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Matthew R. Balliett
WARE, Mass. — Matthew R. Balliett, 39, of Ware, formerly of Westborough, Mass., died July 23, 2018, at Dana Farber in Boston after a brief but intense battle with cancer.
Born in Anniston, Ala., he is the son of Robert W. and Barbara R. (Prengaman) Balliett of Westborough. Matt graduated from Westborough High School in 1997 and from the University of Rhode Island in 2001, earning a bachelor’s degree in marine affairs/marine geology.
He was currently employed as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in the towns of Putnam and Palmer, Mass., He had an entrepreneurial spirit and a hard work ethic. He enjoyed off-roading, fishing, treasure hunting and creating new businesses.
In addition to his parents, he leaves his son, Kayden R. Balliett-Basak; his fiancée, Kelsey M. Basak of Ware; two brothers, Douglas A. Balliett and Bradley R. Balliett, both of New York City.
A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Donations: Kayden Balliett-Basak, c/o Peter Martin at Wells Fargo Advisors, 287 Turnpike Road, Suite 250, Westborough, MA 01581 for an account for Kayden’s education.
Dorothy E. Smith
DANIELSON — Dorothy Eugenia Smith, 91, died Aug. 19, 2018, at Westview Health Care Center in Dayville after a long illness.
Dorothy was born Oct. 20, 1926, in N. Sterling to Ray and Christina Smith. Her early schooling was at the one-room Titus School in N. Sterling. She graduated from Plainfield High School in 1944. Her first job was during WWII at Majestic Metals in Moosup riveting the keels of Canadian Vicar airplanes and pontoons for seaplanes.
She looked after her parents and helped with all the chores of their small farm as long as they were alive. She worked later at Arrow Hart and Hegeman for 38 years until her early retirement. At that time, she was then caring for her dear friend, Mildred Pierce, until she also died. She was a very caring person who found satisfaction in making life better for elderly persons.
She spent many years as a member of the Line Baptist Church teaching Sunday School and as its superintendent. Sharing her strong religious beliefs with the youth was very important to her. Another of her talents she used in the church, at fund-raisers, and entertainments was her ventriloquist act and magic tricks. She had an assortment of dummy friends—Dondi, Sammy and Russell, just to name a few. Dottie, with Russell, had the unique experience of being on the Sunday morning television show “Community Auditions” and walked away as winners. She also played the guitar and harmonica.
Dottie was proud of the fact that she was a 70-year member of the Highland Grange #113 in S. Killingly.
The fact that she flew the American flag daily and followed strict flag protocol indicated her dedication to her country and its flag. She also loved to predict the weather according to the old-fashioned methods. The birds and other wildlife in her yard were well cared for. She even had a chipmunk that would eat out of her hand.
Her most favorite pastime was bowling. Dottie was a great bowler, especially for her age. In fact, she won the Connecticut Women’s Senior Bowling title not once, but twice, in her lifetime. The first took her to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1996 and the second sent her to Reno, Nev., in 2004 to compete in the Nationals. Another of her extracurricular activities was entertaining as a clown. She attended Clown College in Willimantic and adopted the name Loonie. She greatly enjoyed participating in many parades with her puppet Goonie and her Honda clown car. Dorothy is the last family member of her generation. She leaves two nieces, Natalie Coolidge and Arlene Houle, and two nephews, Edmond LaFantasie and Harold Arndt; 13 grandnieces and nephews and many great-greats. She was predeceased by her parents; her dear friend Mildred Pierce; her brother Carl Smith; her sisters Ruth LaFantasie and Helen Arndt; and a nephew Allen Smith.
Visitation was Aug. 21 at Gagnon & Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with burial at Westfield Cemetery in Danielson. Donations: A veterans organization of your choice.
Ronald Chrzanowski
N. GROSVENORDALE — Ronald P. Chrzanowski, 75, died unexpectedly Aug. 13, 2018, in Day Kimball Hospital. He was the husband of Anne (Fielding) Chrzanowski. Born in 1942 in New Bedford, Mass., he was the son of the late Matthew and Genevieve (Ponichtera) Chrzanowski.
Ron worked for more than 30 years in the railroad industry mostly for the Providence & Worcester Railroad. After being transferred from the railroad, he became the president of Capital Properties in Providence.
He was an active parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church in N. Grosvenordale and was a member of the VFW Auxiliary Post 10088 where he was named Citizen of the Year. He was also a 1st degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus Auburn Council #13637. Ron was a true “gentleman farmer” enjoying growing vegetables and keeping his lawn manicured. Relaxing in Aruba with his wife and reading was his yearly “reset.”
In addition to his wife, he leaves a daughter, Jennifer A. Hurley (John) of Sandwich, Mass.; his three sons, Jeffery J. Chrzanowski (Brenda) of Bridgewater, Mass., Jason A. Chrzanowski (Nicola) of N. Grosvenordale, and John A. Chrzanowski (Meredith) of Marlborough, Mass.; his 12 “dears” (exchange student daughters); a brother, Thomas Chrzanowski (Therese) of N. Grosvenordale; a nephew, Scott Chrzanowski (Cynthia) of Thompson; and eight grandchildren, Katherine, Anna, John, Maria, Thomas, Matthew, Annabelle, Olivia; and a great-niece Emma; and his brother-in-law Stephen Fielding of Rochester, N.Y. He was predeceased by a sister-in-law Susan Lee.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 21 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, 18 Main St., N. Grosvenordale. Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Frank R. Currier Sr.
