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Joseph Mercik,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — Joseph Mercik, 100, of Grove St., died Nov. 24, 2019, at Matulaitis Rehabilitation and Nursing Home. He was the husband of Dolores (Marroquin) Mercik, the love of his life. They were married on Aug. 21, 1948, in St. Mary Church of the Visitation.
Born in 1919 in Newmarket, N.H., he was the son of the late John and Appolina (Grochmal) Mercik.
Joseph graduated from Putnam High School and from Ellis Tech as a machinist. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during WWII. Upon his return from the war he married Dolores. He was co-owner of LaBonte & Mercik Refrigeration in Putnam. Joe was an ambitious and talented man who had many interests. His interests as a young caddy turned into a membership at Putnam Golf Course and became one of the original members of the Quinnatisset Country Club. He was a member of the Putnam Elks and was an avid fisherman, golfer, coin collector, reader. He made furniture and lamps and carved decoy ducks.
In addition to his wife Dolores, he leaves his daughter, Deborah M. Dunn and her companion Kevin Paulhus of Dudley; grandchildren: Hollis (Kempain) Abram (Adam) and Jordan Joseph Kempain and his fiancé Sarah Rickaby, Steve Kempain was Joy’s husband and he and his current wife Pam Kempain continue to be part of the family. He is predeceased by his daughter, Joy Kempain in 1993 and sisters, Mary, Beatrice and Celia.
Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Romeo Beausoleil Jr.,
Korean war vet
N. GROSVENORDALE — Romeo “Junior” Beausoleil, 84, died Nov. 21, 2019, at Hartford Hospital. He was the husband of the late Lorraine M. Beausoleil for 65 years. Born in 1935 in Griswold, Romeo was the son of the late Romeo J. and Laura (Jodoin) Beausoleil.
Romeo was a U. S. Navy veteran serving during the Korean war. He retired as an expediter from Kaman Aerospace and previously worked for Bentley Shoe and Pratt and Whitney. Romeo was a member of the Knights of Columbus St. Bernard’s Council, the American Legion, and a communicant of St. Joseph’s Church. He was an avid golfer. He enjoyed coaching his sons in Little League. Romeo was a creative woodworker and handyman. He served on the Thompson Water Pollution Control Authority and served two terms as a member of the Thompson Board of Selectmen.
He leaves five children, Kenneth Beausoleil (Gail) of Quinebaug, Gary Beausoleil (Amanda) of E. Putnam, Gail Beausoleil of Putnam, Karen Munroe (Edward) of Woodstock, and John Beausoleil (Melissa) of Kennesaw, Ga.; his brother, Robert Beausoleil (Anita) of Leesburg, Fla.; nine grandchildren, Kenneth Beausoleil, Kristopher Beausoleil, Nicholas Lawrence, Emma Beausoleil, Renee Hill, Heather Vallis, Galen Munroe, Michael Beausoleil, and Shauna Christensen; seven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by two grandchildren, Eric Beausoleil and Michele Beausoleil; and siblings Doris Casey, Richard Beausoleil, and Carol Inch.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Nov. 25 at St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial with military honors in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: St. Joseph Church, P.O. Box 897, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Marie A. Albee
DANIELSON — Marie A. Albee, 75, of North Main Street, died Nov. 16, 2019, in Day Kimball Hospital. She was the wife of Ronald A. Albee Sr. for 58 years. Born in 1944 in Athol, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Milton and Gabrielle (Perron) Card.
Marie was a homemaker. She enjoyed fishing at the Thompson Dam.
In addition to her husband, she leaves her sons, Ronald A. Albee Jr. (Lori) of Putnam, and Chris Albee (Cheryl) of Danielson; grandchildren, Sean Albee (Chelsea), Bryan Albee and Stephanie Albee.
Burial was in Westfield Cemetery in Danielson. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Lucien Beaulieu Sr.
N. GROSVENORDALE — Lucien Beaulieu Sr., 75, of N. Grosvenordale, died Nov. 16, 2019. He was the son of Oliver and Amelia (Madison) Beaulieu.
He worked for more than 40 years at Cranston Print Works in Webster. He belonged to the Putnam Fish and Game Club. His favorite hobbies were hunting and fishing.
