Umberto Colangelo

PUTNAM – Umberto Colangelo, 83, of Putnam, died Feb. 14, 2015, at home. 

“Bert” was born on April 14, 1931, in Providence, the son of the late Nicola and Virginia (Fabriani) Colangelo. 

He leaves his former wife and lifelong best friend, Helene Freuden; his children, Linda Colangelo and Laura Crosetti; Lisa and Marios Evripidou; Paul Colangelo and Colleen Howell; and David and Tracey Colangelo. He was a beloved Poppy to his grandchildren whom he adored – Stavros Evripidou; Emily, Noah, and Grace Colangelo; and Nicolas Colangelo. Their presence enriched his life beyond measure. He also leaves two sisters; Christina Colangelo of Providence and Jennie Kiernan of Cranston; a brother, Luigi Colangelo of Providence; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sisters Ida and Lucy Colangelo; and Gina Colasanto.

Bert was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and a respected educator in the Killingly School system for 32 years where he proudly shaped thousands of young lives. We are comforted by the many legendary stories we hear about “Mr. Colangelo.” He was also a former member of Putnam Elks Lodge #574.

He was known as a gentleman, a sharp dresser, a problem-solver, a storyteller, and a good friend – the kind you could call at two in the morning if you were stranded somewhere — he would pick you up, no questions asked. He loved breakfast at Main Street Grille; taking the grandkids to Nikki’s Doghouse and The Courthouse for meals; and Rite-Aid for trinkets and candy. He enjoyed many special family occasions at 85 Main and Bella’s. He and Helene were frequently spotted at Someplace Special sharing a salad, sandwich, and “a cold one.”

His numerous trips to Price Chopper supermarket were rivaled only by his trips to Aubuchon Hardware, where he was known to make 12 visits on a single Saturday in an attempt to replace a “standard” toilet seat. Most of his home improvement projects were finished with great detail, determination, and a fiery combination of Italian-American expletives. His children have proudly carried on the tradition of the “Curse of the Colangelo Quarter-Inch” – a guarantee that the new furniture will never fit through the door, the extension cord will always fall a quarter inch short, and the replacement mini blind will always be a quarter inch too long.

He was always a familiar face in the crowd; always present for anything that was important to his children and grandchildren – hockey, football, baseball, softball, and basketball games; State championships; dance recitals; choral and band concerts; Little League, Memorial Day, and Holiday Dazzle Light parades; Broadway Live shows; Tolland Idol and any other performances that had anything to do with his offspring whether they were selling tickets or in a starring role. We will also miss his annual reciting of his favorite Christmas tale, titled “When I was a Kid My Only Gift was a Nail in a Coffee Can.” Based on a true story, of course.

Dad bought more Girl Scout cookies, Boy Scout popcorn, subscriptions to magazines, citrus fruit, candy bars, butter braids, cookie dough, refrigerator magnets and other fund-raising “must haves” than any man could possibly use or ever need. Poppy could never utter “no” to a student on a mission.

Bert avidly supported his children’s many business ventures ranging from fitness centers and clothing stores in Virginia Beach to Fox Hunt Farms Gourmet and Café in Woodstock, where he scooped ice cream, sliced deli meat, made deliveries, and waited on customers for eight joyful years. Once, during an extended power outage, we made him transport 700 pounds of cheese to another location with refrigerated storage. His car smelled like Blue Stilton for years, but he never complained. He measured out camping spots at the northeastern Connecticut Relay For Life and parlayed that extraordinary skill into plotting out vendor spaces when he worked the Woodstock Fair Concessions Department for three years. Though never a golfer, he could drive a golf cart like nobody’s business.

As the patriarch of the Italian Wonder Kitchen, Bert was famous for his pan-fried spaghetti, broccoli rabe with sweet sausage, and his hearty beef stew. He fervently debated the authentic way to prepare many an Italian dish, refusing to accept the fact that raisins and pignoli nuts could actually be legally added to “Pizza d’Bien,” a traditional meat-and-cheese pie served at Easter dinner. The bastardization of his time-honored recipes by the Food Channel often erupted into arguments that resulted in his boycott of said holiday dinners. After 61 years together, Helene was shocked to learn that Bert preferred “fluffy eggs” over her Italian frittata, but is learning to cope.

