Raymond L. Morin,

WWII vet

DANIELSON — Raymond L. Morin, 89, of Danielson died Dec. 14, 2016, at Davis Place in Danielson. He was the husband of Rita (LaFlamme) Morin for 70 years. 

He was born Oct. 19, 1927, in Killingly, son of the late Israel and Laura (Chenail) Morin. Ray was a longtime resident of Killingly. He was a veteran of WWII serving with the U.S. Navy on the USS Macon, a light destroyer. 

He owned and operated Morin’s Atlantic Gas Station in Dayville for more than 10 years. Ray was a 50-year member of the Pomfret Rod and Gun Club and enjoyed the outdoor sports of hunting and fishing. He was an avid fan of horse racing and the Patriots. 

Besides his wife Rita he leaves his children, Richard Morin (Elizabeth) of Pomfret Center, Kevin Morin of Dayville, Gail Morin of Dayville; eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a brother Rene Morin.

A Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 20 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial with military honors in Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam, CT 06260. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson. 

 

Randall D. Wiedner,

Army vet

PUTNAM —  Randall D. Wiedner, 56, of Union St., died Dec. 10, 2016, in Day Kimball Hospital. Born in 1960 in St. Louis, he was the son of the late Margret Wiedner and Earl Wiedner.

Randy was a 1978 graduate of the Jennings High School in Jennings, Kan., and was a peacetime U.S. Army veteran.  He worked at U.S. Button for the past 10 years as a press mechanic in the pre-form department, previously working as a pipefitter and welder.

He was known as the class clown and loved being the center of attention making everyone laugh. Randall was a “Jack of all trades and a master of none” and pleasured in having a beer with friends.

He leaves his son Thomas Wiedner of Lake Orion, Mich. ; his daughter Ashley Loewen of Waterford, Mich; brother of Chris Wiedner of Illinois; three grandchildren Samantha Wiedner, Thomas Wiedner II, and Emma Lee Wiedner.

The Funeral was private. Gilman & Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, Putnam.

 

Carol E. Walberg

WOODSTOCK — Carol E. (Shooter) Walberg, 76, of Woodstock, died Dec. 12, 2016, at home.

Her husband, Donald Walberg, died in 2013.  She leaves one son, Donald R. Walberg of Pomfret; three daughters, Jill Duggan of Canton, Mass., Judy Walberg and her husband Dan French of Woodstock, Kristen Walberg of Charlton, one brother, Dennis Shooter of Columbia; one sister, Katherine Shooter of Woodstock; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  She was predeceased by a brother, Thomas Shooter and a sister, Diane Anderson.

She was born in Williamsport, Penn., daughter of the late Charles and G. Marie (Beiter) Shooter and lived in Woodstock most of her life.  She was the Woodstock tax assessor for 25 years, retiring in 2002.  

The Funeral was private.  Donations: Charity of the donor’s choice.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.  

 

Randall Thomson Ash

TOLLAND/PUTNAM — Randall “Randy” Thomson Ash, 73, died Dec. 11, 2016, at Hartford Hospital after a lengthy and courageous battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  

Randy was born April 16, 1943, into a Navy family in Riverdale,  Md.,the third child and second son to Chief Petty Officer Robert Kenyon Ash, USN and Eleanor Charlotte (Ritchie), whose families were long-time residents of this area.  

During his earlier years, Randy’s military family lived in Maryland; Oahu, Hawaii; Maine; Virginia; and Puerto Rico before returning home to Connecticut in 1954.  He attended many schools before his father returned the family to his hometown of Putnam.  In 1961, Randy graduated from Putnam High School, 12th in his class of 91.  Randy then attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located In Troy, N.Y., with the aspiration of becoming an architect.  He also attended UConn.

In 1962, Randy married the love of his life, Shirley Adams, his long-time school sweetheart.  They were blessed with two wonderful children, Donna Lee, and Craig Randall.  For the next 23 years, Randy enthusiastically pursued a career at the principal employer in Putnam, the Belding Heminway Corticelli Company.  In 1986, he began a 25-year career being self-employed with American Light Industries in affiliation The Sandstrom Carbide Company of Warwick, R.I., as a machinist.  

