Centaurs finish
off week with
energetic
performance
There was plenty of energy at the Woodstock Academy Alumni Fieldhouse Dec. 13.
And Centaurs Gold prep basketball coach Jacque Rivera was loving it.
The Centaurs downed Notre Dame-West Haven, 84-63, to raise their record to 10-1.
There was a little incentive to play well.
On the other bench was Nick DeFeo.
DeFeo had been the coach of the Centaurs Blue program until he landed his own first-year program at Notre Dame-West Haven.
Dyondre Dominguez came out firing early. The 6-foot, 8-inch forward from Providence hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 14 points in the first half to help the Centaurs build a 46-29 halftime advantage.
Quran McPherson helped out with six points in the first half. McPherson added six more points in the second half and finished with a double-double as he added 10 rebounds.
 “Quran is a really good player, but he’s still learning this prep school thing. The play-ons from the officials, how hard you have to play every possession. He came from a good place and he wants to get other guys involved. He will be back next year, he’s a 2021, so he’s really starting to figure it out. He’s defending, shooting gaps and he infects energy into us. Since he’s got healthy, he’s yelling, he’s screaming, he’s talking on defense, high-fiving guys and that’s what this is all about,” Rivera said.
The Centaurs had a little trouble maintaining that energy in the second half and they let the Green Knights (8-3) creep back into the game.
A 10-2 run late in the second half by Notre Dame-West Haven brought the deficit down to 12, 70-58, but Chad Venning (12 points) followed a Dominguez misfire and Ronnie DeGray (13 points hit two consecutive baskets to end the threat.
They have some momentum going in as the win over Notre Dame-West Haven was not the only success of the week.
Dominguez was on fire early for the Woodstock Academy Gold prep team Dec. 11.
Dominguez hit five 3-pointers in the first half alone, finished with six on the night, and scored 24 points to lead the Centaurs past AIM High Academy, 98-60.
It was a bit of a slow start for the Centaurs who only put up 21 points in the first 10 minutes.
It was a Dominguez 3-pointer that sparked a 25-3 run for the Centaurs late in the first half that put them up by 20, 54-34, at the half.
Joe Moon, McPherson and Venning all contributed nine points each.
Rivera was also happy with the play of David Jones who finished with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting with seven rebounds.
Dominguez said the team is in a good place right now.
The Centaurs were also stoked by the return to the floor of Jordan Mitchell.
The 6-8 forward from Columbus, Ohio, had been on the sidelines for the last two seasons with knee problems. When he hit his first career basket for the Centaurs with 3:05 left in the game Dec. 11, the bench erupted.
“We’re all about being selfless. How happy were those guys? Quran McPherson was screaming in my face on the bench,” Rivera said with a laugh.
Josh Davis almost jumped through the Fieldhouse roof in joy.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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caption:

Getting Ready
Members of the boys’ and girls’ indoor track team get ready to brave the elements outdoors, donning reflective jackets, as they prepare to do outside workouts. Photo by Joe Banas/The Woodstock Academy.