Frank R. Currier Sr., 96, died Aug. 13, 2018, at Pierce Memorial Baptist Home in Brooklyn. He is predeceased by his wife Mary E. (Botham) Currier; his adopted son, Timothy K. (Martin) Currier and great-grandson, Killian Timothy C. Currier-Botelho.
Frank was an avid car guy. Auto mechanics was his main profession; he worked at some of the local car dealerships. Frank and Mary were also Rural Route mail carriers in the town of Woodstock for several years.
Frank’s passion was woodworking. His wooden animals are enjoyed by many. And the family home he built and continually changed and upgraded was enjoyed by the children.
He leaves children: Frank R. Currier Jr. of Worcester, Mary E. (Currier) Martin of Lynchburg, Va., Marion L. (Currier) Leins of Brooklyn, Carmel B. Currier of N. Providence, Arthur B. Currier of Killingly, Dale L. Currier of Pomfret; adopted daughter, Pamela D. Martin (Currier) Lewis of Putnam; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A family graveside Celebration of Life will be at 11 a.m. Sept. 15 at the Abington Cemetery, Rt. 44. All welcome. Reception follows. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Dennis P. Harmyk,
U.S. Army vet
NAPLES, Fla. — Dennis P. Harmyk, husband of Bernice C. Harmyk, transitioned on May 27, 2018, at Hospice House in Naples, following a lengthy struggle with health issues.
Born in New Jersey in 1938, Dennis was the middle child of the late John and Irene Harmyk.
Dennis served as a technical sergeant in the U.S. Army; he was an expert in repairing tank optics. Dennis started his professional career as a manufacturing technician for Johnson and Johnson Corporation in New Jersey, and after being recruited by a Connecticut textile company, in 1968, he moved his young family to Pomfret.
After attending night school for several years, he earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Hartford. During the 1970s, Dennis worked with nonwoven textiles and he participated in truly revolutionary applications of new medical materials. One important example was the introduction of lightweight cast-padding; this innovative technology saved countless racehorses that otherwise would have died from rejecting their casts after bone fractures. Within a few years, this same technology would be used on humans in the form of fiberglass casts, with the new polyester cast-padding that replaced the old plaster and cotton types. Dennis would jokingly remark that “children, not horses, were the only ones rejecting the new casts, because unlike old-fashioned plaster, they couldn’t easily be signed by classmates . . .”
From the early 1980s until well into the new millennium, Dennis was the president of Astro-Form Corporation, in Danielson. His company was a major supplier of medical cast padding throughout the world; Astro-Form also produced other non-woven technologies that included high and low temperature materials found in everything from power-plants and factories to fighter planes and nuclear submarines.
A long-time member of Quinnatisset Country Club, Dennis spent a lot of his spare time on the links, except of course, when the New York Giants were playing. He was also a voracious reader, and in his later years, would become a world traveler who marveled in the exotic and historical places that had thus far only been part of his literary world. Dennis, and his wife Bernice, a local travel consultant and tour leader, left no overseas-stone unturned. His retirement from Connecticut to Naples, would be one of his last journeys in a truly rewarding and fulfilling life.
He leaves his wife of 60 years; his two children, Denice A. Harmyk of southwest Fla., and Peter S. Harmyk of Pomfret; his sister, Renee Smoliga, of North Carolina, and his elder brother, John Harmyk, of central Florida.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. Donations: AFTD Radnor Station, 290 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19087 or Parkinson Association of SWF, 5926 Premier Way, # 114, Naples, FL 34109.
Isabelle ‘Belle’ Henzel
POMFRET CENTER — Isabelle “Belle” (Roney) Henzel, 79, of Hampton Rd., died Aug. 13, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital. She was the wife of Craig R. Henzel. Born in 1939 in Detroit, she was the daughter of the late Charles J. and Maureen E. (Cunningham) Roney.
Belle attended Barrett College and worked for many years as an operator for the Guardian Answering Service. She was also the District Secretary for Coca-Cola Distributing and was a secretary for the Shaw Walker Company and the office manager for David Soda Company in Bristol. She was an associate member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, volunteered more than 3,000 hours for Day Kimball Homemakers, was very active in the Most Holy Trinity Church and was a member of the Red Hat Club and the Knitting Circle at St. Mary Church of the Visitation. She was a great cook and enjoyed knitting, music, and collecting cookbooks. She especially enjoyed getting together with friends and family and was extremely adored by everyone she met.
