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George H. Dowell,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — George Handy Dowell, “Grandpa Gidge,” 91, died June 21, 2018, at Westview Healthcare Center, Dayville.
Born on Nov. 11, 1926, in the Fairlawn section of Pawtucket, R.I., to parents William A. and Clara (Piggott) Dowell, he attended school in Fairlawn, R.I., until 1933 when the family moved to Franconia, N.H. In Franconia he completed his high school education at Dow Academy.
George enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943, serving in the Pacific Theater during WWII, and notably under General Holland M. (Howling Mad) Smith in the 12th Marines Artillery “A” Battery as a communications technician (Field Telephone Man) during the “Marianas Operation” (2nd taking of Guam). For his service he was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 Bronze Star, the World War II Victory Medal, the USMC Marksman Rifle Badge along with Signal Corps and FMF PAC patches. The 12th Marines were awarded a Navy Unit Commendation for their performance under fire during that Guam campaign. He was honorably discharged in 1946 as a corporal.
On June 28, 1947, George married his one true love, Beatrice M. Whitehead. They moved to Putnam. George was a licensed contractor plumber and steamfitter. Over the years he worked for the E.H. Keach Company, Rawley Plumbing Supply, D. Blumenthal, Inc., Dinsdale Plumbing & Heating, Inc. and lastly at the John N. Dempsey Center in Putnam where he worked for 21 years, retiring in 1989. Always interested in maintaining up-to-date knowledge of his trades, he pursued many hours of continuing education. He also taught plumbing and heating at Harvard H. Ellis RVT School from 1990 -1993.
He was a gentle, hard-working man who was devoted to his wife, Bea and their three children. He loved reading – especially the Bible, historical literature, and inspirational works. He also loved taking the family for picnics to Roseland Lake, or to Rhode Island or Maine beaches, where he would dive in for a swim no matter what the temperature of the chilly Atlantic waters. He was a very positive, upbeat person who generally saw the best in people, always advising them to - “Keep smiling!”
He leaves daughter Linda E. Dowell of Gardiner, Maine; daughter Janet (John) Richmond of Woodstock; son Michael (Sandra) Dowell of Magnolia, Texas; four granddaughters, Jillian (William) Richmond Petrides, Julia Richmond (Brian Sullivan), Joy Richmond (Jonathan Bergstrom) and Erin Dowell (Thomas John Liddle); great-grandson Benjamin Petrides; great-granddaughter Clara Petrides; brother William Dowell. He was predeceased by his parents, his wife Beatrice, and his sister Dorothea Dowell.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. July 21 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with a Funeral Service at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be at a later date. Donations: Wounded Warrior Project, National Processing Center, PO Box 758540, Topeka, KS 66675; the Blessed Backpack Brigade (a local outreach to homeless veterans) P.O. Box 1232, Webster, MA 01570; or the Congregational Church of Putnam, P. O. Box 463 Putnam, CT 06260.
Lester D. Parker I,
Korean war vet
PLAINFIELD — Lester D. Parker I, 84, of South Pine St., died July 7, 2018, in the Villa Maria Nursing Home. He was the companion of Alice (Rasicot) Richard. Born in 1933 in Lowell, Vt., he was the son of the late Raymond and Marian (Cote) Parker.
Mr. Parker was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in the Korean war where he received the Purple Heart. He was an upholsterer for more than 30 years for Bob’s Upholstery. He was a lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus Cargill Council of Putnam.
In addition to Alice, he leaves his children, Lester D. Parker II of Putnam, Scott Parker of Tacoma, Wash., Judy Newlin of St. Francisville, Ill., and Nancy Lillie of Orting, Wash.; his stepchildren, Debra Bonneville of S. Killingly and Lisa Stott of Plainfield; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Maryann (Duncan) Parker; his second wife, Carol Parker; his sons, Michael Parker and Terry Parker; and his brothers, Joseph Parker, Raymond Parker and Henry Parker.
A Graveside Service with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. July 17 in All Hallows Cemetery, Moosup. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Claude H. Shippee,
U.S. Navy vet
WOODSTOCK — Claude H. Shippee, 79, of Woodstock died July 3, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.
He was born Feb. 17, 1939, in Putnam, son of the late Howard and Frances (Cotton) Shippee.
Claude served in the U.S. Navy. He loved to dance, to paint and enjoyed fishing and playing cards. He was an avid coin and baseball card collector and liked to solve puzzles. Claude worked as a machinist for Boniface Tool and Die in Southbridge, and was also a painter.
He leaves his companion of 20 years Dorothy Dwight; daughter Tammy Shippee-Gionis (George) of Putnam; his brothers and sisters; nieces and nephews.
A Graveside Service with military honors was July 10 at Elmvale Cemetery, Woodstock. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Peter P. Szruba Sr.,
Korean war vet
DANIELSON — Peter P. Szruba Sr., 92, James St. East, died peacefully May 29, 2018, at Davis Place. He was the husband of the late Mary (Gilbert) Szruba. Born in 1925 in Jewett City, he was the son of the late Joseph and Bertha (Wawzyn) Szruba.