In the fall, it was the Woodstock Academy football team coaches who were shaking their heads and wondering where everybody had come from.
This winter, it’s the indoor track program.
About 85 originally signed up for the boys’ and girls’ teams. Approximately 67 have stuck with it thus far. That’s about double what the Centaurs teams had just two years ago.
“It’s great. It’s good to see growth in the program,” said second-year head coach Josh Welch. “I’m seeing a lot of crossover athletes this season. We got some football folks which is awesome. We have some throwers and sprinters from that program. It’s a great opportunity for them to participate in another program. They go and see (strength and conditioning) coach O (Brenden Ostaszewski) two to three times a week and also learn a new event in track-and-field so it helps both teams which is fantastic.”
One difference from other local schools that the Centaurs program offers is the number of competitions that it takes part in.
Most of the ECC participates in the three developmental meets the league sponsors and the league championship. League teams must go out and find other invitational meets to compete in.
That’s not always an easy proposition.
“Many of the Invites have become so large that placement is competitive,” Welch said.
The invitational will ask the school to provide a list of athletes it would like to send and the invitational determines those which it wants to accept based on past performance.
“That’s great for the real competitive kids, like (Woodstock Academy high jumper) Julia Theriaque. She will be competing in the East Coast and URI Invitationals which is fantastic, because she will go up against some of the best and will see some New England competition. But for a freshman kid who is just starting out and is just working on seed times, that’s not so hot,” Welch said.
That’s why Woodstock Academy also competes in a Massachusetts Indoor Track League along with the likes of Quaboag Regional, Leicester High School, Bay Path Tech and Northbridge.
Welch does have some talent to work with. Theriaque is coming off a hamstring injury that she suffered in outdoor track last season after qualifying for the New England championship in indoor competition by finishing seventh in the State Open. The senior’s best a year ago was 5-feet-2.
“She’s edging up on 5-4 which is where you really start to get more notice from Division I (college) programs. She could do that this season,” Welch said.
Also out this season is junior Ethan Aspiras who became the first-ever ECC boys’ individual cross-country champion in Woodstock Academy history this past fall.
Aspiras will have to lead a young distance group as the majority are freshmen.
The Centaurs will also have the young runner who finished second in the ECC girls’ championship and fourth in the Class MM state championship cross-country races, Linsey Arends.
It will be the sophomore’s first indoor track season.
“She is a great asset to the team. It’s exciting to see her leadership develop a little bit, she’s coming out of her shell, getting a little older. She is an amazing talent,” Welch said.
Other notable distance runners on the girls’ side include Meghan Gohn, who wants to qualify for state competition and whom Welch thinks has a good shot of achieving that goal, Iris Bazinet and Tessa Brown.
The sprinters group for the boys includes junior Trey Ayotte, who performed well last season, and Eric Phongsa, who qualified for state competition in the 200-meter in outdoor track. Adam Schimmelpfennig will also be a sprinter and hurdler for the Centaurs.
On the girls’ side, Daisy Li qualified for states in the hurdles in outdoor track and will be out for a first time for indoor. Gillian Price, a junior, has been a staple of the sprinting group for a couple of years.
In addition to Theriaque, freshmen Morgan Bonin, Delaney Canty and Isabella Sorrentino, who will also throw the shotput, will take part in the high and long jumps. Sorrentino, in middle school, had a personal best that was close to the state qualifying mark in the long jump last season.
On the boys’ side, Jackson Dias fell just short of qualifying for the states in the high jump, just missing the 5-8 mark that was needed. Senior Greg Weber is out for a first time and possesses a great vertical leap, which Welch hopes also translates into a good high jumper.
The football team has helped populate those who will do shotput for the team this season. Sophomore Everett Michalski is one of the leaders of the group.
Welch said he thinks he has about five or six boys in the shotput and about the same for the girls led by Ainsley Viano.
Will it all help the Centaurs compete with the likes of Norwich Free Academy and East Lyme?
“Eventually, I would like to see us at an ECC championship level. I don’t know if we’re there yet. I think we will be able to put a bigger dent in the bigger programs than we have in the past. I think we have a few standouts, a few potential ECC champions. That’s a big focus,” Welch said.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

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Leonard P. Dexter,
Vietnam vet
DANIELSON — Leonard P. Dexter, aka “Jenny,” 67, of Mason St., died Dec. 8, 2019, at home. He was the husband of Rita (Lupien) Dexter.
Born Feb. 14, 1952, in Providence, he was the son of the late Stephen and Claire (Fortin) Dexter.
Leonard worked as a maintenance mechanic for Frito-Lay while also going to school at H.H. Ellis Tech as a post grad for electrical and then went on to New England Institute of Technology receiving his associate’s degree in electronic technology. He retired from Frito-Lay after 33 years.  He was a musician who enjoyed playing the bass guitar and had a band in the late ‘70s, early ‘80s called “Blu Shag.”  He spent his time enjoying photography, playing cards and pool, building things, working around the house, and lending a helping hand anytime it was needed. He was an avid softball player in his younger days and enjoyed playing with his uncle Jerry “Foxy” Fortin; people still talk about how special he was on and off the field.
Mr. Dexter was a Vietnam veteran and received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal W/DVC 60, 2 O/S Bars, Army Commendation Medal, Sharpshooter (Rifle M-16), and Expert (Rifle M-14).
In addition to his wife of 41 years, he leaves his son, Tyler Dexter; his daughter, Lindsey Smith; his brothers, Raymond Dexter and James (Kathy) Dexter; and sister, Lucille Benson; his brothers in-law, Roland Lupien, John Lupien, Richard Lupien, Joseph Lupien, Marc Lupien, and Donald Egan; and his sister in-law, Marie Chapdelaine. He was predeceased by his brother Donald, two sisters Linda and Jeanne, two half-sisters, Marie and Michelle.
Donations: Day Kimball Hospice Care, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT. 06260. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St, Putnam.

