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Roger J. Beausoleil,
WWII, Korean war vet
WAUREGAN — Roger J. Beausoleil, 93, of Wauregan died July 23, 2019, at home under Hospice care.
Roger was born on July 19, 1926, in Manchester, N.H., son of Israel and Lydia Beausoleil. He was one of six boys and the last surviving brother.
He was an Army veteran serving two tours of duty in WWII and the Korean war. He was a licensed electrician and worked many years at Danco.
Roger was the husband of Eva (Dutremble). They made their home in Wauregan where they raised their three children. Roger and Eva loved camping and the family spent summer weekends at Great Island and Long Cove Marina in Narragansett, R.I., where they made many lifelong friends. He loved sports, boxed in his youth, coached Little League and was an avid fan of the New England teams. Roger had a passion for growing orchids and collected many varieties. Above all he was a kind man and his love for his family and time spent with them was most important to him.
He leaves his wife Eva; children, Michael (Christine) Beausoleil of Pomfret, Joyce Kingsbury (Peter Duperre) of Woodstock, and Bruce Beausoleil (Monaliza Rufila) of Niantic; grandchildren Angela Harriott, Megan Haggett (David), Laura Beausoleil (Joseph LaCognata), Clint and Justin Beausoleil, and Thomas Kingsbury; great-grandchildren Camden and Kinsley Haggett.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Aug. 16 at St. James Church, 12 Franklin Street, Danielson. Donations: Day Kimball Hospice Care, PO Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Timothy C. Williams,
Navy veteran
POMFRET CENTER/OWENSBORO, Ky. — Timothy C. Williams died June 25, 2019.
Tim was born Oct. 31, 1961, and grew up in Pomfret. As a young boy, his nickname was “Big Tim,” because of his size.
Tim graduated from Pomfret Community School and Putnam High School. After high school, he moved to Pine Bluff, AR, to help run his Dad’s family grocery store.
Realizing later that he wanted to do something different, Tim joined the Navy where he served for four years.
His path later brought him to Owensboro where he would become a carpenter and builder for many contractors. He enjoyed fishing, riding motorcycles and listening to country music.
He leaves his daughter, Lyndsey (Michael) Simmons; his grandchildren, Ethan, Trey, Bentley, and Laikyn of Cave Springs, AR; his son, James Williams of New Mexico; his brothers, Jeffrey (Brenda) Cotnoir of Putnam, Bruce Cotnoir of Webster, Randy (Jenna) Williams of Marietta, Ga.. He was predeceased by his parents, Joyce (King) Williams and Arthur Ray Williams.
Donations: www.WoundedWarriorProject.org; or to the American Cancer Research Institute, 825 Brook St. Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Raymond L. Bernier,
Korean war vet
DANIELSON — Raymond Leo Bernier, 88, of Danielson died July 17, 2019, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He was the husband of Nancy (DeVillez) Bernier. They were married for 67 years.
Ray was born on April 26, 1931 in Brooklyn, son of the late Romeo and Leonie (Grenon) Bernier.
Ray was a communicant of St. James Church in Danielson, a veteran of the Korean war serving in the U.S. Army. He worked as a kilnman at American Standard for 30 years and retired at the age of 80 from NEPS in Woodstock after 20 years, working with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Ray enjoyed woodworking and was an avid reader.
He leaves his wife Nancy, sons; Theodore Bernier (Robin) of Dayville, Scott Bernier and fiancée Karen of Espyville, Penn.; daughters; Susan Boies of Woodstock, Renee Hart (Neal) of Pomfret Center; seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, siblings Romeo Bernier of Brooklyn, Robert Bernier (Lucille) of Brooklyn, Lucille Ledogar of Florida; his cat Mia.
A Mass of Christian Burial was July 20 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., I-91 Tech Ctr, Rocky Hill, CT 06067-3045. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Edward J. Rogalski,
veteran
N. GROSVENORDALE — Edward J. Rogalski, 88, of N. Grosvenordale, died July 17, 2019, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.
He was born July 8, 1931, in Thompson, son of Joseph and Anna (Lorkiecvicz) Rogalski.
The Funeral Service was July 22 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial with military honors in St. Joseph Cemetery, N. Grosvenordale.
Marilyn S. Ebbitt
WOODSTOCK — Marilyn S. Ebbitt of Pulpit Rock Rd. died Aug. 3, 2019, at home after a long battle with ovarian cancer.
Marilyn was a lover of flowers, literature, cooking, needlepoint, friends and family. Her extraordinary mind was clear to the end, and she had many visits and conversations with her friends, former students, and extended family.
Marilyn was born in Washington, D.C., to Dr. and Mrs. Ernest A. Sarao. She grew up in Maryland and attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, an all-girls school that she credits as a guiding force in shaping her to become a strong, self-reliant, intellectually curious woman of faith and purpose. Marilyn was a graduate of Marquette University and spent her junior year at the Sorbonne where she received her diploma with honors. She also attended the Ecole Du Louvre in Paris. Following her graduation, she began her teaching career with Teachers of America in Roxbury, Mass., before returning to D.C. where she received a master’s degree in French and linguistics from Georgetown University.