Peter served proudly in the U.S. Army during the Korean war. He was employed as a textile colorist for Prevel Corporation in Plainfield.
Peter was an avid sports fan, and enjoyed rooting for the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots and he also enjoyed working in his garden, fixing things around the house, cooking, fishing, spending time with his grand and great-grandchildren, and playing penny poker on Saturday nights with his family and friends.
He leaves his son, Peter Szruba Jr. of Putnam; daughter Jenny Szruba, and son-in-law Albert Briere of Putnam; grandsons, Shane and Jesse Davis; granddaughters Kristen Ramdohr, Faith Briere and Aubrey-Lynn (Briere) Girdwood; great-grandsons Landon, Kaidon, Arty and Jameson. Peter was predeceased by his daughter Linda (Szruba) Briere, and his siblings Helen, John, Joseph, Frank, Stanley, Betty, Dorothy and Joanne.
A Celebration of Life and Graveside Service will be held at noon July 21 in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St, Putnam.
William Wolchesky,
Korean war vet
POMFRET CENTER — William Wolchesky, 87, of Pomfret Center died June 29, 2018, at Westview Nursing Home in Dayville.
He was born on July 5, 1930, in Abington, son of the late Alexander and Stephanie (Kaminski) Wolchesky. He was the husband of Lena (Peppin) Wolchesky. They were married on Nov. 24, 1951, in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret.
William served in the U.S. Army in the Korean war. He was a master bricklayer and a farmer. He enjoyed spending many hours in his garden growing his Russian tomatoes and that perfect sweet corn that he enjoyed sharing with anyone who stopped by to visit. He also enjoyed spending time with family and friends in the “Garage” while enjoying a “Snapper”.
Besides his wife Lena, he leaves his son William Wolchesky Jr. of Pomfret; his daughter Jan Rondeau (Matt) of Pomfret; his grandsons Matt Rondeau Jr., Adam Rondeau and Elliott Wolchesky.
The Funeral was July 5 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial with military honors in Abington Cemetery, Abington.
Joseph Baeza
STERLING — Joseph Adam Henry Baeza, 16, of Sterling, died June 27, 2018, in Plainfield. He was born May 18, 2002, in Putnam, son of Rebecca (Mooney) Brisson and Jose Baeza.
Joseph was a high honor student and a member of the National Honor Society at Quinebaug Middle College in Danielson. Joey enjoyed computers; he even built his own. A hobby he enjoyed most was tending to his aquarium, relaxing by his fish tank. He was an intelligent and caring young man. Joey enjoyed being with his best friend Christian Calhoun.
Besides his parents Rebecca Brisson and Jose Baeza, he leaves his stepfather John Brisson IV; his brother John “Bean” Brisson V; his grandparents George Mooney Jr. (Donna); also Jose’s Family; his aunt Jessica Raduege; his uncle Mathew Mooney.
The Funeral was July 7 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam.
Jane C. Flynn
PUTNAM — Jane C. (Williams) Flynn, 86, of Breault St., died July 4, 2018, at home. She was the wife of Joseph M. Flynn. Born in 1932 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Napoleon and Lillian (Gosselin) Williams.
Mrs. Flynn worked at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, Belding Heminway, and retired as a school teacher after 35 years at St. Mary School in Putnam in 2007.
She was a devout member and communicant of St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and was an avid watcher of Jeopardy. Jane enjoyed baking and made more than 300,000 chocolate chip cookies for her family and friends.
She leaves her husband Joseph; four sons, David Flynn (Erica) of Lino Lakes, Minn., Matthew Flynn (Katherine) of Libertyville, Ill., John Flynn (Kim) of Woodstock, and Luke Flynn of Waipahu, Hawaii; a brother, Paul Williams (Sydnie) of Republic, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Andrea, Laura, Sarah, Nathan, Catherine, Victoria, and Caitlin; two great-grandchildren, Tess and Piper.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. July 21 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Putnam Public Library, 225 Kennedy Dr., Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Avis Sherman
Avis Sherman, 97, died July 4, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital.
Avis married the love of her life A. Gordon Sherman on May 7, 1944, and together they had two children. He died Nov. 5, 2006.
Avis was born Dec. 25, 1920, in Dayville, to Otto and Agnes (Johnson) Lehrer
Avis lived many of her years at the family home on Killingly Avenue in Putnam, where she enjoyed her many hobbies including birdwatching and feeding, gardening her flowers and vegetables, sewing, cooking and baking for her family and friends.
Avis was also a very active member of the Congregational Church of Putnam and enjoyed singing in the choir and participating in activities with the Women’s Fellowship. She worked as a bookkeeper for much of her career at Agway in Putnam and Putnam Farmers Co-Op before retiring to pursue her hobbies.
Avis leaves a son Scott G. Sherman and his significant other Deborah Poulin of Putnam; daughter Mary Louise Chabot (George) of Webster; granddaughters Jennifer L. Sherman of Woodstock Valley and Erica Chabot of Webster and grandson Steven Sevigny of Florida.
