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Rolf Swanson,
WWII vet
THOMPSON — Rolf Swanson, 95, of Thompson died on March 14, 2018.
He was a graduate of Tourtellotte Memorial High School and Putnam Trade School.
He proudly served in the U.S. Navy, on the USS, Texas in the Pacific during WWII, serving as a fire controlman. He was a toolmaker by trade, retiring in 1987 as foreman from Ivanhoe Tool and Die in Thompson.
He will be remembered for many things, his kindness, honesty and love of the outdoors. He loved to travel, especially New England and the Eastern coast. He was a skilled woodworker, making many pieces of furniture for family and friends, also a talented carver. Rolf was a Mason for 50-plus years and served on the Thompson Finance Board. He currently was an officer of the West Thompson Cemetery Association and a member of the Emanuel Lutheran Church.
He leaves his wife Irene; sister Dorothy Asikainen; daughters Andrea Whitman (Edwin), Kathie Kelly (Dennis); granddaughter Erin Kelly; stepdaughters Renee Beshaw (Derek), Michelle Gianetis (John); step-grandchildren Jason, Chad and Alex Beshaw, Alison and Lauren Gianetis; step great-grandchildren Liam and Penelope; sister and brothers-in-law. He was predeceased by his first wife Virginia Swanson in 1989.
A Graveside Service will be at 11 a.m. March 23 in W. Thompson Cemetery. Donations: Emanuel Lutheran Church, Cemetery Fund. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Dennis M. Mullaly,
Vietnam war vet
BROOKLYN — Dennis M. Mullaly, 73 of Brooklyn, died unexpectedly March 16, 2018, at Hartford Hospital. He was the husband of Iris (Fenner) Mullaly. They were married Sept. 6, 1969.
Dennis was born Sept. 22, 1944, in Putnam, son of Harold and Aline “Susie” Mullaly. He made his home in Brooklyn for more than 50 years.
He was a Life Member of the Danielson Elks BPOE #1706, was a past “Elk of the Year,” a former member of the Mortlake Fire Company, serving as an EMT and firefighter.
Dennis served in the U.S. Navy as a radioman during the Vietnam Conflict. He was active with BSA Troop 44 in Brooklyn for many years. Dennis enjoyed fishing, camping and was an avid NY Yankees and NY Giant fan. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, with several cruises throughout the Caribbean, twice to Hawaii.
He leaves, in addition to his wife Iris, his children Michael Mullaly of Killingly, Tracie Marcheterre (Michael) of Brooklyn, Terri Wicks (Robert) of Plainfield; grandchildren Andrea, Joshua, Kellie, Shawn; great-grandson Kellen; brothers Thomas Mullaly of Winter Haven, Fla., and Norman of California; nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Karen Kogut and his infant sister Kathy Sue.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. March 25 at Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with a Memorial Service at 4 p.m. at the funeral home. Donations: Danielson Lodge of Elks #1706, 13 Center St., Danielson, CT 06239.
Maurice R. St. Hilaire,
Korean war vet
PUTNAM — Maurice R. St. Hilaire, 88, of Breault St., died March 12, 2018, at Davis Place in Danielson. He was the husband of Muriel C. (Therrien) St. Hilaire of Putnam. Born in 1929 in Lawrence, Mass., he was the son of the late Adhere and Laura (Beauchene) St. Hilaire. Maurice was a veteran of the Korean Conflict serving with the U.S. Marines.
Mr. St. Hilaire worked for many years as a warehouse worker for Cranston Print Works Company. Maurice was an avid Boston Red Sox fan and in his earlier years he enjoyed bowling.
He leaves his wife; a son, William St. Hilaire of N. Grosvenordale; a daughter, Linda Cruz of Massachusetts; five grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by three brothers Roland, Arthur, and Dennis St. Hilaire; and a sister, Malvina Beauchene.
Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam, CT 06260.
