Baron elected

class secretary 

DUDLEY — Brieanna Baron of Woodstock was elected Class Secretary for the Class of 2017 at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts. Elected officers represent their class in the Nichols Student Government Association.

 

 

Helen K. Ritchotte

WOODSTOCK —  Helen K. Ritchotte, 91, formerly of Meriden, wife of the late Warren A. Ritchotte, died March 31, 2014, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. 

Born in New York, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late William and Catherine (Cherniak) Kolawich.  She had lived in Woodstock for the last four years with her daughter Rande Chmura and Rande’s husband Frederick.

Mrs. Ritchotte was a parishioner of Holy Angels Church.  She loved gardening and watching birds.  Helen also enjoyed quilting.

She leaves two daughters, Rande Chmura (Frederick) of Woodstock and Patricia O’Connor (John) of Livermore, Calif.; two grandsons, Jeffrey and Brian O’Connor of Livermore; nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by a sister, Julie Carabetta.

The Mass of Christian Burial was April 3 at Holy Angels Church, S. Meriden, with burial in Sacred Heart Cemetery.  Donations: Holy Angels Church, 585 Main St., S. Meriden, CT  06451.  John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, Meriden.

 

Robert Johnson Jr.,

U.S. Army vet

DAYVILLE — Robert J. Johnson Jr., 59, of Soap Street, died March 29, 2014, at Landmark Hospital in Woonsocket, RI. He was born July 2, 1954, in Philadelphia,  son of Regina McCauglin and the late Robert J. Johnson Sr. He married his wife Susan E. Gingras, Dec. 31, 1984, in their home in Dayville. 

Robert served from 1971 to 1981 with the U.S. Army retiring in 1980. In 1982 he was the store manager for the new Burger King in Dayville, in 1988 he became a district manager for Cumberland Farms Stores. He enjoyed playing saxophone in the Killingly Community Band.

He leaves his wife Susan E. Johnson of Dayville;  children Gregory Johnson of Woonsocket,  Staff Sargent Kevin Johnson of Georgia, Nicolas Johnson of Middlebury and Sandi Sharpe of N. Grosvenordale;  brother Michael Johnston of North Attleboro, Mass.; sister Kimberlaine Allessandro of Rhode Island; grandchildren Lindsey Seney and Brandon Seney of N. Grosvenordale; in-laws Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Gingras from Dayville. A Memorial Reception was April 5. Donations: Wounded Warrior Project, woundedwarriorproject.org. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

Joan M. Chesney

POMFRET CENTER —  Joan M. (Sutherland) Chesney, 83, of Blossom Dr., died March 31, 2014,  in Windham Hospital. Born in 1931 in Boston,  she was the daughter of the late John and Sarah (Cameron) Sutherland.

Mrs. Chesney worked as a clerk for the State of CT Judicial Department.  Joan enjoyed spending quality time with her family especially her four sisters.

She leaves her sisters, Gail McElroy (Robert) of Pomfret, Linda Witkowski of Farmington, and Pamela Soucy (Brian) of W. Hartford; nieces; nephews; great-nieces; and great-nephews.  She is predeceased by her brothers, Robert Sutherland, and Jay Sutherland; and her sister, Patricia Bingham.  

The Mass of Christian Burial was April 5 in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial later in St. Joseph Cemetery in Boston. Donations:  St. Joseph Living Center Recreation Dept., 14 Club Road, Windham, CT 06280. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St.,  Putnam.

 

Ellsworth M. Cutler

PUTNAM — Ellsworth M. Cutler, 88, of Putnam died April 1, 2014, at home. He was the husband of Thelma (Barton) Cutler and they recently celebrated 63 years of marriage. He was born March 31, 1926, in Thompson, son of the late Ellsworth B. and Flora (Towne) Cutler.

He worked for Colt’s Plastics in Dayville for 23 years and for National Chromium in Putnam for nine years. He loved camping and traveling with his wife in there RV, together they travelled to all 48 continental states. Ellsworth loved to fix and repair things and could fix anything.    

