Charles Lounsbury III,
Vietnam Navy vet
PUTNAM — Charles H. Lounsbury III, 76, of Richmond Rd., died March 18, 2019, at William W. Backus Hospital. Born in 1942 in Danbury, he was the son of the late Charles H. Lounsbury Jr. and Anne Marie (Ziegler) Lounsbury Ayers.
Charlie was a 1964 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and was a Vietnam Navy veteran. He worked as an Emergency Medical Technician for American Ambulance, worked as a computer programmer and was an entrepreneur. He was a member of the Canterbury Volunteer Fire Department. He enjoyed skiing and volunteered on the Powder Ridge Ski Patrol.
He leaves his children, Jonathan Lounsbury (Heather) of Westmoreland, N.H., Heidi Lounsbury of Southington, and Gretchen Hamn (Daniel) of Rockland, Mass.; his sisters, Kathryn Phenix of Melbourne, Fla., and Linda VanEck of Vermont; five grandchildren, Sinead Politz, Addison Hamn, Phoebe Hamn, Anne Lounsbury and Samuel Lounsbury and two great-grandchildren, Jaxton Politz and Lorelei Politz.
The Funeral Service was March 23 in Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam, with an interment ceremony at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., in May.
Douglas H. Hopkins,
Vietnam war vet
POMFRET CENTER — Douglas H. Hopkins, 67, of Pomfret Center died March 16, 2019, at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven. He was the husband of Alice (Marcy) Hopkins. They were married Sept. 13, 1969.
He was born on Aug. 14, 1951, in Foster, R.I., the son of the late Jason and Viola Hopkins.
Doug was firefighter and fire police for 45 years with the Pomfret Fire Department. He was a veteran of the Vietnam war serving in the Navy as a corpsman in Newport, R.I. Doug was a truck driver for more than 20 years and enjoyed hunting. He was a very creative and artistic man. He enjoyed pumpkin carving, wood burning, airbrushing and screen printing, all while volunteering with the youth group at the Abington Congregational Church in Pomfret Center.
Besides his wife Alice, he leaves his children Kimberly White (Steven) of Salisbury, N.C., Ginger Rathbun and fiancé Paul Malley of Canterbury, Sandra Sherburne (John) of Danville, Vt., Callie Hopkins and fiancé Shane Field of Plainfield; grandchildren Shawn White, Erica Leatherman, Tricia Barnhardt, Shelby Rathbun, Sam Sherburne, Peyton Field, Max Sherburne and 6 great-grandchildren; a sister Kathleen Brackett of Foster.
Visitation is from 10 a.m. to noon April 6 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with a Graveside Service at 12:30 p.m. the Abington Cemetery, with military donors.
Lorraine Cournoyer
GROSVENORDALE — Lorraine Cournoyer, 85, formerly of Marcy Ln., died March 24, 2019, at the home of her daughter Lisa. She was born in 1933 in Auburn, Mass.
On Sept. 8, 1956, in St. Anne Church, in Oxford, Mass., she was untied in marriage to Hector Cournoyer. He died on June 1, 2001.
Lorraine worked as an inspector for Putnam Manufacturing and Sanitary Dash in N. Grosvenordale. She enjoyed crafting, shopping, going out to eat and visiting the casinos.
She leaves her son, Richard Cournoyer (Teena) of Quinebaug; her daughters, Jeannine Witter (John) of Plainfield, Lisa Phelps (Shawn) of N. Grosvenordale, Donna Obuchowski (Dave) of Webster, and Karen Cournoyer of Cocoa Beach. Fla.; her brother, Earl Dusoe of Oxford, Mass.; sisters, Nancy Johnson of Webster and Barbara Elms of Spencer, Mass.; seven grandchildren, Ryan Cournoyer, Elizabeth Beaudreault, Zachary Tefft, Melinda Hazel, Scott and Chris Johnson, Tanya and Tommy Obuchowski; her six great-grandchildren, Jackson and Olivia Beaudreault, Anthony and Alysa Hazel, Calvin Tefft and Amber Johnson. She was predeceased by her sisters Dolores Blaine and Phyllis Berthiaume; brother Ronald Dusoe.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. March 28 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: Hospice and Palliative Care of NE CT, Hospice Suite Fund, c/o box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Elizabeth Heckler
WOODSTOCK VALLEY — Elizabeth Heckler, 78 of Bradford Corner Road, Woodstock Valley, died March 19, 2019, at home. She was born Jan. 19, 1941, in New York City, to Lucy (Gorlewski) Kodym and Cashmir Kodym.