In the Spring of 1968, she met Ken in Georgetown shortly after his return from Vietnam. They were married in June 1969 and moved to Bronxville, N.Y. They joyfully celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in June. Marilyn taught French at Chappaqua High School for several years before enrolling at Fordham University to pursue a doctorate in French literature. After seven years teaching French at Fordham, Marilyn changed her career path to teach English at Brunswick School, a private boys’ school in Greenwich. She was soon appointed chair of the English Department, a position she held for nearly 20 years.
Marilyn pursued the craft of teaching with unparalleled passion. She taught her students to adore the beauty of the written word, to write with bold precision, to voice their opinions, and to clarify their thinking. She insisted that each student hold themselves to higher standards both inside and outside of the classroom. She was a teacher who was as likely to rework an English essay a dozen times with a student, as she was to bake birthday cakes for her advisees, and as a result, she developed life-long relationships with many of her students.
After Marilyn retired from Brunswick School, she and Ken moved from New Canaan to Woodstock where they had owned a summer and weekend home since 1981. Marilyn soon realized she was not ready for retirement and as a devoted member of Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret she headed the committee that restored and renovated the church in 1999. As her last project, Marilyn recently needle-pointed the altar chairs at Most Holy Trinity. Marilyn was a trustee of the Church at her death.
In the summer of 2001, Marilyn came out of retirement and began the most rewarding job of her career when she was appointed headmistress of Marianapolis Preparatory School in Thompson. She became the first woman and first head of the school not a Marian Father. She had a clear vision for the school, and during her 10 years at Marianapolis enrollment rose from 196 students to 324, facilities were updated, two new dormitories for boarding students were purchased, as were several houses for faculty. In 2010, she and her husband represented The Trinity Foundation in its purchase of Marianapolis from the Congregation of Marian Fathers. With her vision realized and goals met, in 2011, Marilyn retired as headmistress emerita. At her retirement, the Board of The Trinity Foundation named the gate at the entrance to the school Ebbitt Gate in her honor.
A firm believer that “more is better!” Marilyn celebrated each holiday with abandon. Most notably her Thanksgivings, Christmases, and birthdays were famously huge and beautifully decorated—each a perfect jumble of organized chaos, delicious food, heaps of children, dogs, pool floats, pinatas, gingerbread candy houses, wrapped gifts, books and cut flowers. Marilyn found her greatest happiness in making others happy. She brimmed with life — she drank it up.
Besides her husband Ken, she leaves her daughter Carolyn (Rob) Russo; son Kenneth Cooper (Jennie) Ebbitt III; grandchildren Ryan, Cooper, Tyler and Emily Ebbitt and Jack and Bobby Russo; her sister Dee Cramsie; her brother Ernest A. Sarao Jr.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 10 at the Most Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret. Donations: The Ebbitt Family Foundation which supports college scholarships for the children of faculty and staff members. Gifts can be made online at www.marianapolis.org/ebbitt or by mailing a check to Marianapolis Preparatory Development Office, P.O. Box 304, 26 Chase Road, Thompson, CT 06277.
Celina Stafford
PUTNAM — Celina Stafford, 100 years, 11 months and 14 days old, formerly of George St. in Dudley, died July 29, 2019, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam, where she had lived for the last 2.8 years.
Celina was born Aug. 15, 1918, in Putnam, the youngest daughter of the late Adjuder and Celina (Desautels) Benoit. Celina was married to Clifton Stafford on July 1, 1950. He died Oct. 10, 1997.
Celina worked hard all her life, beginning with Belding Heminway in Putnam, then Dudley Woolen as a spinner and finally as an inspector at Webster Lens, retiring in 1982. Celina loved socializing, going to the casino and taking bus trips to Atlantic City with Mem Beauchesne. In her later years she had the opportunity to visit Mexico and Florida several times and she forged a great friendship with Norm Duffany! Celina loved to drink beer (Saloo-gagloo!) and she couldn’t resist a great party. She was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Church.
She leaves two daughters: Suzanne Lavallee of Granby and Jane Duffany (Harvey) Duffany, both of Putnam; her sister May Benoit, 102, at Matulaitis Nursing Home; three grandsons, Neil Jyringi (Amanda) of Dudley, Shaun Beauchesne (Melissa) of Putnam and Jay Beauchesne (Danielle) of Halifax, Mass.; two stepgrandsons; 11 great-grandchildren. Besides her parents and husband, Celina was predeceased by two brothers, Philbert and Edward Benoit and four sisters, Estelle Lucier, Leosa Latour, Anna Labonte and Jeanne Meehan; a grandson Erik Jyringi (2010) and infant great-granddaughter, Emily Rose Jyringi.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Aug. 22 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dudley with burial in Calvary Cemetery, Dudley. Visitation is from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church. Donations: Lost and Found Cat Shelter, PO Box 84, Thompson, CT 06277. Bartel Funeral Home, Dudley.
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