Frederick Coons Jr.
MOOSUP — Frederick “Freddie” Raymond Coons Jr., 58, died Dec. 10, 2019, from complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
He was born on Dec. 2, 1961, in Norwich to the late Frederick Raymond Coons Sr. and Ruby Bell Lamberston.
Freddie was a doting husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to all he met. A kind and caring soul who always put family and friends first.
He leaves his wife of 21 years Yvonne; children Ryan Risley, Jordan Coons, James Bernier, Joshua Bernier, Kristopher Hopkins and Theresa Hopkins; granddaughters, Ivy Bernier, Brooke Hopkins and Gabbie Hopkins; siblings, Diane Hayward, Yvonne McClintock, John Coons, Nina Coons and Alice Morse. He was predeceased by his brother Bernard Coons, nephews John Coons Jr. and Justin Sparkman.
Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam.

Beverly Campbell
Beverly Campbell, wife of the pastor of the Putnam Baptist Church from 1966 to 1968, died Nov. 17, 2019, at a hospice house in Florida, after a struggle with a rare disease that ravaged her lung.  She also was a thyroid cancer survivor.
She was born July 16, 1943, in Wellsboro, Penn., and graduated from the Wellsboro-Charleston Senior High School in 1961 and went to work as a secretary at an insurance agency.  She married Douglas Campbell June 16, 1963, at the Wellsboro First Baptist Church.  She then moved with him that year to Rochester, N.Y., where he was graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1966. She took a position as a secretary-administrative assistant at the University of Rochester Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Science.
She earned an associate’s of applied science degree in nursing from Corning Community College in 1979 and a bachelor’s in management science from Lock Haven University in 1987.
She served as a charge nurse in the Pediatrics Department, Divine Providence Hospital, Williamsport, Penn.; as the manager of physician billing, Divine Providence; as manager of billing, Oncology Associates, State College, Penn.; as the assistant director of Nursing at Broad Acres Nursing Home in Wellsboro; and as director of Nursing at Susque-View Home in Lock Haven. She retired in 2003 as a case manager at Health-South Rehabilitation Hospital in Pleasant Gap, Penn.  She was a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse and a Certified Case Manager.
She leaves her husband of 56 years Douglas Campbell of Wimauma, Fla.; her son Christopher Campbell, who was born in Day Kimball Hospital, (Maria) of Lebanon, Penn.; grandsons Andrew of York, Penn., and Arden of Columbia, Md.; son David Campbell (Susan); granddaughters Tarryn and Emmalyn of E. Stroudsburg, Penn.; and son Channing Campbell (Perly) and granddaughter Taylor of Lock Haven.
Donations: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1102, Olney, MD 20830-1102.

Edyth Gucwa
Edyth Gucwa, 67, died Dec. 9, 2019, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
She was born May 16, 1952, in Ashford, daughter of Herbert and Olive (Owen) Rogers. She was a 1970 graduate of Woodstock Academy.
She married Dennis Gucwa on Dec. 15, 1972, in Ashford. She worked as an administrative manager with UConn. Edye truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures; chatting with friends and family, playing cards and spending time with her granddaughter. Edye had an uncanny ability to reach people in a deep and positive way.
She leaves her husband Dennis; her son Benjamin Gucwa; two brothers; nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be at 2 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Gucwa home, 43 Suzanne Lane, Brooklyn. Family, friends and others whose lives Edye has touched are invited to help celebrate Edye in the way she would want to be remembered. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