Lizzie, as she was known to her many friends, was a kind, gentle and thoughtful person. She loved her life and the path that it took. As a teacher for 40 years at Woodstock and Eastford Elementary schools, she was focused on her students. She saw each one as an individual as was her way with everyone whom she happened to know. Although a city girl by birth, she took to life on Bradford Corner Road with the same focus she showered on all aspects of her life. She and Norman restored their 18th century home with attention to historic details and a hearty dose of warmth and welcome for family and friends. The giant hearth in the center of the house emitted warmth and charm for decades as a gathering spot, but the kitchen where Liz held sway, was even more engaging. Liz cooked with locally grown foods long before the movement gained popularity.
As Norman C. Heckler & Company gained a national reputation as a premier auction and appraisal house for American antique glass, Liz did her part to build friendships and connections among the many people she met.
She was unflappable and resilient in her professional and personal affairs and, despite a deep aversion to following a recipe, managed to wow visitors to Heckler Auctions as well as at the family table with memorable meals.
In a household full of men, she kept everyone on an even keel by quietly managing with diplomacy and humor. Adored by her husband, who often liked to stop a conversation and say, “Isn’t she beautiful…” Liz was also much loved by her three sons. Grandchildren gave her an additional focus for love and affection. She was loyal beyond measure to her in-laws, Pearl and Charlie Heckler, whose long lives were enhanced by Liz’s countless acts of kindness.
Liz had a good eye for a bargain and was known to have cases of random items always at the ready as gifts for any occasion. She never visited anyone without a token that was carefully wrapped and appropriate to the interests of the recipient. She had an equally good eye for items of beauty and proportion and along with Norm created a tasteful home, landscape and lifestyle.
Liz was devoted to Roseland Park and took service as a board member seriously. She was most involved in the restoration of the park lands and the transformation of the barn into an event venue.
She leaves her husband of 57 years, Norman Heckler; three sons, Norman, Jr. of Woodstock, Matthew of New York City, and Jason of Philadelphia; her sister Celine and grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service was March 23 at the Church of the Good Shepard, W. Woodstock. Donations: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 5028, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5028. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Albert J. Morrell
PUTNAM — Albert J. “Nu-nu” Morrell, 81, died March 21, 2019, at home.
He was born in 1937 in Putnam, the son of the late Albert and Aurore (Remillard) Morrell. He was the husband of the late Joan E. (Berthiaume) Morrell.
Albert Morrell was employed as a truck driver for many years working for Wajer Trucking, American Optical and Frito Lay. He was also employed as a mason for the State of Connecticut. He was a member of Teamsters Local 493 Montville and enjoyed golfing and traveling. He was a faithful communicant of St. Mary Church of the Visitation.
He leaves his son David Morrell (Susan) of Canterbury; two daughters, Deborah Apostolik (Jack) of Leesburg, Fla., and Christine Lynch (Bill) of Spencer, Mass.; his sister Claire Lebeau of Woodstock; his grandchildren, Tiffany Chabot, Stephany Daniels, Michael Kroell, Joseph Kroell; three great-granddaughters, Abrielle, Natalie and Ella; and an expected fourth great-grandchild.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 25 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Oncology Department at the Day Kimball Hospital, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St, Putnam.