David A. Burdett,
U.S. Army vet
BRANFORD — David A. Burdett died peacefully at home in Short Beach March 11, 2018. David developed lung cancer over the last two years, and though his treatment worked for a time, he decided to be comfortable in his last days.
He was born Sept. 20, 1954, in Winsted, son of Leonard and Dorothy Burdett.
David grew up in northeastern Connecticut and graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School in Thompson. He was an U.S. Army veteran. He received a degree from Southern Connecticut State University.
After several computer-related jobs, he focused on his love and passion: being a musician. He played keyboards, guitar and vocals. His greatest strengths, he said, were his tenor voice, his ability to harmonize, and his ability to teach others. David loved Todd Rundgren, the Beach Boys and many others; he had a deep knowledge and appreciation about musicians and their bands.
He began playing rock, pop, and blues with his brother Mike in northeastern Connecticut. They hosted many open mics in CT with many other local musicians. He also performed in bands in the Boston area; The Radiators, The Airborne Particles etc.
After moving to Branford, he was involved in numerous bands: No Soap Radio, Last Call, The Barking Spyders, Spyders, and most recently Aftershock, a rock/dance band. His band brothers and sisters Steve, Rob, Greg, Sue and Wendy were close to his heart.
Playing pool and hanging with friends at Allegra’s café was a favorite pastime.
David loved being up at Crystal Lake in Gilmanton Iron Works, N.H. His family home of generations was his place of peace. He loved sailing, jamming in the barn, reading, and being with old friends and family.
He leaves his wife Ann Ryder; his son Kenneth Burdett; and daughter Emily Burdett; his brother Peter Burdett (Jolanta) of Florida; sister Carol Downing (Ned) of Florida; brother Michael Burdett (Jacque) of Woodstock; nephews Jason (Sara) Downing, Sam Burdett, Korinti Recalde (Gil Marshak), Kadisha Recalde and Kara Burdett; relatives in Gilmanton Iron Works and beyond. He is also survived by his sisters and brothers in law Priscilla Ryder, Penny and Jeff Vaine, Phyllis Ryder and Eric Mentzell, and mother in law Cynthia Ryder, and nieces Amanda, Laura (Michael) and Marie Vaine, nephews Jake Ryder, Alex Mentzell and Martin Ryder. He was predeceased by his parents and nephew Christopher Downing.
A Memorial Service Celebrating his Life will be held starting at 4 p.m. March 24 at the little Short Beach Union Church on Pentecost Street. The celebration will be continued at Allegra’s Café afterwards. Another service will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 10 in Gilmanton Iron Works on the waterfront at the lake.
In lieu of flowers, please listen to some good music, read a good book, and enjoy life.
Elizabeth A. Bazinet
BROOKLYN — Elizabeth A. Bazinet, 78, of Brooklyn, died peacefully March 14, 2018, at home. She was born Aug. 28, 1939, in Putnam, daughter of the late Elphege and Lillian (Bernier) Emond.
She was the wife of Maurice Bazinet. They were married on April 22, 1961.
Elizabeth worked for William Prym and CT Rubber and Molding as a secretary. She loved to travel with her husband.
She leaves behind her husband Maurice; son Jeff Bazinet of Plainfield; sister Theresa Sypek; brothers Robert Emond and Richard Emond (Ann Marie) of Florida; nieces and nephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 17 in St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations: St. James School. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Elizabeth Savas
DANIELSON — Elizabeth Savas, 99, of Danielson, died March 13, 2018, just 74 days shy of her 100th birthday.
She was born May 26, 1918, in New York City, the daughter of the late Lester and Fannie (Zolatas) Savas. Elizabeth worked in advertising for department stores for more than 40 years.
She was a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church.
She leaves her nephew Bill Demarest; niece Connie Scheinfeld. She was predeceased by her brother George Savas and her sister Christina Demarest.
A Funeral Service was March 19 in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Danielson, with burial in Westfield Cemetery.
Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Jeffrey Collins
S. KILLINGLY — Jeffrey Collins, 39, died March 9, 2018, at home. He was the husband of Rhonda (Roy) Collins and father of two sons Waylin and Dakota Collins.
Born in 1978 in Middletown, he was the son of John “Jack” Collins and Tammy (Anderson) Wish of Woodstock. He graduated from Ellis Tech in Danielson in 1997.
Jeff was a union brick layer with Local Union 1 for 21 years. He was also employed with Ritchie Bros Auctioneers as an inspector. Jeff enjoyed antiquing, woodworking, traveling/camping, being outdoors and had an enduring passion for music and dancing. Jeffery was especially fond of spending time with and enjoying the company of his two sons, whom he was most proud of.
He also leaves three brothers, John Collins, James Collins and Joel Collins; his sister Amanda Wish; his father’s wife Glenda; his mother’s husband Theodore; and his maternal grandmother Carolyn Anderson and uncle Butch “UB” of Kentucky, and his dear birthday buddy Doris Roy “Mem”. He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents Conrad and Viola Collins; and his maternal grandfather Raymond Anderson.
Gilman and Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam, CT. 06260.
Dolores Deslauriers
N. GROSVENORDALE — Dolores Deslauriers, 83, formerly of N. Grosvenordale, died March 18, 2018, at the Matulaitis Rehabilitation & Skilled Care Center.
She was born Oct. 4, 1934, in N. Grosvenordale to the late George and Angelina (Lariviere) Houle.
Dolores was a religious woman who was a former member of the Daughters of Isabella and a communicant of St. Joseph Catholic Church in N. Grosvenordale. She loved looking at family photographs and telling stories of her adventures with the love of her life, her late husband Richard. Dolores and Richard were married Oct. 4, 1952, at St. Patrick-St.. Anthony Church in Hartford. She enjoyed cooking, canning, reading, bingo, word searches and coloring on her tablet. Dolores was a home maker, who later in life worked in the textile and retail industries, finally retiring as a Certified Nursing Aide/ Personal Attendant.
She leaves her brother Raymond L’Heureux (Susan) of Tucson, Ariz.; 10 children, Richard (Elizabeth) of Delray, Fla., John (Sharilyn) of Sterling, Roger (Debbie) of Stafford Springs, Michael of Nahunta, Ga., Daniel (Elaine) of St. Mary’s, Ga., Babette (Jack) of Willows, Calif., Roland of Willimantic, Arthur (Laurie) of Thompson, Jacqueline of Danielson, and Jo-Anna of Catatwissa, Penn.; 21 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild. She was predeceased by her brothers Paul and Eugene.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1 p.m. March 24 at St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, followed by a gathering of family and friends at St Joseph’s Church Hall. Donations: American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Paul F. Lane
THOMPSON — Paul F. Lane, 70, of Sonny Lane, died March 19, 2018, at home. He was the husband of Patricia (Ostrowski) Lane. Born in 1947 in Southbridge, he was the son of the late Francis and Agnes (Blanchard) Lane.
Mr. Lane was a self-employed truck driver who then went on to drive for Staples and Estes trucking. He enjoyed traveling, taking cruises, going to the ocean, and was an avid New England Patriots and Red Sox fan.
In addition to his wife Patricia, he leaves his daughters, Pamela Lafleche (Randy Lafleche Sr.) of Danielson, and Sherri Johnson (Mike) of Florida; his grandson, Tyler Lane and his special aunt, Kathryn Lane of North Oxford, Mass.
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. March 22 in Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. A gathering will begin in the funeral home at 11 a.m. March 23 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at noon in St. Mary Church of the Visitation Church, Putnam.
Antonia ‘Nina’ Roy
QUINEBAUG —Antonia “Nina” (Celona) Roy, 80, of Norman Ave, died March 17, 2018, at home. She was the wife of Leo J. Roy.
Born in 1937 in Fitchburg, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Peter and Josephine (Drago) Celona. Nina was a graduate of the Fitchburg High School class of 1955.