Dad loved telling a good joke; enjoyed his crossword puzzles, reading, card games, Scrabble, working on cars, salt water fishing, and rocking on the front porch at 143 Grove. He could recite Hamlet’s entire “To be or not to be” soliloquy from memory. His brilliant mind could also remember most of the names of his former students and the number of detentions he doled out over three decades. He could not, however, recall three simple items on Mom’s grocery list.

Forever the math teacher, he loved helping his grandchildren with their homework, taught them cool math tricks, and cursed their dependency on digital devices. Speaking of cursing, he also loved spending time with his best friend, Charlie Franklin, and enjoyed their jaunts together to JD Coopers and the casinos. Despite being a world-class mathematician, Bert could never put the right numbers together to win the lottery or a horse race.

He loved the Boston Red Sox and his Fantasy Football team, The Pasta Fazoolas. The family thanks the New England Patriots for making Dad’s last Super Bowl one for the ages.

He remained a devoted son-in-law to Tina Olivo, visiting her almost daily at Westview Health Care Center to transport her laundry back and forth from home. She is probably sitting there in her last clean nightie wondering where the heck he is. Dad never figured that 103-year-old Tina would outlive him, but forever the gentleman; he went first so he could hold Heaven’s door open for her.

Dad faced his diagnosis of lung cancer with astounding courage, opting to let nature run its course without intervention; choosing quality of life over quantity of years. He said that the only benefit was that it gave him time to make amends; express his love and gratitude; and enjoy the company of his family and friends; his trusted physician Dr. Joseph Botta, and his favorite nurse and dear friend, Lizzie Hagan. Only Dad was allowed to call her “Lizzie,” so don’t start taking liberties.

Finally, in his own words, here is what Bert wants you to know: 

“You have often heard people say that they are ‘waiting for their ship to come in.’ I believe that everyone’s ship comes in at exactly the same time… and that is the moment we are born. Our ship arrives with a cargo area that holds a large, empty crate and from our very first cry, everything goes into that crate - everything. The first and last words we will speak; every breath we will ever take; every heart we will ever break. Every thought, every word, every deed…all our sunshine, rain, suffering, and pain. Every opportunity, experience, success, and failure. Every relationship we will ever share. We spend our entire life filling that crate until one day our ship arrives for us again. Hopefully, our final journey will be over calm seas helped along by a slight breeze…and then we set sail, never to be seen or heard from again. But there is one thing we leave behind. The crate. The crate filled with everything we ever did, said, or felt in our lives. This is the priceless treasure that we leave on the shore for others to find and by which to remember us or judge us. As you read this, my ship has set sail for my final journey…so I bid you this:

As you live your life and make your choices, remember to fill your crate well, my friends. Fill it well.”

At Bert’s request, a celebration of his life will be held in the Spring. Until then, if his spirit moves you, come by and say a prayer at Bert’s beloved Prayer Tree at the corner of Grove and Center in Putnam…then do something nice for someone in his memory.

 

Bruce A. Chenail

Bruce Alan Chenail, formerly of Putnam, died unexpectedly Feb. 13, 2015, at the age 58.  

Chenail was born April 3, 1956, in Putnam to Evelyn (Desautels) Chenail and the late Donald “Beansie” Chenail.  Bruce attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, Putnam High School, and UConn.  He met and married his wife Julie (Yach) Chenail of Appleton, Wisc.  

They moved to Vermont in 1985 and raised two children, Theresa and Jeremy.  Chenail was an active member of the Moose Lodge, American Legion, and VFW.  He worked in various roles with the State of Vermont for 25 years, most recently as a Workers Compensation Administrator.  Bruce and Julie retired on Dec. 26, 2014, and moved to their new home in Florida.  

He leaves his wife of 31 years, Julie; his daughter Theresa; and son Jeremy; his mother Evelyn; four brothers and eight nieces and nephews.  