Amie B. Morse
PUTNAM — Amie B. Morse, 50, of Van den Noort St., died March 13, 2019, at home. She was the faithful companion of eight years to Peter N. Longo. Born in 1968 in Willimantic, she was the daughter of Beverly (Vertefeuille) Twerdy and the late Edward Joseph Twerdy.
She enjoyed making jewelry and was a great lover of dogs.
She leaves her companion, Peter Longo of Putnam; her mother, Beverly Twerdy; a son, Joseph Morse; and a sister Jessica Tvordi, all of Cedar City, Utah. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Mary G. Woodcock
WOODSTOCK — Mary G. Woodcock died March 14, 2019, at home.
Mary was Sept. 24, 1927, in Bethel, Maine, to Albert Harris Gibbs and Flora Belle Byrd (Churchill) Gibbs. She attended Gould Academy in Bethel and received a bachelor’s in sociology from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
She married Richard Woodcock after graduating from Bates in 1949. The years immediately following were spent, fulfilling graduate and doctoral degrees for Richard that included moves to Middletown and then Providence. They moved to Woodstock in 1956, where they bought their first home and settled down to raise their three girls; Debra, Kathryn and Laura Lee.
Mary always seemed to have time to take on some useful and fulfilling work along with raising her girls. Mary’s innate caring nature fit with her choice of volunteer activities and employment. Starting out helping in the nursery school and Kindergarten, she later worked in the nurse’s office in the Woodstock Elementary School and then in the nurse’s office at Woodstock Academy. Eventually, Mary became an administrative assistant to the director of Community Health & Home Care, the first consolidated visiting nurse and health care agency for northeastern Connecticut. She was dedicated to its initial formation, subsequent growth and resulting moves. She worked during the moves from its base in Woodstock to Putnam and to Pomfret.
As each of the children grew she led three subsequent 4-H groups; one for each of them. Mary maintained an interest in politics and belonged to the League of Women Voters. She participated in church activities and organizations and was the first women elected to the board of deacons at the First Congregational Church of Woodstock. Mary enjoyed camping and travel; from wilderness canoe trips in northern Maine to cross-country road trips traversing the U.S. and up into the Maritimes in Canada. She thoroughly enjoyed music and sang solos as a child in church and in high school drama productions. As an adult she joined the Hill Church Choir and the Northeast Connecticut Concert Choir, gradually getting the rest of the family involved. In retirement the camping tents and station wagon were replaced by more comfortable accommodations and more often travel took them outside the U.S. Many enjoyable summers were spent at the house in Cushing, Maine, where family and friends were welcomed with open arms.
She leaves her husband of almost 70 years, Richard; children: Debra and husband Ray Bard, Kathryn and husband Paul Lynn, Laura Bond and fiancé Glenn Boies; grandchildren: Caleb Shay, Desiree Bard, Justin Bard, Ian Lynn, Meredyth Lynn, Zachary Bond and Max Bond.
A service of celebration and remembrance will be at 3 p.m. April 27 at the First Congregational Church of Woodstock, Rt. 169. Donations: The First Congregational Church of Woodstock, P.O. Box 147, Woodstock, CT, 06281; or Hospice Care of Northeastern Connecticut, 32 South Main St., Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Barbara M. Williams
PUTNAM — Barbara M. Williams, 84, of Genevieve St., died March 21, 2019, in her home, after a long illness. She is the wife of the late Neal F. Williams. She was born in 1934 in Nyack, N.Y., and was the daughter of the late Arthur and Mildred (Conklin) Mathsen.
Barbara was a homemaker raising eight children. She was a classically trained pianist and gave lessons for many years. Barbara loved to read the Bible and was well known throughout the community for sharing bible knowledge with others. She was an active member of the Putnam Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
She leaves five sons, Charles A. Williams of Putnam, Richard F. Williams of Norwich, Michael J. Williams (Amy) of Putnam, Steven G. Williams (Gloria) of Norwich, and Christopher M. Williams (Diana) of Danielson; her daughter, Annemarie A. Cutler (Russell) of E. Putnam; her brother, Gordon Mathsen of Hawley, Penn.; her sister, Millicent Diffenbach of Hawley; 11 grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son and daughter, Peter J. Williams and Kathleen P. Williams.
