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William R. Cunha
PUTNAM — William R. “Billy” Cunha, 60, of Sabin Street died April 30, 2013, in New Britain, after an illness. Born in 1952 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Richard and Doris (Charron) Cunha.
Billy enjoyed WWF wrestling and his cat “Mama”.
He leaves his brothers, Kirby Cunha of N. Grosvenordale, and Richard Cunha of Millbury, Mass.; sister, Barbara Cunha-Naumann of N. Grosvenordale; nine nieces and nephews and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was the brother of the late Philip Cunha.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 7 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Roland J. Durand
N. GROSVENORDALE — Roland J. “Shorty” Durand, 92, died April 27, 2013, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. He was born in 1920 at his parents’ home in N. Grosvenordale. He was the son of the late Philip and Rose Alma (Mandeville) Durand.
Roland left trade school early and worked full time to support his mother and younger siblings, before for joining the Army Air Force at age 18. He trained to be a Sperry Ball and Martin upper gunner on B17s, but was grounded by a severe knee injury during parachuting practice. After almost a year in Military hospitals, no specialist could be found to repair his knee. He was told if he could walk out of the hospital on his own he could go home, to which he grabbed a cane and walked out. He was honorable discharged in 1941.
Roland worked as a shipper/receiver for Simonds Inc. in Southbridge until his retirement at age 79. He never took a sick day and never missed an opportunity for overtime. Even at work he was better known as Shorty or Uncle Shorty. He was a life long parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church, a member of St. Bernards Council 2087 Knights of Columbus, the American Legion and the Community Fire Department.
He excelled at doing his own car repairs, plumbing, electrical and carpentry and made sure his children learned all of his skills. He never let his damaged knee or arthritis stop him from working or completing a project at home, and once done, he enjoying his hobbies and weekend adventures with his children.
His love for the outdoors included horseback riding, motorcycling, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, camping, Nascar, Modifieds, and motorcycle racing at Laconia. It was a common sight for him to come home from work on a Friday night, and head out on weekend adventure. His truck cab was always equipped with a pillow and sleeping bag. No matter where he went, he always made sure he knew where the closest church was, and the Mass times
Roland leaves sons, Ronald Durand (Donna), Raymond Durand (Sue), David Durand (Lisa); daughter Paula Ramos (David); his sisters, Doris Boutin and Evelyn Rogers; seven grandchildren, Ray Jr., Tony, Amanda, Laura, Megan, Sara and Dominick; five great-grandchildren Jenna, Antonio, Elijah and two baby boys due in May. He was predeceased by his daughter Pauline Durand and by his brothers Conrad Durand, Fredrick Durand, Lineal Durand, and Robert Durand.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 3 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial with military honors was in St. Joseph Cemetery. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Theresa A. Savoie
KILLINGLY — Theresa Alice Savoie, 89, of Killingly, died May 2, 2013, at Pierce Memorial Nursing Home in Brooklyn. She was the wife of the late William A. Savoie. He died in 1991. They were married Feb. 22, 1941, in St. James Church in Danielson. Theresa was born Dec. 4, 1923, in Danielson, daughter of the late Leon and Irene (Dupre) Perreault.
Theresa was a communicant of St. James Church. She lived in Killingly most of her life. She worked at Cheney Bros. of Manchester, as a weaver for 13 years then for Acme Chaston of Dayville for 23 years. In 1990 she moved with her husband to Lady Lake, Fla. She later returned back to Killingly in 1998. Theresa loved to travel, finish puzzles and throughout her life she enjoyed doing various crafts and activities.
She leaves three sons: Ronald L. Savoie of Thompson, Roland L. Savoie (Sandy) of Woodstock, William E. Savoie (Carol) of Danielson, a brother Robert Perreault of Danielson, daughter-in-law Elaine Ignasiak of Florida; 17 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son Richard L. Savoie, two brothers Norman Perreault, Lucien Perreault and daughter-in-law EiIeen Savoie.
There will be a Memorial Mass at 11 a.m. May 10 in St. James Church, Danielson. Burial will be private in Holy Cross Cemetery Danielson. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Gregory J. Cote
DANIELSON — Gregory J. Cote, 58, of Garrick Street, died April 27, 2013, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He was born Sept. 2, 1954, in Putnam, son of the late Henry and Florence (McHugh) Cote.
Gregory worked for Anchor Glass in Dayville. He was an avid New England Patriots football fan. He leaves behind three brothers and six sisters and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents.
The Funeral was April 29 at Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery Danielson.
Aldona Drukteinis
S. PASADENA, Fla. — Aldona M. (Gudaityte) Drukteinis, 90, died May 2, 2013, in St. Petersburg, Fla., after a sudden illness.
She was born on Aug. 10, 1922, in Klaipeda, Lithuania; the daughter of Mykolas Gudaitis, a prominent newspaper editor, and Maria Gudaitis who lived under the care of Aldona all of her life. Aldona was predeceased by her younger brother Algirdas who was her only sibling.