He leaves his wife Thelma; children Randy Cutler and his companion Catherine Bates of Thompson, Christine Mailloux and her companion Mark Bochenski of New Port Richey, Fla., Judy Deschamps (Joseph) of Danielson; grandchildren Jessica Cutler of Danielson, Steven Cutler of Thompson, Jeffrey Mailloux (Monique) of Putnam, Kim Reidy (Tim) of Putnam, Amanda McClintock of Thompson; great-grandchildren Hope and David Thompson of Danielson, Halie, Mackenzie and Bridgette Reidy of Putnam, Jacob and Evan Mailloux of Putnam. He was predeceased by his son James C. Cutler and a brother Robert W. Cutler.

A Graveside Memorial Service was April 5 at Munyan Cemetery, E. Putnam. Donations: Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Highway, Suite 100 Rocky Hill, CT 06067; American Heart Association, PO Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241, Pet Pals Northeast, PO Box 64, Plainfield, CT 06374. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Wayne P. Walker,

U.S. Navy vet

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Wayne Patrick Walker, 72, son of Josephine Anna Dombrowski Walker, died March 28, 2014, in Myrtle Beach.

Wayne was born on Aug. 28, 1941, in New Haven and graduated from Eli Whitney Technical High School, in Hamden, in 1960.  

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1962. Assigned to the USS Enterprise, he toured the Mediterranean and sailed around the world.  After being discharged from the Navy he began a career as a salesman, which culminated with his starting his own firm, New England Coastal Sales in 1987.

In 1994 Wayne realized a lifelong dream when he purchased a 28’ sailboat that he fittingly christened “Morpheus.” Subsequent summers were spent largely on Narragansett Bay, happily cruising the waters off New England.

Wayne was a member of Danielson lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and has been a member of the Elks for 50 years.   He also was head usher for the many Episcopal churches he attended, including Christ Church.

Wayne will be remembered and missed by so many for his unending enthusiasm, charm and wit.

He leaves his wife of 50 years, Patricia Krott Walker; daughters Pauline Griffith, Cynthia Cox and Suzanne Petri; his sisters Patricia Golebiewski, Cheryl Walker, his five grandchildren.

The Funeral was April 5 at the Christ Church, Pomfret. Donations:  Wounded Warrior Foundation http://www.warriorfoundation.com . Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Barbara Ann Fortin

WAUREGAN — Barbara Ann Fortin, 70, of Wauregan, died March 29, 2014, at UMass  Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, from complications of a long battle with diabetes. She was born June 20, 1943, in Putnam, daughter of the late Leonel and Rita (Tetreault) Auger.

Barbara was a communicant of St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam. She worked for Belding Corticelli and later worked as a Correction Officer with The Connecticut DOC, she retired in 1999. She was Past President of the Emblem Club, The VFW Ladies Auxiliary and The American Legion Auxiliary.  Her favorite things were family gatherings, her grand and great-grandchildren, vacations with her sisters, the Boston Red Sox and visits to Foxwoods.

She leaves a son Keith (Lori) Ignasiak of Summerville, S.C.; daughters Kim Houle and Kelly Ignasiak of Thompson,  Monique (Scott) Behm of New London, Nicole (Ken) Gillespie of Dayville; eight grandchildren, six step-grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; sisters Elaine Ignasiak, Dorothy Shippee, brother Arnold Auger; step brothers Robert Guertin, Michael Guertin and Gary Guertin, her closest cousin Kenneth Vassar. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Ruth Pauline Curran, her brother Leonel Auger and her step brother Paul Guertin.

The Mass of Christian Burial was April 3 at St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: American Diabetes Association, 306 Industrial Park Road, Suite 105, Middletown, CT 06457; or American Kidney Association, 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 1010, Rockville, MD 20852. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St, Danielson.  

 

Edwin R. Ledogar Sr.,

U.S. Navy vet

DAYVILLE — Edwin Richard Ledogar Sr., 83, of Dayville died April 2, 2014, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.