The burial was July 9 at High Street Cemetery, Dayville. Donations: Memorial Fund of the Congregational Church of Putnam, 175 Main St., Putnam, CT 06260. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
R.‘Dick’ Thompson
SILVER CITY, N.M. — Richard ‘Dick’ Thompson, 69, of Silver City, died July 1, 2018, at Fort Bayard Medical Center in Santa Clara, N.M., after a two-year siege of brain cancer.
He was born Aug. 8, 1948, in Pomona, Calif, to Dorothy (Zern) and Rae Turner Thompson.
He attended San Bernardino area schools, graduating from Pacific High School in 1966.
He was awarded a full scholarship to Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., graduating in 1973 with a major in English.
Dick worked in several jobs in Boston and Worcester before discovering the fascination of computers.
For the next 15 years he worked in Information Systems at Thom McAn, a division of Melville Shoe Co., headquartered in Worcester.
After that he spent several years as an independent consultant in database administration. Dick had various hobbies: he competed for many years in automobile rallying; he was interested in model railroading; he collected rock ‘n’ roll on vinyl, and later amassed a collection of books, mostly Western Americana. Since moving to New Mexico in 2010, he had been honing his woodworking skills in building cabinetry and furniture.
In everything he did, Dick cultivated expertise and arcane knowledge; he had a passion for knowing and understanding, and could never settle for the superficial.
But his greatest love was always the open road; at age 50 he celebrated one million miles driven, and in retirement explored back roads throughout the Southwest.
He leaves his wife of 31 years, Suzanne (Zeller) Thompson; a sister, Carol Shearer of Redlands, Calif., stepchildren Elizabeth Reed-Swale of Rocky Hill, and Andrew Reed of Thompson, and their families.
Services will be private.
Holly A. Williams
WOODSTOCK — Holly A. (Woodhall) Williams died July 4, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital after a brief illness.
She was born in 1964 in Middletown, the daughter of Bruce L Woodhall and Dawn (Cleghorn) Woodhall.
Holly was a CNA in Connecticut and while living in Maine she was briefly a P.S.S. She enjoyed nature and the wildlife which she had the opportunity to witness first hand. She was an avid fisherman and boater, however, she preferred deep sea fishing.
She leaves her husband of 11 years, Jeffrey Williams of Monticello, Maine, and Woodstock; her son, Ryan Plourde of E. Hampton; her daughter, Kasandra Caron and her children Karley Caron of E. Hampton and Brantley Bower of Portland; her daughter Lauryn (Ryan) Langlois and their sons Quinn and Mason and their daughter Gracelyn of Thompson; two aunts, Vicki (Cleghorn) Baker (Jonathan) of Margate, Fla., and Lynne Cleghorn (Bob Edwards) of Chester; and one uncle Andrew Cleghorn (Linda) of Margate. Holly was predeceased by her mother Dawn and brother Bruce.
There will be no services, as this was her wish. Holly also wanted to thank her family and friends for enriching her life. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Francis J. Lusky,
U.S. Army vet
CHAPLIN — Francis J. Lusky, 73, died July 3, 2018, at Brookside, Webster.
He was born in Bridgeport, son of the late Francis L. Lusky and Margarete (Short) Lusky and lived in Chaplain for more than 30 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran.
He leaves his wife Christine (Fahy) Lusky of Chaplain; two sons, Ryan Fahy Lusky of Putnam and Jason Lusky of North Carolina; a daughter Sarah Fahy Lusky of Putnam; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild; a sister , Mary Lou Moranick of Connecticut.
Services were private. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
John Doros
WEBSTER — John Doros, 72, of Webster, went home to be with The Lord on June 30, 2018.
He was married to his high school sweetheart, Eleanor Bugan Doros for 52 years.
John was born the eldest of 8 children to Nancy DeWitt Doros and the late Theodore Doros.
John was a general contractor and owned John Doros and Son Builders since 1973 with his son Robert. He was a man of many trades and had a passion for making furniture, welding and being outside. He enjoyed having conversations over coffee at home and on the job site. He enjoyed teaching his grandkids how to build, use tools, and shoot targets.
He was a loving, caring man who always had a smile on his face. He was idolized by his family and they could always count on him for advice and kind words. He was full of love and positivity and encouraged and inspired others to do the same. The family wishes to thank the nurses and doctors at Tufts Medical Center in Boston for their compassion and caring in John’s last days.
In addition to his wife and mother, he leaves his daughters Sharon Sawicki (Risse;;) of W. Cornwall and Kristin Boyle of Rutland, Mass.; his son, Robert Doros and his companion Lucy Banks of Woodstock; grandchildren Zachary, Elizabeth (Erik), and Rebecca Sawicki, Brandon, Cheyenne, and Jon Boyle, and Jacob Doros. He was predeceased by his grandson Joshua Sawicki; brothers Theodore of Virginia, Lonnie of Hartford, Ronnie of Woodstock, and William Doros of Shrewsbury, Mass.; sisters Lanna Dziedzic of Webster, Karen Doros of Webster, and Mary Papageorge of Thompson.
All services were private. Donations: Johnnie Doros Scholarship Fund, c/o Baypath Education Foundation, 57 Old Muggett Hill Rd., Charlton, MA. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
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