Memorial Services were Feb. 20 at Downing Funeral Parlor in Florida.  The family also plans to make a trip to Vermont in the summer to honor Bruce’s memory up north.

 

Peter T. Wetherell, 

Vietnam war vet  

WOODSTOCK —  Peter Trowbridge Wetherell, husband of Mary Anne (Tamblyn) Wetherell, died Feb. 17, 2015, at Day Kimball Hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer. 

Born in 1944 in Hartford, he was the son of the late Franklin Steere and Marie (Trowbridge) Wetherell.  Peter was raised and lived in Woodstock most of his life and loved this special town and the community he called his home. He was a captain in the U.S. Army and served from 1965 through 1969, with two tours in Vietnam. Peter and his friend Len Funk were chosen by John Paul Vann to form the first two-man district advisory team in Military Region IV, Ap Bac. Peter was a combat infantry veteran and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Gallantry Cross and medals for his service in the Vietnam and Tet Campaigns. 

Service and volunteerism were an important part of Peter’s life. He was a 40-year member of the Muddy Brook Fire Department, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Woodstock Academy and also the proud donor of more than 24 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross.

He attended the University of Tampa and UConn before starting a career with Wetherell Realty in Woodstock. He retired from Southbridge Tire in 2002 to spend time on his boat The Common Loon at the Cape and in the Florida Keys with his wife Mary. Peter loved fishing, boating, reading mysteries, but most of all he enjoyed telling tales with his friends. 

In addition to his wife, he leaves his sister and brother-in-law Jane and Bill St. Onge of Putnam, their children Caroline St. Onge McLaughlin (Matt) and Will St. Onge; brothers-in-law Jeffrey Tamblyn, Dan Tamblyn, Gerry Tamblyn (Maria), Jon Tamblyn and Norbert Tamblyn; nieces and nephews Julie Tamblyn, Josh and Nick Tamblyn, Taylor Tamblyn and Mitchell, Wesley and Lauren Tamblyn; cousins Presley and Brian Wetherell, Holly Poh and Geoy Wetherell. 

A Memorial Service will be held April 11 at the E. Woodstock Congregational Church. Time of service will be posted later. Donations: Muddy Brook Fire Department, P.O. Box 222 E. Woodstock, CT 06244. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Ethel Platt

ABINGTON — Ethel Blackman Platt, 86, of the Abington section of Pomfret, died Feb. 19, 2015, in Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam after a battle with leukemia. 

She was born Aug. 11, 1928, in Bristol, the daughter of Elmer B. and Jessie H. Blackman. She grew up in Bristol, Barkhamsted and Canton. She graduated from Canton High School. 

She married James N. Platt July 9, 1951, and they lived in Virginia, California, New York, Ankara Turkey, Brookfield and eventually settled in Pomfret. She spent much of her life as a stay-at-home mom, but eventually became office manager for her husband’s real estate appraisal firm. She was a member of Abington Congregational Church and played the organ for 35 years as well as being a deacon and financial secretary. She was also a member of Betty Putnam Eastern Star Chapter and the Pomfret Historical Society. She enjoyed knitting, doll making and working puzzles

She leaves her son David Platt and his wife Lois Ouellette of Florence, Ariz.; her daughter Judith E Platt and her husband Kevin Boehm of Contoocook, N.H.; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She is predeceased by her brother Robert Blackman, her sister Mildred Wright of Torrington.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. March 7 at the Abington Congregational Church with a reception to follow at the parish hall. Donations: Abington Congregational Church, P.O. Box 289 Pomfret Center, CT 06259. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Roland J. Hardy

N. GROSVENORDALE — Roland J. Hardy, 77, Seastrand Rd, died Feb.  10, 2015, in Day Kimball Hospital.  He was the husband of Gertrude (Ravenelle) Hardy and the late Anna (Caron) Hardy.  

Born in 1937 in Winchendon, Mass., he was the son of the late Alcida E. and Laudia M. (Duval) Hardy. Mr. Hardy worked as a material handler for Putnam Precision Molding. He enjoyed fishing and playing his harmonica.