He was born Nov. 30, 1930, in Bronx, N.Y., son of the late Edwin Arthur and Zylphia (Zwirz) Ledogar. 

He joined the U.S. Navy in 1951 and served four years aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was married on July 7, 1951, to his late wife, Rosella G. (Dauphinais) Ledogar at St. James Church. He worked at Kaman Aircraft Co., CT Dept. of Consumer Protection and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. After retirement, he served as executive director of the Killingly Historical Society where he contributed to the development of Cat Hollow Town Park. He volunteered his time as president of the Windham County Agricultural Society and as a governor’s appointee to the Connecticut Historical Commission. 

He had a charming personality, held strong family values honored by picnics up at “The Land” and would frequently break out into song. He enthusiastically devoted his spare time to his band, the HI-Tones, genealogy, poultry breeding and exhibition, the development of Rosewin Wildlife Preserve and cruising in his 73’ Cadillac Eldorado with Rose.

He leaves his daughters: Diane Welz (Bill), Sheryl Higgins (Joseph), Robin Baker (Richard);  sons; Edwin (Carolyn), Michael (former wife Jennifer); brother, Lawrence (Marie);  sisters, Ann Liebscher, and Gail Aubin (Francis); grandchildren: Joseph, Jonathan, Edwin, Halley, Kristin, Rebecca, William, Daniel, Chelsi, Stephanie, Richard, Michael; great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, William and Francis “Babe.” 

The Mass of Christian Burial was April 8 at St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, with military honors. Donations: The Killingly Historical Society, 196 Main St., Danielson, CT 06239. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.

 

Wallace F. Peterson

DANIELSON —  Wallace F. “Wally” Peterson, 88, formerly of Canterbury, died March 28, 2014, in Day Kimball Hospital.  Born in 1925 in Brockton, Mass. Wally was the eldest son of the late Frank and Jesse (Hefler) Peterson.

Wally leaves his daughter, Sandra Nabozny and her companion Richard Bonner of Thompson; his sister, Anne Bayer of Thompson; his grandchildren, Angela Herrick (Randy) of Putnam, and Torri Nabozny and her fiancé Christopher Roberts of Pascoag; great-grandson Kaleb Herrick.  He is predeceased by his first wife, Vera (Oaken) Peterson who died in 1977, his second wife Anita (Grousse) Peterson who died in 2014 and his siblings William Peterson, Barbara Hasenberg, and Phyllis Willett. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St. Putnam.

 

Robert K. McNally,

Army vet

DAYVILLE — Robert Kenneth McNally, 85, died at home on April, 2, 2014, following a short illness. Robert was born April 27, 1928, at his family home in Thompson, son of the late Iscah Keach McNally and Agnes (Johnson) McNally. 

Robert graduated from Putnam Trade School in 1947, where he starred on the basketball team. After high school, Robert was drafted into the U.S. Army and was stationed for a time in Stuttgart, Germany. While there, he traded a ration of sugar for a German camera, with which he recorded a lifetime of family trips and celebrations. 

In 1953, after discharge from the Army, Robert married Joan Winterburn of Putnam, his wife of over 60 years, whom he met on a blind date arranged by his future mother-in-law. The young couple moved first to Providence, and later settled in the Laurel Hill area of Norwich, where they raised three sons.

Robert worked at General Dynamics - Electric Boat Division for 34 years, first as a draftsman and later as a senior designer. He was a loyal member of the Marine Draftsman Association. He retired from Electric Boat in 1990. After he retired, he designed and built a home on Lake Alexander in Dayville where he and Joan moved in 1991.

Robert often called friends and family “Pally,” a term by which he was also affectionately known. He will be remembered for his patience, creativity, dry wit, gentle nature, his love of UConn basketball. He never spoke negatively of anyone. He was a father figure to many.