On July 2, 1961, in St. Anthony Church, in Fitchburg, Mass., she was united in marriage to Leo J. Roy. Mrs. Roy worked for many years as the chef at the Daughters of the Holy Spirit convent in Putnam. Nina was a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Quinebaug volunteer fire department, and enjoyed cooking, knitting, and doing crafts.
She leaves her husband of 56 years, Leo J. Roy; two sons, Jay L. Roy of Putnam and Gary Roy (Christine) and his wife Christine of Dudley; a daughter, Donna Marie Turner (Kevin) of Webster; a brother, John Celona and his companion Cindy Dean of Cumberland, R.I.; five grandchildren, Adam, James, Matthew, Vanessa, and Kaycee Roy, two great-grandchildren Hannah and Regan Marie Roy. She was predeceased by a sister, Barbara Chaplin.
A Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. March 24 in Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: Quinebaug Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 144. Quinebaug, CT 06262.
Chrystene Zarazinski
WEBSTER — Chrystene L. (Noel) Zarazinski, 68, died March 8, 2018, at Brookside Rehab and Nursing Center after an illness.
She was born in Worcester and raised in Grafton, Mass., the oldest of the four children of Ernest J. and Virginia M. (Dunn) Noel and graduated from Grafton High School in 1968. She lived in Dudley and then in Webster for more than 25 years before moving to N. Grosvenordale in 2017.
Chrystene worked as a dispatcher for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Westboro State Hospital and then in Worcester State Hospital, retiring last year.
She was very involved in the state employees’ union AFSCME #1153. She enjoyed collecting and displaying zebra-themed articles. She was a CB enthusiast and was known by her handle name “Crazy Lady.”
She leaves two daughters, Sonya Tebo (David) of N. Grosvenordale and Crystal Kinney (David) of Danielson; four grandchildren, Tyler Tebo (Katie) of Brooklyn, Brian Kinney of Danielson, and Alfredo and Anthony Tebo of N. Grosvenordale; a great-grandson, Bentley Tebo; two brothers, Bill Noel of Anchorage, and Mark Noel (Cherie) of Dudley; a sister, Patricia Gavin (Dan) of Millbury; a longtime friend, Patty Couhig of Worcester.
The service was March 18. Donations: Zarazinski Scholarship, c/o Sonya Tebo, 46 First St., N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, Webster.
Anthony Surozenski,
U.S. Marine vet
WORCESTER — Anthony C. “Chuck” Surozenski, 50, died March 1, 2018, in St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, after an illness.
He was born in Putnam and raised in Webster. He graduated from Bartlett High School in 1985. He later attended the Salter School for Culinary Arts in Worcester.
He served in the U.S. States Marine Corps from 1985 to 1989, and then was in the reserves for another three years.
Mr. Surozenski first worked as a transportation distributor for Atlas News, now called Hudson News, out of Worcester. He then drove tractor trailer for various companies including CT Container, Lily and M & M. For a time he was the chef at the Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam. More recently, he took in the homeless and helped those who struggled with addictions. He belonged to the Teamsters Local #170 in Worcester.
Chuck enjoyed fishing, oil painting, brewing his own beer, making his own wine and playing the guitar. He was best known for the amazing food he prepared for family and friends.
He leaves a daughter, Ashley M. Surozenski of Florida; a son, Gregory C. Surozenski of Holland, Mass.; his parents, Deacon Anthony R. Surozenski and Alice I. (Poisson) Surozenski of S. Yarmouth, Mass.; a brother, Jeffrey A. Surozenski of Jefferson; a sister, Jennifer A. Vear (John) of N. Grosvenordale.
The Funeral Mass was March 12 in St. Louis Church, Webster, with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace, Webster, with the military honors. Donations: Urban Missionaries of Our Lady of Hope, 242 Canterbury St., Worcester, 0l603; or to the Veterans, Inc. Homeless Shelter, 69 Grove St., Worcester 0l605. Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, Webster.
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