Bernice A. Paquette
THOMPSON — Bernice A. (Lareau) Paquette, 55, died Dec. 10, 2019, at home after a long illness.
She was born and raised in Worcester, the oldest child of Roger and Jean (Larson) Lareau and was a high school graduate. She lived in N. Grosvenordale and in Thompson for most of her adult life.
Mrs. Paquette was a coder of medical records at UMass/Memorial Hospital for more than 20 years. She was a member of St. Joseph Parish in N. Grosvenordale.
She leaves her husband of 31 years, Brian R. Paquette; a son, Joseph P. Paquette of Thompson; 2 step-sons, Kyle S. Paquette (Penny) of Putnam and Nicholaus B. Paquette (Sarah) of Roxbury, N.H.; three grandchildren, Chandon, Aubrey and Amara; two sisters, Lisa Lareau of S. Carolina and Brenda Gallo of W. Boylston, Mass.; five brothers, Roger, Ronald, Robert, Paul and Leo Lareau, all of Worcester.
The Funeral Mass was Dec. 19 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale. Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, Webster.

Roberta Rivers
PUTNAM — Roberta (Robin) Rivers, 87, of Little River Acres, Putnam, died Dec. 14, 2019, at Westview Health Care Center. Born Dec. 10, 1932, in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Lillian (Anderson) Henry and stepdaughter of the late Frederick J. Henry.
Robin grew up in the Quiet Corner and graduated from Putnam High School in 1950. After receiving a degree from Virginia Intermont College, she worked in the insurance industry in Hartford until marrying Raymond Rivers, a career Naval Officer, who died in 1968. Robin relocated her family from California to Putnam, where she later met her loving companion of 30 years, John (Jack) Mullen, who died in 2001.
Robin enjoyed a lifetime of traveling the country, forming lifelong friendships along the way. She enjoyed gardening, listening to her talking books and going out to dinner and family gatherings and the card games that followed. She was an avid participant on WINY radio’s “Remember When”.
She leaves her children Rodney Rivers of Putnam, Rhonda Brooks of Pomfret, Roslyn Hauser (Frank) of Dayville, Roxanne Miller of Titusville, Fla., Laurence Mullen (Amelita) of Cocoa, Fla.; granddaughter Virginia Miller of Waterbury; and grandson Andrew Miller of Bloomfield. She was predeceased by her sister Ann in 1935 and son-in-law James Brooks in 2000.
Visitation is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 21 at Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam, with a service at 11:30 a.m. in the funeral home. Burial in the Brooklyn South Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date.  Donations: Foundation Fighting Blindness, 7168 Columbia Gateway Dr., Ste 100, Columbia, MD 21046; or the American Cancer Society 931 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886.

Kathryn Sargent
WOODSTOCK — Kathryn Sargent of Woodstock, 93, “Sarge” to her students, died Dec. 10, 2019, after a long and wonderful life.  She taught at Woodstock Academy in Woodstock for 18 years and at Rectory School in Pomfret before that, affecting the lives of hundreds of students.
Born Dorothy Lang Tulloch in Elizabeth, N.J., on March 10, 1926, she was renamed Kathryn after her mother died following her birth. She graduated from Harvard’s Radcliff College in 1947 having lived through the Depression and WWII. 
Sarge was devoted to her children and to her profession. She cared very deeply for her students and they loved her in turn. She had a keen interest in history and languages and was an avid reader. She loved birds and dogs. Nothing made her happier than seeing her children and her students succeed in life.
She leaves sons Owen of Woodbury, N.Y., and Peter of Gardner, Mass.; daughter Mary Lloyd (Doug) of Milford, Mass.; four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
A Celebration of her Life and interment of her ashes will be held at 2 p.m. March 10 at Christ Church in Pomfret with a reception afterwards in the parish hall. Donations: Christ Church, Pomfret CT, “Clergy discretionary fund” in memo line. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

