William E. Parquette

POMFRET — William “Will” Parquette, 63, of Longmeadow Drive, died Feb. 11, 2014, surrounded by his loved ones.  He was the husband of Carol (Hamel) Parquette and father of Michelle Parquette of Auburn, Mass.

Will was a graduate of Pomfret Prep, and attended UConn.  He was in sales and marketing for Cargill Chevrolet, and was the “Voice of Cargill Radio”.  He had also worked for Gates Automotive Group and Gibson Guitar.  Will was a writer doing business writing for various trade magazines.  Above all, his biggest passion was playing his guitar.  He played lead guitar with many local bands in his lifetime.

Born in 1950 in Gloucester, Mass., he was the son of the late William and Rosemary (Tabini) Parquette.  In addition to his wife and daughter, he leaves his brother, Larry Parquette (Christine) of Putnam; his sister, Linda Parquette of Woodstock. 

A Mass of Christian Burial was Feb. 15 in Most Holy Trinity Church, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery.  Donations: Deary Memorial Foundation, P.O. Box 688, Danielson, CT 06239. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

Leo R. Morin Sr.,

Korean war vet

PUTNAM — Leo R. Morin Sr., 80, of Ballou St., formerly of N. Grosvenordale, died Feb. 15, 2014, in Pine Grove Nursing Home.  He is the husband of Rachael (Bazinet) Morin.  Born in 1934 in N. Grosvenordale, he was the son of the late Joseph and Alice (Fournier) Morin.

Leo was a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy serving during the Korean Conflict. 

Mr. Morin was an enthusiastic NASCAR fan and devoted follower of the Notre Dame Football team.  Leo was a life member of the VFW Post 1523, American Legion, and a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus Cargill Council. 

In addition to his wife, he leaves sons, Leo R. Morin Jr. (Lois) of Orange Park, Fla.,  Michael G. Morin (Carol) of Worcester, and Glenn A. Morin and his friend Shannon Goulet of Norwich; sister Lucille Gilbert of Atlanta; grandchildren Kevin, Jessica, David, Glenn Jr., April, Melissa, Angela, and Candice; great-grandchildren, Oliver, Maximillian, Fabien, Bastian Leo, and Kailey. Leo is predeceased by three sisters Florence Larouche, Rita Markie, and Jeannette Ducharme. 

Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 19 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. A graveside service with Military Honors will be held at later date.  

 

Richard S. Varanai 

THOMPSON —  Richard Varanai, 75, of Alix Drive, died Feb. 6, 2014, at home after a long battle with COPD. 

He leaves his wife of 34 years, Patricia Varanai; five stepchildren, five stepgrandchildren and eight step great-grandchildren; six children; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two sisters and two brothers. He was predeceased by his former wife, a sister and a brother.

Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Leonard H. Belair,

WWII vet

WOODSTOCK — Leonard Henry Belair, 93, of Woodstock, died Feb. 8, 2014, at the Matulaitis Nursing Home. Born Jan. 21, 1921, in Putnam he was the son of Joseph Moses and Lucender (Montpelier) Belair. 

In 1945 after returning from WWII Army Air Corp. service in Europe, he married Edna Cole West of Woodstock. The couple settled in Glastonbury where they raised their family. 

In the 1950s Leonard founded Sound Engineering Corp. in Hartford. He operated the business until 1980 when he semiretired. Returning to Woodstock he worked as a financial planner until age 70. Leonard and Edna enjoyed their retirement sharing good times with cherished friends and an annual family reunion at the Woodstock Fair. 

Leonard was a communicant at the Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret, an active member of the Woodstock Agricultural Society and sexton for Quasset Cemetery. He enjoyed music, dancing, bird watching, tinkering with clocks and caring for his home.  In his later years he always wore his signature bolo tie. Leonard’s willingness to offer a helping hand, his belief in doing the right thing, quick wit and great story telling abilities made him a welcomed friend. He was known for his hugs - his grandchildren will always remember his greeting as he would pick them up, twirl them around and give the best hugs ever.

In 2012 Leonard was preceded in death by Edna, his wife of 67 years and by three siblings, Charles Belair, Angele Firestine and Armen Belair. He leaves family members; Randy Belair (Janis) of Willington, Timothy Belair (Kathy) of s. Berwick, Maine, and Lori Dakin (Dennis) of Woodstock; grandchildren, Briana Ross (Jason), Kelly Hemming (Matt), Jennifer Dakin, Dana Allen (Peter), Kate Belair, and great-grandchildren, Jenna, Jackson, Lauren, Charlotte and Leonora; brother, Arthur from Whitinsville, Mass.  

Donations: CT Audubon Society, P.O. Box 11, Pomfret Center, 06259;  or the Alzheimer’s Assoc. (19 Ohio Ave., Norwich, CT 06360.

 

Milton R. Rollinson,

Korean war vet

POMFRET — Milton Rollinson died Feb. 13, 2014, at home.

He was the son of Walter and Corrine (Lajeunesse) Rollinson. Born Sept. 19, 1929 in  Putnam, he was a graduate of Killingly High School, class of 1947, and attended URI.

He served during the Korean war with 11th Airborne Div as a paratrooper in 503rd  Company C. 

He was married on Aug. 25, 1956, to M. Elizabeth Vileno in Providence. He was employed by CEM Co. (Spirol) as sales manager and left to become a self-employed Manufacturers’ Representative in the ‘70s. He was a communicant at Most Holy Trinity Church and long time member of the Lion’s club, chairing several fund-raising events. He was awarded Pomfret Lion’s “Man of the Year” in 1988.