In addition to his wife, he leaves two daughters, Linda A. Fontaine of Rogers, and Jan Gervais of Danielson; four stepdaughters, Diane Stephens of Putnam, Claudette White of Florida, Jeanne Verdone of Thompson, and Vivian Kozey of Eastford; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and numerous step-grandchildren.

Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. March 14 in Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale. 

 

Rev. Sylva P. LeCours

BALLOUVILLE — The Reverend Sylva P. LeCours, 94,  retired priest of the Diocese of Norwich, died Feb. 16, 2015, in Windham. He was 94. 

Father LeCours was born Nov. 25, 1920, in Haverhill, Mass., son of the late Lionel and Angelina LeCours.  He prepared for the priesthood at the Marist Seminary in Framingham, and was ordained a priest on Feb. 3, 1947, by Richard Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, in Our Lady of Victories Church, Boston.

Father LeCours came to the Diocese of Norwich in 1973, having served for many years as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Westerly, R.I.  He served as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Groton, St. Edward Church in Stafford Springs and at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich before his appointment in June, 1983, to pastor of St. Anne Church in Ballouville.  Father LeCours retired from active ministry in August, 2008.

Father LeCours is predeceased by his sister, Marguerite Danico.  He leaves six nieces and nephews – Sandra Roche, Karen Glennon, Kelly Danico, Kevin Danico, Scott Danico, and Sean Danico. 

The Ceremony of the Vigil for the Deceased was Feb. 20 and the Parish Mass was in St. James  Church. Interment was in St. Joseph Cemetery, Haverhill. .  Donations:  St. James School, 120 Water Street, Danielson, CT  06239. Gagnon & Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Lillian Sevigny-Melton

NORWICH —  Lillian M. (Van Evelingen) Sevigny-Melton, 81, of Taftville-Occum Rd., died Feb. 20, 2015, in Apple Rehabilitation of Colchester.  She is the wife of the late Normand Sevigny and the late Buddy Melton.  

Born in 1933 in Falmouth Cornwall, England, she was the daughter of the late William Van Evelingen and Hazel L. (Ozart) Van Evelingen.

Lillian worked as a C.N.A. in nursing for Villa Maria Nursing Home.  She enjoyed crocheting and knitting. She loved spending time with her dogs, “Monkey and Shadow.”  

She leaves her son, Steven A. Sevigny of Florida, Gerald Sevigny of Brooklyn, and Willard T. Sevigny (Kristen) of Thompson; her daughter, Janet A. Sevigny of Norwich; her brothers, Hendrick Van Evelingen, and Allan Humpage; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.  She is predeceased by her son, Donald N. Sevigny. 

Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. March 1 a service at 7 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. Burial will take place in the spring in Munyan Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: P.A.W.S., P.O. Box 248, Eastford, CT 06242; or to the Humane Society, 2100 L. St.  N.W., Washington, DC 20037.  

 

Linda Freeman

WEBSTER — Linda M. (Dudek) Freeman, 62, died Feb. 17, 2015, at the Lanessa Extended Care.  

She was born in Putnam daughter of Cecile and the late Stanley Dudek and lived in Webster for the past two years, prior to that living in Danielson.  She enjoyed music and TV.  

She leaves her daughter Michelle and her husband Derek Blain of Pomfret Center; four sons David Freeman of Webster, Joseph Freeman of N. Grosvenordale, Paul Yovan Jr. of Danielson and Robert Aubin of Connecticut; two brothers, Michael and Richard Dudek of Brooklyn; five grandchildren; her mother Cecile (Dessert) Dudek of Brooklyn.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.  Donations: The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

Zita Zaranka

PUTNAM — Zita Zaranka, 86, of Putnam, formerly of Norwood, Mass.,  died Feb. 15, 2015. 

She was the daughter of the late Pranas and Felicija (Piesina) Zaranka and sister of the late Justinas Zaranka. 

She was a retired supervisor for Bank of America. She was also a graduate of Emmanuel College. 

The Funeral was Feb. 20 at the Kraw-Kornack Funeral Home, Norwood, with burial at Highland Cemetery, Norwood. Donations: Charity of your choice.

 

..