He leaves his wife, Joan; three sons, Mark McNally of Dayville (Karen Esposito), Kurt McNally of Woodstock (Cassandra Ryan), and Derek McNally of New York, N.Y. (Robert W. F. McNally); five grandchildren, Katie Post (Luke Post) of North Stonington, Meghan Rose-McNally (Nathan “Woody” Rose) of Providence, Kellan McNally of Boston, Ryan McNally of Lisbon, Portugal; and Cameron McNally of Woodstock;  three great-grandchildren, Cora Post, Luke Post Jr., and Eloise Post; older brother, Frank McNally of Thompson, and younger brother, Walter McNally of Canterbury. He was predeceased by Russell McNally, and his daughter-in-law, Denise (Concascia) McNally.

A Memorial Celebration of his Life will be at 2 p.m. April 12 at Grill 37 at 37 Putnam Road (Rt. 44) in Pomfret.Guests are invited to stay after the memorial to enjoy food and drinks and to share their memories of Robert. Donations: Lake Alexander Homeowners’ Association, c/o Debra Kirkconnell, PO Box 764, Dayville, Connecticut 06241, for the protection of the lake, which Robert loved dearly. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.

 

Gertrude Watson

DAYVILLE —  Gertrude (Morrison) Watson, 84, of Robinwood Dr., died April 2, 2014, in Day Kimball Hospital. She is the wife of the late Frank Watson.  Born in 1929 in Dayville, she was the daughter of the late William and Mary (Chesborough) Morrison.

Mrs. Watson worked in local mills for several years before starting a family and becoming a homemaker.

She leaves her son, Brian, John, Philip, George, and David Watson; two brothers Alfred Morrison and Richard Morrison, a sister Ruby Corey; nine grandchildren. Gertrude  is predeceased by a son Richard Watson, two daughters Brenda Smith and Joyce Vitiaz, and two grandchildren. 

The Funeral was private. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St. Putnam.

 

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By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC sporty shoutout is sent along to former Tourtellotte Tiger athlete Ed Luther.  One of the area’s most generous individuals Luther is always ready to help a friend in need.  He spends much of his off time on the links at Quinnatisset Country Club.  Luther blew out another candle on the cake on April 4, but he’s not disclosing what number it was.

It’s not unusual for many local hockey players who cut their teeth in local leagues to go on beyond the youth leagues and continue playing competitive hockey.  It is more unusual when it’s a female hockey player.

This winter Woodstock resident Sydney Cournoyer enjoyed a very successful season on the ice for the Minuteman Lady Flames who play in the Tier 2 New England Girls Hockey League.  The Flames, who play out of the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass., lived up to their name as they were on fire posting a 22-4-4 record good for first place in the league.

Recently the team participated in the State Championships where they opened with a 3-1 victory over the New England Falcons.  Following a tough 1-0 loss at the hands of the Charles River Blazers, the Flames bounced back with a huge 5-1 win over the Massachusetts Spitfires.  The win projected Cournoyer and her teammates into the semifinal round against Assabet Valley where they emerged victorious.

The win moved the team into the Championship contest against the ever dangerous Charles River Blazers who had edged the Flames earlier in the competition.  In a super competitive contest the teams battled to a 2-2 standoff through regulation.  In an amazing display of hockey skills and endurance the Blazers and Flames struggled through four overtime periods before the Flames would eventually put away the game winner for a 3-2 victory.

When all was said and done and the smoke had cleared, the Minuteman Lady Flames were crowned the State Champions of the New England Girls Hockey League.  For Cournoyer, the daughter of Lisa Cournoyer, travelling from Connecticut all season, capturing the title made the effort all worthwhile.  The Minuteman Lady Flames roster was composed primarily of players from Central Massachusetts with the exception of Cournoyer and one other player who hailed from Maine. 

Car Ring Broken By Ex-Putnam Clipper

A former Putnam High School athlete, who is currently a member of the New Jersey State Police, was recently involved in some breaking news that was related to an automobile car theft ring.  The news that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was making regarding toll booth closures on the George Washington Bridge stifled the story of the $8 million carjacking ring.      