In addition to her husband Craig, she leaves her children, Maureen Elizabeth Henzel (Larry Jordan) of Mendon, Mass., Craig Reid Henzel of Glen Mills, Penn., Tracy Anne Henzel of Pomfret Center; her sisters, Mary Pellerito of S. Bend, Ind., Susan Drennan of Middlebury, Vt, Sara Roney of Utah, Martha Roney of Detroit, and Celeste Roney of Lehigh Valley, Penn.; grandchildren, Molly Jordan, Liam Jordan, Haley Henzel, Reid Henzel, and Luke Henzel. She was predeceased by her brother, Charles Roney.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 20 in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Tribute Program, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
E. Linnea Kallgren
WOODSTOCK — E. Linnea Kallgren, 102, of Woodstock, died Aug. 15, 2018, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. She was the wife of Oscar P. Kallgren who died in 1993.
She was born December 23, 1915, in Hartford, daughter of the late Oscar R. and Elin A. (Peterson) Lindgren.
Linnea was a lifelong resident of Woodstock and lived on the Senexet Farm her entire married life. She was a life member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Woodstock, serving in many capacities. She was a very efficient secretary for many years at Linemaster Switch Corp. in Woodstock. She worked on the farm with her husband Oscar. Linnea had the gift of hospitality and enjoyed welcoming guests into her home.
She leaves her children Linda Weimann (Richard) of New Bern, N.C., Victor Kallgren (Linda) of Dudley, Carolyn Rogers (Curtis) of Woodstock; daughter-in-law Marsha Kallgren of Woodstock; sister Sonja Healey of Woodstock; grand, great- and great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Carl.
A Memorial Service was Aug. 18 at the Evangelical Covenant Church, Woodstock with burial in Elmvale Cemetery, Woodstock. Donations: Evangelical Covenant Church. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Donald R. Walberg
POMFRET/WOODSTOCK — Donald R. Walberg, 55, died at the UMass Healthcare Center, Worcester, from complications of an automobile accident.
He was born in Southbridge son of the late Carol E. (Shooter) Walberg and Donald C. Walberg and was a lifelong resident of Woodstock.
He was a graduate of Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Rhode Island. He was a Chef at Grill 37 in Pomfret. Donald enjoyed motorcycles, fishing, dogs and great times with the family.
He leaves three sisters; Jill Duggan of Canton, Mass., Kristen Walberg of Putnam, and Judy Walberg (Daniel French) of Woodstock; nieces and nephews; friends and extended families; Ian, Deb, Matt, Jiggy and Craig.
The family asks all who were touched by Don, aka “The Dude,” to raise a glass and toast a life well lived. Services were private. Donations: Alzheimer’s research to help cure a disease that plagued prior elderly family members. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Daniel Remian
CUSHING, Maine — Daniel Remian, husband of Martha Marchut, died Aug. 7, 2018, after an extended illness.
Dan was born on May 12, 1939, in Southbridge, son of John and Nellie Szczygiel Remian, the oldest of eight children.
Dan was educated in electrical engineering at Northeastern University and took graduate and professional courses at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and University of West Virginia. He worked for many years at Honeywell, rising to the level of Senior Project Consultant before eventually starting his own firm, C D Engineering, specializing in cathodic protection of bridges and gas lines. At the time of his death, he was actively consulting with the Department of Transportation of the State of New Hampshire.
Throughout his life, Dan believed in the importance of community service. He earned his pilot’s license while in his teens and was active in the Civil Air Patrol. As an adult in Massachusetts, he served on the Westboro Airport Commission, the Westboro Land Use Committee, and the Westboro School Building Committee. In Connecticut, he served on the Putnam Inland Wetlands Commission, the Putnam Zoning Commission, and the Putnam Baptist Homes Board of Directors. He was active in the Catholic Church, serving on the Parish Committee, the National Church Mission Commission, the National Church Administration Commission, and the Diocesan Council in Massachusetts.
Dan and Martha moved to Cushing in 2000 where he was project manager at Broad Bay Electric. He continued giving back to the community, serving as treasurer of the Cushing Historical Society and chair of the Cushing Planning Board and the Cushing Board of Assessors. He was a past chair of the Cushing Republican Party and served as a delegate to the Republican State Convention numerous times.
Although not born in Maine, Dan loved the state and all that it embodies. He fought relentlessly for a fair and intelligent assessment of the costs and benefits of defacing Maine’s mountains with massive wind energy projects. He loved fixing equipment at his “farm” and spending time at his camp on Lower Sysladobsis as well as boating, hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and exploring throughout the state.
He leaves his wife, Martha; three children, Daniel Remian of Westboro, Mass., Sandra Taylor of Athens, Maine, and Jon Remian of Corinth, Maine; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; siblings, Dorothy Remian of Buzzards Bay, Mass., David Remian of Quinebaug, Christina Laurens (Albert) of Lewisville, Texas, Cynthia Taylor of Southbridge, Claudia Hunt (Peter) of Whitam-Essex, England, and Deborah Patrowicz (Michael) of Dudley; Martha’s sons, Ted Marchut of San Marcos, Texas, and Jamie Marchut (Carla) and their two daughters of Markleeville, Calif. He was predeceased by a sister, Sylvia, who died in infancy and by his parents.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 16 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Rockland. Donations: American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123; Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02285; or Massachusetts General Hospital, Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114. Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockland.
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