Mary (Hughes) Mandeville
WOODSTOCK VALLEY — Mary (Hughes) Mandeville, 91, Woodstock Valley, passed away April 20, 2026. She was the loving wife of the late Lucien A. Mandeville. Born June 17, 1934, in Stamford, she was the daughter of the late Patrick and Caroline (McMillan) Hughes.
Mary attended St. John’s Grammar School in Stamford, and went on to attend Sacred Heart Academy where she graduated in 1952. After high school, Mary went on to attend Saint Raphael School of Nursing in New Haven.
She worked as an RN and RN supervisor at Saint Joseph Hospital/ Medical Center from 1955 to 1985, then worked for the family business, deVille Dairy Inc. from 1985 to 1995. Mary returned to nursing and retired in 1999 after four years as a RN at Saint Camillus Health Center.
Following her retirement in June of 2000, Mary and her husband, Lucien, moved to their retirement, dream home in Woodstock Valley on Lake Bungee. Mary and Lucien quickly made many new friends at the lake and embraced their new community. Together with their family, they made many memories celebrating holidays, birthdays, endless summer boating and fishing, always entertaining their friends, cousins, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mary was known to enjoy her daily afternoon “Scotch on the Rocks” lakeside on the deck, enjoying conversation and waving to all passersby. Mary most enjoyed the spectacular July 4th fireworks celebrations and boat parades at the lake with the grandchildren. Mary was proud to share her lakefront home with anyone and everyone. Mary and Lucien were parishioners at Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret.
She leaves four sons, Steven Mandeville (Patricia) of Voluntown, Kenneth Mandeville (Carolyn) of DeBary, Fla., Christopher Mandeville (Susan) of Stamford, Philip Mandeville of Shelton; 10 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, extended family and friends. Mary is predeceased by her brothers, Joseph P. Hughes, James Hughes, and Frank Hughes.
A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Mary at a later date. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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Fri, May 1
‘Matilda the Musical’
PUTNAM --- The Bradley Playhouse will present ”Matilda the Musical” at 7 p.m. May 1, 2, 8, 9 and at 2 p.m. May 3 and 10. Tickets: www.thebradleyplayhouse.org.
Book Signing Fund-raiser
WOODSTOCK --- American Legion Post #13 Commander, Michael Rocchetti will be at the Arc Emporium for a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Come meet the author of the Hometown Heroes series honoring local vets. The books feature stories of local veterans who fought in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, WWI and WWII. Proceeds go to post scholarships and youth programs.
Lafayette Trail Dedication
PLAINFIELD --- As part of the Lafayette 250 Celebration, honoring Lafayette’s Farewell tour through Plainfield in 1824, a trail marker dedication will be held at 10 a.m. at the corner of Norwich Road (Rt. 12) and Gallup Road. Open to all. Free.
Sat. May 2
250th Program
KILLINGLY --- The Killingly Historical Society is celebrating America 250 with a program at 1:30 p.m. at the Killingly Public Library on the history of the Mohegan Tribe leading up to the Revolutionary War.
Final Tag Sale
POMFRET --- The town’s 20th and final Annual Town-Wide Tag Sale will start at 7 a.m. with the purchase of a $2 sale map at Pomfret Community School or at the Christ Church. Also: The Friends of Pomfret Public Library used book sale, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4-H camp’s indoor/outdoor sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1 and 2 (detour).
Quiet Corner Pride
PUTNAM --- Quiet Corner Pride will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rotary Park. Many events. Quietcornerpride.com.
250th Program
POMFRET CENTER ---The Pomfret Historical Society will host a program about the Black and Native American Soldiers in the Revolutionary War at 3 p.m. in the Old Town House.
Fund-raiser
BROOKLYN --- "Neighbors Against Cancer is holding a Corn Hole Tournament fund-raiser from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Brooklyn Fairgrounds. A corn hole tournament begins at 1. Two person teams can register until start time. Entry is $20 per team. Trophies. Activities for children and adults, food trucks and craft vendors, and more.
Sun. May 3
Concert
CHEPACHET --- The Music at the Meeting House at the Chepachet Baptist Church will present a 250th anniversary concert at 2:30 p.m. All welcome. Free but a free will offering will be taken. Chepachetbaptist.org
Tues. May 5
Al-Anon Meeting
POMFRET --- Al-Anon will meet at noon on Tuesdays at the Christ Church, 527 Pomfret St. Please use the lower level door, near the flagpole. All welcome.
Sat. May 9
Rotary Fishing Derby
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Rotary Club invites families, kids, and community members to its free annual Noe Poulin Youth Fishing Derby May 9 at Rotary Park. Registration begins at 8 p.m. and the fishing is from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The derby is free for youths. There are also games, food and – courtesy of WIN Waste Innovations, prizes in several categories including: biggest catch, smallest catch, most unique catch and most fish caught.