Randy was noted for being a man of principle and passion.  He worked tirelessly and was driven by purpose while maintaining focus on both immediate and long-term objectives.

While in his early years he saw far-flung and exotic places, Randy spent the last 62 years of his life in the serene and beautiful “Quiet Corner” of northeastern Connecticut.  He loved the area and the community. 

Randy’s fascination with military planes, ships and submarines began during his youth and continued throughout his life.  Randy was also an avid Red Sox Fan and enjoyed Formula 1 Racing. 

He leaves his wife of 54 years, Shirley, and their two children: Donna Brown (Roger) and and Craig Ash (Jenifer) and their daughter Sophia Nora; three siblings: Nancy M. Ash (Dr. Joseph H. Burke) of Bluffton, S.C., and Colonel Robert K. Ash Jr. (Linda) of San Antonio, and Jon Jeffrey Ash (Sue) of Warwick.

Final arrangements are being made by the immediate family and will be private. 

 

Ernest A. Bousquet Jr.

PUTNAM — Ernest A. Bousquet Jr., 79, died Dec. 15, 2016, in Webster Manor Nursing Home.  He was the husband of Judith (Reynolds) Bousquet.  Born in 1937 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Ernest A. Bousquet Sr. and Mary (Kenyon) Bousquet.

Mr. Bousquet worked in the research laboratory at American Optical for 38 years.  

In addition to his wife Judy, he leaves his son, Robert Bousquet of Putnam; his daughter, Mary Cotnoir (Paul) of Putnam; and his grandchildren, Joseph Cotnoir, and Daniel Cotnoir. 

Services are private. Donations: Notre Dame Center, 555 Plantation St., Worcester, MA 01605. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory.

 

Lillian H. Blanchette

BOSCAWEN. N.H. — Lillian H. (Buchholz) Blanchette, 89, died Dec. 17, 2016, at Concord Hospital. She was the wife of the late Robert J. Blanchette.

Lillian was born in 1926 in New Britain, the daughter of the late Wilhelm “William” Buchholz and Olga (Liedtke) Buchholz and was the youngest of seven children. She lived there for 70 years until she moved to Boscawen in 1998.  She was a member of St. Matthews Lutheran Church in New Britain.  

She leaves three children and their families, Dennis Blanchette (Janet) of Thompson and their three children, Daniel Blanchette (Lisa) of Pomfret, Ellen Blanchette and her fiancé Anna of Salem, Mass., and Alison Blanchette and her partner Justin of Manchester; Denise McMahon (Kevin) and their three children Erin, Colleen, and Jennifer all of Boscawen; Daniel Blanchette and fiancé Stephanie of Westminster, Colo., and his son Marshall of Northglenn, Colo.; her sister-in-law, Irene Buchholz of Irvington, Vir. She is predeceased by five brothers and one sister. 

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 22 in the Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. Burial will take place at a later date.  Donations: Pope Memorial S.P.C.A., 94 Silk Farm Rd. Concord, NH 03301.  

 

Bernice P. Brown

POMFRET CENTER — Bernice (Grabiak) Brown, AKA “Ma Brown,” 77, of 400 Deerfield Rd., died Dec. 13, 2016.  She was the wife of the late Lewis James Brown Sr. and a companion of the late Clarence V. Vitalis. 

Born in 1939 in Harrisburg, Penn., she was the daughter of the late Walter and Mary (Yaukauskas) Grabiak.

Mrs. Brown attended Vandergrift High School and was a homemaker who was very proud of her children and grandchildren.  She enjoyed playing bingo, crocheting, bird watching, painting, watching wrestling and auto racing. She was also a lifetime member of the Woodstock Fair. 

She leaves her daughters, Christine Papuga (Christopher) of Sterling, Lisa Dyer (Christopher) of Pomfret Center, and Angela Frechette of Danielson; her brother, Walter Grabiak (Nancy) of Leesburg, Fla.; her sisters, Ruth Roberto of Vandergrift, Penn., Dorothy Humes of Wauregan, and Josephine League of Danielson; her grandchildren, Ayden Papuga, Shaun and Liam Dyer, Keith and Austin Frechette, and Michael Rosario; her great-grandchildren, Owen and Logan Dyer. She was predeceased by her son, Lewis James Brown Jr.; her daughter the late Josephine Brown; her brothers, Frank Grabiak and Joseph Grabiak; her sisters, Mary Ann Zigus Zemba and Clarita Grabiak. 

A Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 17 in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. A second Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 19 in St. James Catholic Church, Apollo, Penn., followed by burial in Riverview Cemetery, Apollo. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.  

 

 

Stephen R. League

WOODSTOCK — Stephen R. League died Dec. 6, 2016. 

He was born March 2, 1974 in New Kensington, Penn., to Josephine League of Danielson and Roger League of Richmond, Va. He was a wanderer at heart, never known to be in one spot for too long. He split his time later in life between Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Woodstock.

Stephen enjoyed life to the fullest. Music, dance landscaping and traveling with his dog Portia are just a few of the many things he was known for. He was remembered for his kindness, ability to make you laugh, or just make you feel better no matter the situation. He was never afraid to be himself, no matter what anyone thought. He was one of a kind.

In addition to his mother, he he leaves his step-father Robert Blanchette of Danielson; his sister Maria Gandy-Winslow (Scott) of Brooklyn; his sister Diana Gandy of Fort Lauderdale; and his brother Joseph League (Melissa) of Canterbury; five nieces, two nephews, two great-nieces, and two great-nephews. 

The funeral was private. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Allan R. Ambruson

PUTNAM — Allan R. Ambruson, 80, of Putnam, died Dec. 17, 2016, at home.

He was born in Worcester, son of the late Sven and Linnea (Pearson) Ambruson and lived in Worcester before moving to Putnam 16 years ago.  He was a retired healthcare worker, having worked many years at Worcester State Hospital.  He enjoyed going to the casino and baseball, especially the New York Yankees.

He leaves his companion of 16 years, Jeannette (Jason) Lepasio of Putnam; two step-daughters, Lorna Caprio of Woodstock and Lynnette Smith of Putnam; a brother, Lyndon Ambruson (Lisa) of Warren, Mass.; two sisters, Lois Charlebois (Paul) of Florida, Marcia Ciak and her companion Albert of Blackstone, Mass.

Visitation is from 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 7 with a prayer service at 2:30, in the Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

Nancy L. McCauley

PUTNAM — Nancy L. McCauley, 54, of Putnam, died Nov. 24, 2016.

Nancy was born in Natick, Mass., and had previously lived in Webster and Thompson before moving to Putnam five years ago.  

She was a bartender at the Village Restaurant in Woodstock.  She had a love for animals, especially dogs and was an avid fan of NASCAR and the Boston Red Sox.

She leaves her companion, Joseph Ouellette and his daughters of Putnam; her mother, Nancy (Carter) Horniak and her step-father, Ed Horniak of Hillsboro, N.H.; her step-mother and best friend, Mary McCauley of Putnam; her daughter, Heather Skow of Springfield, Mass.; a brother, Robert E. McCauley III of Webster; three sisters, Tamara Battista (Paul) of Dudley, Brenda Lemire and her companion Paul Lemire of Webster. Robyn McCauley and her companion Robert Muzziolli of Webster; eight grandchildren. She was predeceased by her father, Robert E. McCauley II  in 1996 and by a daughter, Holly Albestki-Almquist in 2016.

A Celebration of Life will be held and announced at a later date.  

Donations: Any animal rescue shelter of the donor’s choice.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

Kathleen Snow

WOODSTOCK — Kathleen E. (Mooney) Snow, 69, of Woodstock, died Dec. 5, 2016, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.

She was born in Putnam, daughter of the late Thomas and Emma (Mese) Mooney and lived in Putnam and Woodstock most of her life. 

 She was a Special Education teacher, working for the Woodstock School Department.

She leaves her husband of 49 years, Walter A. Snow of Woodstock; two sons, Scott T. Snow (Jean) of Dudley, Jason A. Snow of Woodstock; a daughter, Kelly M. Phar and her companion, Michael McIntosh of Pomfret; two brothers, Robert Mooney of Putnam and George Mooney of Thompson; one sister, Lillian Rondeau of Putnam; four grandchildren, Kieley, Nicholas, Trinity and Robert.  

The funeral was private. 

Donations: Woodstock Little League.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

..