In addition to his wife Linda, of 58 years of marriage, he leaves his brother Michael (Karen); children Robert Beaulieu (Lori), Lucien Beaulieu Jr. (Barbara) and Scott Beaulieu; seven grandchildren, Holly, Nicole (Timothy), Josh, Christopher, Anthony, Dylan, and Kaitlyn; three great-grandchildren, Christian, Caiden and Zoey-Grace. He was predeceased by a brother Larry.
A Celebration of Life will be at a later date. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Theresa M. Emond
PUTNAM — Theresa M. Emond, 92, died Nov. 17, 2019, at Westview Healthcare in Dayville. She was the wife of the late Albert J. Emond. Theresa was born in 1927 and was raised together with her cousins Stuart and Duarte Cabral.
Mrs. Emond began her working career as a cashier at A & P in Putnam. Then she worked for the Connecticut Department of Transportation as a toll collector. Once she retired from there, she went to work at Godley’s Liquor Store.
She leaves nieces and nephews; and her devoted son that she was never able to have, Glenn Godley; her best friend, Arlene Altmeier. Theresa was the last of her immediate family.
The Graveside Service was Nov. 25 in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Kathleen Lavigne
BALLOUVILLE — Kathleen (Kay) Teresa Marcella Burke Leist Lavigne of Ballouville died Nov. 19, 2019, at home. She was born June 28, 1932, in North Bay, Ontario Canada, daughter of William and Muriel (Marner) Marcella.
On Dec. 23, 1950, she married Henry A. Burke at St. Joseph’s Church in Dayville. He died Nov. 26, 1982.
On Nov. 2, 1985, she married Edward P. Leist at St. Anne Church in Ballouville. He died May 25, 2002. Kay married Paul Lavigne on Aug. 11, 2011, at St. James Church in Danielson. He died Dec. 14, 2018.
Kay was a homemaker who raised three daughters. She worked for Pall Flex Corporation and rose to senior sales administrator in her 23 years of employment before retirement in 1987. She enjoyed gardening, reading, volunteering in the hospital, Daily Bread and church, the beach, and Florida. She leaves three daughters, Mrs. Richard Morin, Elizabeth (Betty), is the oldest, Ms. Patricia (Pat) Malek and Robin Paquette. She was known as Nana-Banana to Tim, Eric, Jill, Laura, Kelley, and Gavin and Grandma Kay to Kimberley, Matthew, Kevin, Dana, and Kelley. She also has great-grandchildren Chelsea, Kayla, Saige, Caleb, Rhys, Jacob, Lucey, Molley, Sydney, and Noah. Kay was the last of the Marcella family being predeceased by Vernon, Morley and William Marcella; and one sister, Joan Dumas. The Mass of Christian Burial was Nov. 26 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Dayville. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Arlene J. Tedesco
POMFRET CENTER — Arlene J. (Thielbar) Tedesco, 79, formerly of Putnam Rd, died Nov. 19, 2019, at New Britain Hospital. She was the wife of William Tedesco. Born in 1940 in Pekin, Ill., she was the daughter of the late George and Stazia (Mularoni) Thielbar.
Arlene grew up in Pekin and graduated from the Pekin Community High School in 1958. She was employed as a dental receptionist and assistant, billing clerk for a large department store, and in the data processing department of Keystone Steel & Wire Company.
In 1972, she married William “Willy” Tedesco of Southington and they moved to Thompson. During her years in Connecticut she worked in the Data Processing Department of Rogers Corporation and at the apple stand of Putnam Heights Orchard. Arlene was also the secretary and bookkeeper for her husband’s business Tedesco Construction.
She leaves her husband; a daughter, Gina Stone (Ray) of Pomfret Center; a brother, George Thielbar (Shirley) of Paw Paw, Mich.; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Janice Rickgauer; her grandparents; aunts and uncles.
Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
John O. Newell Jr.,
Army veteran
John O. Newell Jr. died on Nov. 10, 2019. He was born Dec. 26, 1931, in glen ridge, N.J., son of John O. Newell and Mary Emerson Keith Newell. He grew up in Upper Montclair, N.J., and New York City and spent summers at the family’s house in Colebrook. He was educated at the Buckley School, Phillips Academy, Columbia College and Cornell University.
