, died Nov. 29, 2019, at Harrington Hospital, Southbridge.
She was born in Wilsonville, daughter of the late Walter Carpenter and Antoinette (Latour) Carpenter and lived in Wilsonville most of her life and of recent years living in Webster. She was the manager at the former Hess gas station in Dudley.
She leaves a son Robert Van Dyke of Spencer, Mass.; four daughters, Kathleen Knapp of Putnam, Karen Swanson of Grafton, Mass., Rita Todd of Stafford and April Daviau of Dudley; 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a brother and four sisters: Bernard Carpenter, Eileen Fougere, Joyce Bomba, Evelyn Bates, and Phyllis Spurgeon; and a granddaughter.
Donations: Charity of donor’s choice. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

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