Christopher J. Thomas
PUTNAM — Christopher J. Thomas, 40, of Putnam died unexpectedly Dec. 11, 2019, at home.
He was the husband of April (Kennette) Thomas. They were married Oct. 28, 2006.
 He was born Jan. 20, 1979, in Putnam, son of Richard Thomas and Pauline Laprade.
Chris was a correctional officer at the Brooklyn Correctional Institution for 12 years. He loved ice fishing and snowmobiling. He also worked for Napa in Putnam and Dudley for many years. Chris was a friend to all and helped everyone he knew and many he didn’t know!
He leaves his wife April of Putnam; two daughters Madison and Taylor Thomas of Putnam; father Richard Thomas (Lisa) of Woodstock; mother Pauline (Lamoureux) Laprade (Norman) of Washington, N.H.; paternal grandmother Annette Thomas of Fabyan; brother Brian Thomas and significant other Vanessa Travers of Fabyan; niece and nephew MacKenzie and Noah Langevin of W. Virginia.
A Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 18 at St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in Mount Zion Cemetery, Webster. Donations: Madison and Taylor c/o bankHometown. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

Martha Bonneville
WEBSTER/DANIELSON — Martha (Kacerik) Bonneville, 94, died Dec 9, 2019, at home in Webster.
Martha was born on April 25, 1925, in her grandparent’s home in Webster.  A few years later the family moved to Putnam where Martha grew up.  She was the daughter of Stephen and Margaret (Stefanik) Kacerik. 
Martha had a passion for learning that served her and her family well.  Growing up in the Depression era with immigrant parents (Slovakia) she was required to start working before graduating high school, but that didn’t stop her from walking miles each night in the dark to take classes.  That continued as she learned bookkeeping on the job, first at Putnam Woolen and then through her father-in-law at Bonneville’s Pharmacy in Danielson.  Martha raised (and made clothes for) three kids, cooked the old-fashioned way and grew and canned vegetables, all while serving as the bookkeeper, office manager and silent partner in a successful family business.  If she ever complained along the way, no one can recall it.  
Martha and Bob had an amazing partnership in life and in business.  From scratch, they started the family business - Colonial Nursery/Colonial Paving, whose success afforded them a long enjoyable retirement that included time with family and close friends, gardening (at a passionate level), traveling and crafts — weaving and needlepoint for Martha and stained glass for Bob at their beautiful home of 65 years on Morin Avenue in Danielson.          
She leaves her daughter Cynthia Koziak (Ed) of Webster, her son David Bonneville and partner Jen, of Orinda, Calif.; her sister Mary Vandi and brother Steve Kacerik of Putnam; her sister Barbara Ives (Rich) of Lebanon; grandson Derek Martin (Erica) of Webster; grandson Adam Bonneville (Arizona) and granddaughter Stephanie Bonneville (Eastford), granddaughter Rebecca Bonneville (Los Angeles) and grandson Noah Bonneville (San Francisco), great-granddaughter Lainey Martin and three great-great-grandsons Bradley, Kane and Logan of Webster. She was predeceased by her husband Robert, with whom she spent 68 years in Danielson; her son Steve; and her sisters Pauline and Frances; grandson Lance Martin; great-granddaughter Amanda and daughter-in-law Nancy.
The Memorial Service was Dec. 13 in Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster, with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace in Webster.  Donations: St. James Church in Danielson or the Central Mass Hospice.

Dwight S Lambert
veteran
Dwight S Lambert died Nov. 29, 2019, after a five-year battle with cancer.
He was born Feb. 28, 1952, in Putnam, son of the late Ellsworth and Mildred (Nichols) Lambert. 
He also served for several years on the USS Iwo Jima.
He lived in Houston for 20 years before moving back to Connecticut in 2017 after his retirement, where he worked as a security guard at Woodland’s Mall and at O’Riley’s Auto Parts.
He leaves four children: Richard Lambert (Arlie) of Texas, Faith Warner of Danielson, Heather Lambert and her fiancé Cody of Texas and David Lambert (Kathleen) of Texas; eight grandchildren Kira, Ayla, Jacob, Zack, Chloe, Megan, Annabelle and Ellie; brothers Robert Lambert of Vernon, William Lambert (Peggy) of Florida; sisters Carol (Brian) Plesz of Lebanon, Charlene (Eric) Belanger of Danielson, Helen (David) Schwend of Putnam. He was predeceased by a sister Barbara Molnar and brother Gary Lambery and two nephews Gary Lambert Jr and Curtis A Lawrence.
Donations: Northeast CT Hospice.

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