R. Howard Smith,

Korean war vet

DAYVILLE  — R. Howard Smith, 82, died peacefully Nov. 18, 2016, while on vacation in S. Yarmouth, Mass.,  on Cape Cod. 

Howard was born on April 20, 1934, in Paterson, N.J., to Ona Mae and Walter B. Smith. In his teenage years, he was a member of the 1949 national championship New Jersey Civil Air Patrol Cadet drill team. After serving in the Army in Europe during the Korean War, Howard graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in education and from Parsons School of Design with a degree in interior architecture and design, which he practiced for 13 years in northern New Jersey. Howard served as Borough Council member, Council President, and Mayor of Bloomingdale, N.J.

Howard moved to northeastern Connecticut in 1973 along with his young family and parents. There he began his real estate career. He worked with Petrowsky Real Estate before forming his own real estate firm. As a broker, Howard specialized in commercial, industrial, and investment real estate. He was also a respected real estate appraiser. Howard was heavily invested in his community, serving as president of the Northeast Connecticut Board of Realtors, a director of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, member and secretary of the Board of Directors of Day Kimball Hospital, chairman of the Killingly Water Pollution Control Authority, and member of the Board of the E. Killingly Fire District. He was a frequent participant in town meetings until his retirement.

Howard had many interests during his life. He loved his family, the visual arts, organic gardening, history, beekeeping, boating and sailing, coastal Maine, UConn women’s basketball, and was passionate about woodworking late in his life. 

He leaves his wife of 56 years, Genevieve, of Dayville;; his daughters, C. Kelly Smith of Providence, and Ellen Pratt of Danielson; his son-in-law, Kevin Pratt, of Danielson; his grandchildren, Sedona Pratt and Bryce Pratt, both of Danielson; his sister, Evelyn White (Edwin) of Middleboro, Mass., and Florida; his niece, Jennifer Heine of Hanson, Mass., and nephew, Christopher White of Furlong Penn. and his West Coast nieces, Karen Smith of Sacramento, and Toni Smith of Portland. Howard was predeceased by his brother David, who died in a plane crash in 1964.

Services were private. Donations: Wounded Warrior Project, Inc.  Gilman and Valade Funeral Home in Putnam.

 

Jacqueline Beaudoin

DAYVILLE —  Jacqueline (Holgerson) Beaudoin, 82, of Country Club Rd., died Nov. 22, 2016, at home. She was the wife of the late Edward Beaudoin.  Born in 1934 in Dayville, she was the daughter of the late William Holgerson and Rose (Lafave) Holgerson.

Mrs. Beaudoin worked as one of the first LPNs for Day Kimball Hospital for 35 years and the Holy Spirit Provincial House.  She also volunteered for Day Kimball Hospice.  She loved cats and enjoyed shopping, especially with her best friend Joan. She was an avid fan of UConn basketball and the New England Patriots.  She enjoyed feeding the geese, watching the Catholic network on TV, and was a parishioner of the former St. Anne Church in Ballouville. She was an extremely kind woman.

She leaves her son, Edgar Coderre (Karen) of Thompson; her daughters, Suzon Warner (Howard) of Pomfret, and Robin Hubert (Richard) of Danielson; stepdaughter Robin Sanzi (Gene) of Putnam; her sister, Betty Baranski of Pomfret; her grandchildren, Kelly, Amanda, Amie, Sarah, and Cole; her great-grandchildren, Lily, Miarose, Cassidy, and Micheala; and step grandchildren Gino and Alicia. 

A Funeral Mass was Nov. 26 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Dayville. Donations: N.E.C.O.G., P.O. Box 759, Dayville, CT 06241;  or to E.W.T.V, 5817 Old Leeds Rd., Irondale, AL 35210. Gilman–Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

James Dina

PUTNAM — James Dina, 79, of Putnam, died Nov. 23, 2016, at the W.W. Backus Hospital in Norwich. He was the husband of Christina (Miloseva) Dina for 46 years. 

He was born Aug. 23, 1937, in Putnam, son of Ahilea and Nada (Popoff) Dina. He worked for the IRS and as a lab technician at the Belding Heminway Mill, and later for Crabtree & Evelyn and Staples Distribution. He made his home in Putnam all his life, was an avid sports fan of the Red Sox, Patriots, and UConn women’s basketball. He enjoyed family trips to Japan, Bermuda, Hawaii and San Francisco, and especially Macedonia to visit relatives. He enjoyed reading, sports statistics, grocery shopping. James was a caring, honest and loyal man who always put his family first.  

In addition to his wife Christina, he leaves a son: Christopher Dina (Yukari); a daughter: Elizabeth (Dina) Gavaris (Spiro), all of the New York City area; three grandchildren: Emika, Charlie and Ethan James; a sister: Mary Page (Gary) of Putnam; a sister-in-law: Pauline Dina of Putnam. He was predeceased by his brother Alexander Dina. 

The Funeral was Nov. 28 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Danielson with burial in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: The American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., I-91 Tech Ctr., Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Catherine A. Dowe

TUSCON, Ariz. — Catherine A. Dowe, 53, formerly of Putnam, died Nov. 14, 2016, in University of Arizona Medical Center. Born in 1963 in Putnam, she was the daughter of Margaret M. (Boux) Dowe of Las Vegas, and the late Harold Dowe.

Miss Dowe attended Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., and attended Central State College in New Britain.  She went on to receive her associate’s degree at QVCC in Danielson.  She then attended the Business Music School in Atlanta for a year.  She then moved to California, then moved back east and realized that she enjoyed traveling so she attended a travel school in Boston.  She worked at Rite Aide for two years and went on and worked as an airline reservationist for American Airlines for 27 years.  She enjoyed visiting Las Vegas, people watching, attending live concerts and especially enjoyed traveling.  She was a very generous person with her friends and did give a lot to the poor.  

She leaves her mother Margaret Dowe; two brothers Gregory Dowe of Dallas, and Michael Dowe of Las Vegas; her sister Elizabeth Sankow (Fred) of Old Lyme; a nephew Chad and two nieces Stacey and Sarah. 

The Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 7 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation on Providence Street, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005; or to St. Mary Church of the Visitation, 218 Providence St., Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes, 104 Church St., Putnam.

 

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