The Memorial Service will be at 2 p.m. April 13 in the Putnam Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Tracy Rd., Dayville. Donations: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Dorothy Jarboe
COLCHESTER — Dorothy (Hoff) Jarboe, 95, of Colchester, formerly of E. Killingly and Southington, wife of the late Thomas Jarboe, died March 20, 2019.
Dorothy was born March 8, 1924, in Meriden, to the late Albert and Augusta (Wilk) Hoff. Dorothy served as the director of the Nursery School Program at Zion Lutheran Church in Southington until her retirement.
She leaves her daughter Diane Kendrick (John) of Colchester; sons Thomas Jarboe Jr. of Colchester, James Jarboe (Barbara) of Putnam, and Gary Jarboe (Amy) of Plainville; brother Howard Hoff (Marilyn) of Florida; seven grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren (with one on the way). She was predeceased by her sisters Lydia Cerrito, Ruth Oros, Eleanor Oberempt, Lillian Hoff, and brothers Albert Hoff and Robert Hoff.
A Funeral Service was March 25 and she was interred in Gethsemane Cemetery, Meriden. Donations: Charity of your choice. Beecher and Bennett Funeral Home.
Helena Witkowski
THOMPSON — Helena B. Witkowski of Thompson died March 16, 2019. Helena was born in Thompson, the daughter of the late Wojciec (Albert) and Aniela (Skowron) Witkowski on April 17, 1927.
Helena graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School in N. Grosvenordale, the Connecticut Institute of Hairdressing and Cosmetology in Hartford, Central Connecticut College in New Britain, with a bachelor’s in education and the Summer School of Krakow, Poland, with a certificate in education.
Ms. Witkowski was the owner of Helen’s Beauty Shoppe in Putnam. She then was the department head of 40 years at the H. Ellis Vocational and Technical School, retiring on April 1, 1986. She was a member of the Connecticut State Employees Association.
She leaves numerous nephews and nieces. Helena was predeceased by five brothers, Anthony, John, Stanley, Paul and Walter, and five sisters; Frances Dalterio, Josephine Dabrowski, Mary Walkowicz, Anna Witkowski and Julie Robbins. The Funeral at St. Joseph Church. N. Grosvenordale, will be announced at a later date. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: St. Joseph School, N. Grosvenordale for a scholarship for students entering a college to major in education. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Geneva M. Dudley
MENDON, Mass. — Geneva M. (Wilbur) Dudley, 95, of Mendon died March 23, 2019, in Countryside Health Care, Milford, Mass. She was the wife of the late Frank E. Dudley who died in 2004.
She was born in 1924 in Mendon, the daughter of the late Carl and Nellie (Tucker) Wilbur and was a graduate of the former Mendon High School.
Mrs. Dudley had worked for 40 years for the former New England Telephone Company in Milford where she was a supervisor. Geneva, along with her husband, loved to travel throughout the U.S. and Canada. She was a longtime member of the Mendon Unitarian Congregation and active with the church’s Ladies Alliance. She was also a member of the former Mendon Grange and the former Telephone Pioneers of America. She was proud of her Native American heritage that is traced to the Nipmuc Indian Tribe.
She leaves 10 nieces and nephews, many great and great-great nieces and nephews, and two first cousins, some in the Putnam area. She was predeceased by two brothers John and Sherman Wilbur and a sister Doris Alberto.
The Funeral Service was March 28 in the Unitarian Congregation of Mendon. Donations: Alzheimer’s Association, MA Chapter, 309 Waverly Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA 02452; or to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. Buma-Sargeant Funeral Home, Milford.
Southam Service
A Memorial Service to celebrate the life of Christine H. Southam will be held at the Cornerstone Baptist Church at noon April 7 following the regular 10:30 a.m. Sunday worship service. Refreshments will be served following the service.
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