Aldona’s early schooling was in Klaipeda and then Kaunas, Lithuania, where she finished Ausra High School. She went on to study dentistry in Kaunas but completed those studies at Erlangen University in Germany, where she and other family members fled during WWII. Years later, after coming to the U.S., she earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from the University of Dayton, and taught German and Russian language studies at Centerville High School.
Aldona was married 53 years to Dr. Edmund Drukteinis, who predeceased her in 1997. They were communicants at Holy Cross Lithuanian-American Catholic Church. Aldona and her husband moved to Palm Harbor, Fla, after their retirement, and spent their last years in South Pasadena.
She leaves a son Edmund Drukteinis (Olga) and their extended family; a son Dr. Albert Drukteinis (Jura); grandchildren Drs. Dainius and Jennifer Drukteinis, and Drs. Saulius and Lesbia Drukteinis; and great grandchildren Lily, Daniela, Gavin, Annika, and Mila.
Visitation is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 9 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at noon in St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam, with burial in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Putnam.
Donations: Immaculate Conception Convent, 600 Liberty Highway, Putnam, CT 06260.
Thomas M. Hogan,
Vietnam vet
DAYVILLE — Thomas “Tom” M. Hogan, 70, of Primrose Village, died May 3, 2013, in William W. Backus Hospital. Born in 1942 in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Francis and Flora Hogan.
Mr. Hogan worked as the manager of the meat department at McMerriman’s Market and later Brooklyn Market. Tom was a Marine Corps veteran serving during the Vietnam War. While he was enlisted, he volunteered for many training missions that allowed him to travel all over the world.
Tom leaves his son, Michael Hogan (Jodi) of Dudley; daughter, Amy Hogan and fiancé Jason Dumaine of Thompson; grandchildren, Troy and Kylie Hogan of Dudley, and his former wife Cheryl Hogan of Sturbridge.
Visitation is from 6 to 7 p.m. May 9 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, with a funeral service at 7.
Eva L. Lamondy
PUTNAM — Eva L. Lamondy, 87, of Putnam, died April 25, 2013, at Regency Heights, Danielson. She was the wife of Clarence Lamondy, who died in 1977. She was born April 26, 1925, in Dayville, daughter of the late Alfred and Mildred (Gay) Cote.
Eva was the cafeteria manager at H.H. Ellis Vocational Trade School in Danielson for 26 years, retiring in 1985. She had made her home in Putnam since 1975, a member of the Congregational Church of Putnam and the Brooklyn Senior Citizens. Eva enjoyed reading, Bible study, embroidery and crochet.
She leaves two sons: David Lamondy (Roberta) of Orange, Calif., Dennis Lamondy (Jane) of Putnam; nine grandchildren, 12 1/2 great-grandchildren; step mother Frances Cote of Killingly; three step sisters Susan, Janet, and Agne. She was predeceased by her daughter Donna Bianchi in 2009, her grandson Adam Lamondy, her two brothers George Cote and Donald Cote.
A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. May 11 at the Congregational Church of Putnam, 175 Main St., Putnam, with Rev. Thomas Meyer officiating. Donations: Congregational Church of Putnam, PO Box 463, Putnam, CT 06260. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Mary Rose Langway
DANIELSON — Mary Rose Langway, 94, of Maple Court, died May 4, 2013, at Westview Nursing Home in Dayville. She was the wife of the late Edgar O. Langway, who died Sept. 30, 1995. They were married Sept. 3, 1938, at St. Roch Church in Oxford, Mass.
She was born Dec. 12, 1918, in E. Hampton, Mass., a daughter of the late Adelard and Melandan (Frechette) Couture. She was a cook at the Dragon Hotel in Moosup. Later she went to work at Danielson Curtain. Her husband and she did some traveling in the early years. She was a communicant of St. James Church in Danielson.
She leaves three sons: Edgar (Linda) of Danielson, Bernard (Carol) of Dayville, Leonard (Veronica) of N. Oxford, Mass.; one sister Pomella Bouthillier; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a granddaughter Denise Ratelle and by four brothers and three sisters.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 7 in St. James Church, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations: St. James Church, 12 Franklin St., Danielson, CT 06239. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Agnes P. Palazzo
DANIELSON — Agnes P. (Brodeur) Szpyrka Palazzo, 67, of Westcott Road, formerly of Putnam died April 29, 2013, in Regency Heights. She was the wife of the late Ernest P. Szpyrka who died in 1967 and the late Angelo Palazzo who died in 2010. Born in 1945 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Alphonse “George” Brodeur and Jeanne (Robert) Brodeur.
Mrs. Palazzo worked as an office secretary and counselor for Putnam High School for 31 years. She was very family oriented and loved to cook and entertain. She also enjoyed computer programming.
She leaves her son, David Szpyrka of Plainfield; daughter, Christine Kingsbury of Thompson; three stepdaughters, Mary Palazzo of E. Longmeadow, Mass., Angela Dwyer of Dudley, and Rose Gagnon of Woodstock; her brother, Andre Brodeur; six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 3 St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Andrew C. Sasser
DAYVILLE — Andrew “Andy” Sasser, 30, died suddenly in his sleep on April 30, 2013. His gift to us all was helping us realize the true nature of patience and tolerance. He had a passion for telling jokes, and an infectious chuckle that could make a whole crowd start to laugh.