A member and chairman of the Pomfret Republican Town Committee, he served on the Pomfret BOE, building committee for the firehouse, member of   Small Cities Housing Grants board, instrumental in acquiring the land for the Pomfret Recreation Park, long time board member and treasurer for the Pomfret Boy Scouts and also assisted in the Pomfret Little League. He loved nature, enjoyed fishing, canoeing, skiing, hiking, and was an avid bird watcher.

He leaves his wife; daughter Elizabeth Rollinson Jacobs (Steven) of Ashford; sons Mark C (Nancy) of Bozrah and Paul M (Frances) of Pomfret; grandchildren Daniel Jacobs (Abby) of Epping, N.H., Emily E Jacobs of Glastonbury, Rebecca M Rollinson of Manchester, N.H., Jennifer K Rollinson of Pomfret, Martha E, Emma J and John W Rollinson of Bozrah; great-granddaughter Hope M Jacobs of Epping. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brother Merrill and his infant daughter Mary.

Visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 24 at the Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial with military honors in Pomfret South Cemetery in the spring.  Donations: Hospice of NE CT, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260; or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kan. 66675; or The Wyndham Land Trust, Inc., PO Box 302, Pomfret Center, CT 06259.  

 

Cynthia King

DAYVILLE — Cynthia Marion King, 82, of Dayville,  died Feb. 12, 2014, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. Cynthia was born Sept. 9, 1931, in Moosup, daughter of the late Raymond and Sophie (Koss) Bessette. She was the wife of the late James E. S. King.  

Cynthia was a graduate of Plainfield High School, class of 1949, attended the Worcester City School of Nursing and graduated in 1952. In addition to caring for eight children of her own, she worked as a Registered Nurse in the Day Kimball Hospital Nursery Maternity Unit for 36x years. There, she cared for and nurtured thousands of newborns.

She was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Church in Dayville. She loved to knit, enjoyed reading and music, flowers, gardening and her morning crossword puzzle. Playing   cards with family, especially cribbage was another favorite pastime. She enjoyed cooking for her family, especially for holidays and family gatherings. She also loved the traditional canning of fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies and passed down the art to her children. 

She leaves her children, Raymond Scott King (Vicki)  of Round Rock, Texas, David M. King (Karen) of Hamden, Kathryn J. King of Putnam, Major Gregory F, King (Retired, USAF) (Suzanne) of Bosque Farms, N.M., Timothy J. King (Adrienne) of Dayville, John P. King (Reneé) of N. Grosvenordale, Paul S. King of Thompson, and Peter E. King of Norwich; sisters, Joyce Campbell of Philadelphia, and Marcia Huhta (Matti) of Moosup;  grandchildren  Jason, Jordan, Erin, Meagan, Adam, Daniel, Allison, Ryan, Sage, Kaitlyn, Shawn, Beth; great-grandchildren, Kahlan and Wesley; lifelong friend Virginia Mainville. She was predeceased by a sister Lynne Harris.

The Mass of Christian Burial was Feb. 18 in St. Joseph Church, Dayville, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: Southeast Connecticut Community Center of the Blind, 120 Broad St., New London, CT 06320. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Henry Gankofskie,

WWII vet

COVENTRY — Henry “Hank” Gankofskie, 90, of Cedar Swamp Road, died Feb. 7, 2014, at home after a short illness. He was the husband of the late Lillian Gankofskie. Born in Manchester,  he was the son of the late Stephen and Katherine (Demko) Gankofskie. 

Henry worked for Case Bros. and Cell-U Products of Manchester before his retirement in 1986. He was a WWII Army veteran serving in France and Central Europe where he received a Bronze Star.

For most of his life, Hank owned and raised cows on his farm in Coventry. He also planted and maintained a large vegetable garden every year for his family. His joy was being part of the land that he loved. 

He leaves his sons; Kenneth (Beth) of Venice, Fla., David (Margaret) of Willington, and Richard (Catherine) of Kennesaw, Ga.; six grandchildren and one great- grandchild. He was predeceased by his brother George Gankofskie. 

 A memorial service and interment will take place in the spring at The Concordia Lutheran Church Memorial Garden in Manchester. Donations: The Concordia Lutheran Church, 40 Pitkin St. Manchester CT. 06040. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. 

 

E. ‘Betty’ Lajeunesse

N. GROSVENORDALE —  Elizabeth (Lewis) Lajeunesse, 87, formerly of Riverside Drive, died Feb. 15, 2014, in Matulaitis Nursing Home.  She was the wife of the late Robert A. Lajeunesse.  

Born in 1926 in Swansea, South Wales, UK, she was the daughter of the late Ivor and Alice (Leigh) Lewis.

Mrs. Lajeunesse was a supervisor for Woodstock Line.  

She was a member of the VFW Putnam Women’s Auxiliary.

She leaves her son, Michael A. Lajeunesse of N. Grosvenordale; her daughter, Ruth Simmons of Moosup; her brother, Dudley Lewis of Swansea South Wales; her grandchildren, Roxanne Rhault, Ron Rhault, and Val Haggerty; and her great grandchildren, Patrick and Montana Haggerty, and Evan and Drew Rhault.

Visitation is at 9 a.m. March 28 in the Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale with the funeral at 10 a.m. with burial in West Thompson Cemetery. 

Donations: Community Fire Department and Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 874, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255; and/or West Thompson Fire Department, 248 W. Thompson Road, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255; or to a charity of your choice.  

 

Jeannette R. Leduc

PUTNAM — Jeannette R. (Caron) Leduc, of Dufault St., died Feb. 8, 2014, at home.

She was the wife of the late Eugene “Vic” Leduc.  

Born in 1920 in Taunton, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Theophile and Josephine (Pothier) Caron.