While at Columbia College, he met his future wife, Barbara Hoblitzelle, who was a student at Barnard College. They were married in July of 1955. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1954, where he served in the field artillery and was stationed in Geissen, Germany following training at Fort Dix and Fort Sill.
After his discharge from the Army in 1957, he completed his undergraduate studies and graduated from Columbia College in 1958. He then earned an MBA in finance, accounting and administration from Cornell University in 1960. In 1970 he completed the post graduate program conducted by the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
He joined Hartford National Bank and Trust Company in 1960, which was the fourth oldest bank in the country, where he served in a variety of executive positions. During his career, he was involved in the building of Hartford National’s new head office in 1963; the designing of Hartford National’s first computerized commercial loan system, and the creation of Hartford National’s debit card.
He and his late wife shared a love of collecting and building 1 inch to 1 foot miniatures to furnish the rooms John built for their collection. They also had an intense interest in family genealogy, and were members of many genealogical societies and enjoyed doing research in places ranging from Charleston, S.C., to Boston.
He lived with his family in W. Hartford from 1960 until 2016, when he moved to Brooklyn.
His wife Barbara died in 2013. He leaves two children, John O. Newell IV (Cornelia) of Weston, Mass., and Pamela N. Gaumond (Robert) of Pomfret Center; four grandchildren, William C. Newell, Alex B. Newell, Benjamin S. Zern and Jennifer B. Zern and four great-grandchildren.
Donations: Charity of donor’s choice. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Deborah Beckwith
WEBSTER — Deborah (Freeman) Beckwith, 65, died Nov. 17, 2019.
Deborah was born June 14, 1954, in Holden, Mass., daughter of the late Donald J. and Vivian (Charbonneau) Freeman.
Debbie worked for Gentex for many years; she enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and taking trips to enjoy the beauty and splendor of New England’s fall foliage as well as taking trips to the ocean.
She leaves her husband of 30 years Richard A. Beckwith; her son Stefan Brytowski of Worcester; two daughters: Regina Brytowski of Putnam and Sonja Brytowski of Worcester; her brother David Freeman of New Jersey; her sister Barbara Charbonneau of Webster; seven grandchildren.
She was predeceased by two brothers: Wayne Freeman, and Donald Freeman; and her sister Dianna.
Donations: Hillcrest Church, 155 Leicester St., N. Oxford, MA 01537.
Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Vernon R. Freelove,
Korean war vet
WOODSTOCK — Vernon R. Freelove, 92, died Nov. 9, 2019.
He was the husband of the late Mary (Gwizdala) Freelove who died in 2017.
He was born in Cranston, R.I., son of the late Vernon H. Freelove and Martha L. (Dodge) Freelove living in Woodstock all his life.
He was U.S. Army Korean war veteran. Vernon worked for many years work at the ax handle factory in Thompson.
He was a member of the VFW.
He leaves three nieces and a nephew, Mildred Button of Griswold, Joanne Santo of Dudley, Gail White of Woodstock, and Louis Urich of E. Brookfield, Mass.
He was predeceased by a niece Gloria; two brothers and a sister, Ernest Freelove, Sydney Freelove and Sadie Freelove.
A Graveside Service with military honors was Nov. 16 in the Holy Trinity Cemetery, Dudley.
Donations: Webster-Dudley Veterans Council, Veterans Way, Webster, MA. 01570.
Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
D. Andrew Leach
BROOKLYN — D. Andrew Leach, 32, died suddenly Nov. 10, 2019.
David was born Aug. 6, 1987, in Putnam, and lived in Brooklyn for most of his life.
He worked for the RCW Contracting Company and was a car enthusiast.
He leaves two daughters: Elizabeth and Jessica Leach, both of Woodstock; his father Brian White of Killingly; his mother Wendy C. Leach of Brooklyn; his maternal grandparents Robert Leach of Brooklyn and grandmother Cassandra L. (Rundell) Leach of Brooklyn; paternal grandparents, Fred and Barbara White of Brooklyn; his stepfather Robert Langlois of Baltimore; three brothers: Robert, Benjamin, and Branden Langlois, all of Brooklyn.
Donations: Connecticut Humane Society and Mortlake Fire Dept., Brooklyn, CT.
Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
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