Fri. May 15
Concert
POMFRET --- The Northeast Connecticut Community Orchestra will present its spring 2026 concerts of American music for strings ranging from late 18th-century fiddle tunes to 20th-century works by American composers Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and John Williams. The concerts will be held at 7 p.m. May 15 and at 2 p.m. May 17 at Clark Memorial Chapel on the campus of Pomfret School, routes 44 and 169. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
Mon. May 25
Memorial Day Parade
PUTNAM --- The Putnam Recreation and the Putnam Veterans Advisory Committee will host the 2026 Memorial Day Parade with the lineup starting at 9 a.m. on Grove Street. It steps off at 10 and is followed by a ceremony in Rotary Park to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. For more information, call Putnam Recreation at (860) 963-6811.
Thur. Sept. 10
The Wall That Heals
PUTNAM --- The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along with a mobile Education Center, is coming to Putnam Sept. 10 through 13, at Murphy Park. It will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. thewallthathealsputnam2026.org www.vvmf.org
Sat. Oct. 3
Revolutionary Abington
ABINGTON --- The Pomfret 250th Committee will present a simulated battle re-enactment Oct. 3 and 4 at the Pomfret Recreation Park. There will be two encampments – one British, one American. Battles will be staged at some points Oct. 3.
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Your neighbors are on stage --- and they’re extraordinary!
Bradley’s Matilda the Musical showcases remarkable local talent
There is a particular kind of magic that occurs when a community tells a story together. It is not the same as watching professionals on a distant stage — it is something closer, something that belongs to us. That is precisely what is happening right now at The Bradley Playhouse, where Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical has opened to an ensemble cast brimming with talent drawn from across northeastern Connecticut.
The production, which continues through May 10, features performers from Putnam, Brooklyn, Danielson, and the surrounding towns of the Quiet Corner.
Among the standout stories within the cast is that of the McDonald family. Kiku Langford McDonald takes on the role of Mrs. Phelps, the warm-hearted librarian who nurtures Matilda’s love of stories, while her sons Rupert and Ambrose appear alongside her — Rupert in the role of the irrepressible Bruce, and Ambrose in the School Kids Ensemble. The three have been on the Bradley stage before in Complex productions of The Little Mermaid and Seussical the Musical, but this marks their first outing together in a Bradley mainstage production. In a show about the transformative power of imagination and family, there is something quietly moving about watching a real mother and her real children inhabiting that same theme under the lights.
They are joined by a roster of familiar local faces. Tristan Jolley, an eighth-grader at Brooklyn Middle School, returns to a musical that holds special meaning for him — he played Nigel in Matilda Jr. with The Complex in 2021 and now steps into the role of Eric on the Bradley’s mainstage. Evan Meyer, a Putnam Middle School student and second-year Conservatory student at The Complex, brings an impressive and ever-growing list of credits to the School Kids Ensemble. Sophia Pontbriand, who works at the beloved Logee’s Tropical Plants, delivers a delightfully scene-stealing turn as the outrageous Mrs. Wormwood. Corey Stanley, a tried and true member of the Bradley family and a Brooklyn resident who teaches dance, visual art, and choreographs mainstage musicals at The Complex is right at home dancing along side the production’s Director Rachel Terceira.
Behind the scenes, the local roots run just as deep. Choreographer Catie Verostick, a board-certified music therapist based in Danielson and a private instructor at The Complex, has shaped the production’s high-energy dance numbers with both precision and joy.
What distinguishes this production, however, is its reach. While the foundation is unmistakably local, the cast and creative team draw from across New England and beyond. Music Director Dr. E. Justin Simone, an award-winning collaborative pianist based in Providence whose résumé includes Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, leads the musical charge. Director Rachel N. Terceira has returned to the Bradley to helm a production that has drawn performers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and communities throughout Connecticut — all converging on Putnam’s historic Front Street theatre.
It is worth pausing to consider what that means. In an era when small towns are often told their best days are behind them, here is a production that is pulling artists toward our community. The Bradley Playhouse has long been a cornerstone of the Quiet Corner, but productions like this one remind us that it is also a living, breathing institution that requires — and richly rewards — our support.
Remaining performances of Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical continue through May 10 at The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front Street, Putnam. For tickets and show times, contact the box office at 860-928-7887 or visit www.thebradleyplayhouse.org.
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caption:
Corinne Sweeney and Kiku McDonald. More photos Wed. night on our FB page. Photo by Mike Scott.
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On the list
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Gabrielle Franklin of Chepachet was named to the Champlain College dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.
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