He was born on Aug. 14, 1982. He lived in N. Grosvenordale, and Dayville. He received a Certificate of Participation at Woodstock Academy, won several medals at the Special Olympics, and received the “Mr. Casanova” award in 2004 when he graduated from the EastConn Young Adult Program. He was a participant with the Arc Quinebaug Valley.
Andy leaves Bill and Warren and his extended family and friends at Tamarack and the Arc; his mother, Lucinda Bousquet and his step-father Richard Bousquet of Woodstock; his father, Bernard Sasser of New Bedford, Mass.; his brother, Matthew Sasser (Jessica) of Dayville; grandparents Joan and David Sutter of Cape Porpoise, Maine; aunts, Alessandra Page of Windham, Maine, Deirdre Sutter and Judy Dillon of Cumming, Ga., and Katherine Sasser (Roger Buck) of Portland, Maine; uncles Jed Sutter (Laddie) of Milton, Mass., and Rob Sutter (Barbara) of Bedford, Mass. He was predeceased by his half-brother, Justin Sasser, his grandmother, Alice Mae Sasser, and his aunt Ruth Sasser.
The Memorial Service was May 5 in the E. Woodstock Congregational Church. Donations: Arc Quinebaug Valley, 687 Cook Hill Rd., Danielson, CT 06239. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Elaine Frappier
DUDLEY — Elaine C. (Pawlak) Frappier, 66, of Dudley and formerly of N. Grosvenordale, died May 1, 2013, at home.
Elaine was born in Webster, daughter of the late Alexander and Celia (Makowski) Pawlak. She worked for many years at MAPFRE-Commerce Insurance in the Premium Accounting Department and most recently part-time at Park & Shop in Dudley.
She leaves her daughter, Connie Harvey of Dudley; three sisters, Carol Kroll (Chester) of Dudley, Jacqueline Kroll and (Stanley) of Dudley; Joyce Duteau (Daniel) of Webster; one grandson.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. May 9 followed by a prayer service at 11 in the Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster. Burial will follow in Mount Zion Cemetery, Webster. Donations: American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.
Garry Howard
PUTNAM — Garry W. Howard, 58, died unexpectedly April 20, 2013, in UMass Medical Center, Worcester. A resident of Putnam, he was the husband of Suzanne Menard whom he married Feb. 22, 2007.
Born in Providence, he was the son of Lois (Howard) Divencenzo of Harmony and the late James Silverthorne. Garry was the owner and operator of Artistic Stamped Concrete.
Besides his wife and his mother, he leaves three daughters, Kerri Gautreau of Harrisville, Terri Howard of Warwick, Ashley Howard of Acworth, Ga.; one stepson Adam Quigley of Chepachet; one stepdaughter, Raegan Quigley of Putnam, two brothers, Paul Howard of Harmony and
Esther Beilby
PUTNAM — Esther “Essie” (Sicard) Beilby, 97, died May 1, 2013, at Matulaitis Nursing Home.
Essie was born Aug. 17, 1915, in Utica, N.Y. She married George Everett Beilby Jr. in 1938 after graduating from Hollins College in Virginia. Together Essie and George raised four children while living and working in a variety of communities including Williamstown, Mass., Exeter, N.H., Aurora, N.Y., Longmeadow, Mass., and East Orleans, Mass. Esther and George shared a passion for social justice. They were active in the civil rights movement as well as working on behalf of the less fortunate, even opening their home to refugees and people in need. Following George’s death in 1985, Esther continued living on Cape Cod, working for years at the Compass Rose Bookshop in Orleans and, until she reached 89, at La Bodega in Brewster. In her last years she lived at Lathrop Retirement Community in Easthampton and then in Putnam to be near her family.
She leaves four children: Anne Benedict and her partner Gerard Paquin of Hatfield, Mass., George Beilby (Dianne) of N. Conway, N.H., Katharine Hutchinson (David) of St. Albans, Vt., and Janet Arcand of Putnam; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date in East Orleans. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Leonard DesJardins
NEW LONDON — Leonard E. DesJardins, 90, of New London, husband of Rachel A. DesJardins (Magnant), died April 17, 2013. The son of Adolphe and Yvonne (Benoit) DesJardins, he was born on April 14, 1923, and grew up in Putnam. He was an Eagle scout and later was scout master in Putnam with the Boy Scouts of America. He was a WWII veteran. In 1947, he married Rachel. In 1985, he retired from Windham Hospital in Willimantic, where he was employed as a laboratory tech and blood bank director for 32 years.
He leaves his wife, Rachel; children, Alice Sherriff, Denise DesJardins, and Judy DesJardins, all of New London, David DesJardins of Chaplin, Emilie Krogrud of Palm Bay, Fla., and Laura DesJardins of Richmond, Va.; 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sister Theresa Mathurin of Brooklyn. He was predeceased by his youngest son, Philip DesJardins in March 2013.
A Mass of Christian Burial was April 24 at St. Joseph’s Church, New London, with burial in Putnam. Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, New London.