Detective Sgt. Aaron Auclair of the NJ State Police worked in concert with the FBI and the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police in corralling 29 individuals involved in the theft.  The sting operation, “Operation Jacked” was an investigation that took more than 10 months of undercover police work to crack the case, which brought the evil 29 individuals to justice.

The international theft car ring carjacked more than 160 luxury cars, including Mercedes Benz, BMW and Jaguars, that were being shipped to locations in West Africa.  The cars were stolen, hidden in secret warehouse locations and shipped to West Africa sometime after the thefts had cooled down.  The recovered automobiles are now safely stored in a warehouse in Bayonne, N.J, thanks to Auclair and other members of the sting team.

Detective Sgt. Auclair, the son of Tom and Jan Auclair of Putnam and Florida, was a three-sport standout during his high school days in Putnam.  He later went on to Western Connecticut State University, where he received a degree in criminal justice.  While at WCSU Auclair was a member of the school’s baseball program for four years.

Husky Fans at Madison Square Garden

Call it the luck of the draw or being in the right place at the right time but Paul Pikora of Putnam and his wife Mary were presented with tickets to the NCAA March Madness East Regional on Sunday, March 30 at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.

The Pikoras, who are dyed in the wool UConn Husky fans, not only enjoyed the trip to the Big Apple but of course were able to see coach Kevin Ollie’s boys dispose of the favored Michigan State Wolverines 60-54 in the Championship game, projecting Connecticut into the Final Four in Arlington, Texas.

Looking on from their lower deck seats in Section 104 the Pikoras were close to the action and the ensuing celebration thanks to the fine play of Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Niels Giffey and DeAndre Daniels.  On Saturday, April 5 the Huskies squared off against Florida, the #1 team in the tournament.  The Pikoras might have been sitting next to the telephone waiting for a call for tickets, but it’s a certainty that if they weren’t lucky enough to go to Texas, they were glued to the television set rooting for another upset victory.

There was a local resident, however, who was fortunate enough to be on hand for the Final Four.  Steve Balick of Danielson had purchased his tickets well in advance of the tourney and considered it a bonus that the Huskies made it to the Lone Star State.  Balick, who is a regular at the Courthouse Restaurant in Putnam, was spotted being interviewed on Channel 3 sports news on Friday, April 4.

Running For St. Joseph

The St. Joseph’s School 3-Mile Road Race, which was run for the 21st year in Baltic on Sunday, March 30 attracted an early season group of more than 150 hardy runners.  There was some local flavor in the top 15 finishers as Danielson’s Wayne Jolley was the 13th runner to cross the finish line.  He posted a time of 19:29, good enough to place him first in his age group.

Linda Spooner, who hails from Sturbridge but has family ties to northeastern Connecticut, was the second woman to break the tape.  She finished 11th overall in a time of 18:46, which also made her the winner in her age category.

Sandwiched between Spooner and Jolley was 12th place finisher Joshua Pothier of Moosup who crossed the line in a time of 19:21.

Keeping Up With The Locals

Former Woodstock Centaur Chris Mayhew is continuing his torrid hitting for UConn - Avery Point, as the Pointers of coach Roger Bidwell boast an 18-3 record.  In an easy 16-0 victory over Massachusetts Bay Community College, Mayhew had two hits and three runs batted in.

Meanwhile in Port St. Lucie, Fla., former Norwich Free Academy and Boston College grad Eric Campbell was sent to the New York Mets minor league camp on the final day of spring training.  The news was disappointing for Campbell who last year played well at the Triple A level.  The third baseman is hoping that this year he’ll produce once again and finally get that shot playing for the Mets at Citi Field.

Last week RPC reported that former Norwich Free Academy pitcher Domenic Leone was sent to the minor league by the Seattle Mariners.  This week Leone was recalled by the Mariners and according to reports, the hurler is expected to see mound action during impact situations for the west coast franchise.

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Don’t live life with the brakes on.

(If you have sports items worthy of publication please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

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Shred Day

PUTNAM — CorePlus Federal Credit Union will hold a Shred Day from 9 a.m. to noon May 10 at the Putnam Walmart Supercenter.

The event is free.