By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to former Woodstock Academy three-sport standout Chris Mayhew.  Mayhew, who is the athletic director for the Woodstock public school system, was one of the best pitchers to grace the diamond for the Centaurs and the TriTown American Legion baseball programs.  On March 21 Mayhew blew out 50 candles on the birthday cake.

Woodstock Academy athletes recently brought northeastern Connecticut to the forefront of the sports pages thanks to the performances of its gymnastics program and the school’s hockey team.

The gymnasts, after sweeping through the Eastern Connecticut Conference, State Class “S” and State Open competition, moved on to Dracut, Mass., with the goal of coming home with the New England Gymnastics Championship.  Last year the Centaurs were edged out by Barnstable High School by .125 of a point.  Coach Kasey Fillmore’s ladies desire to bring the first-place trophy back to Woodstock fell just shy once again.

Barnstable repeated as the champion for the second year in a row.  The Bay Staters posted a winning team score of 149.075 while the Acads once again were the bridesmaids, finishing second with a score of 147.2.  

As they’ve done all season the Centaurs were led by the one-two punch of Paige Stuyniski and Grace Logan.  Stuyniski finished second in the individual All-around behind Adnerys Dejesus of Greenwich, who posted a winning score of 38.825 compared to 38.15 for Stuyniski.  Logan finished third at 38.025.

In individual events Logan finished on top in the Bars with a near perfect performance, which garnered her a score of 9.8 and won the Vault with a score of 9.725.  She also finished tied for fifth place in the Floor exercise.  Stuyniski tied for first with Dejesus in the Floor exercise with a score of 9.675, grabbed a fourth-place finish in the Beam and fifth in the vault.

From the mats and gymnastic equipment to the ice, the Centaur icemen, in just their third year of varsity competition, made it all the way to the Division III semifinals before losing in overtime.  Woodstock a #2 seed was beaten 6-5 by Staples-Weston-Shelton, which held a #3 seed, after playing to a 5-5 tie in regulation at Yale’s Ingalls Rink.

SWS opened the game with a first-period offensive burst taking a 3-1 lead at the first stop.  The lone Woodstock goal was recorded by Bill Liscomb.  The Acads showed resiliency by scoring three goals in the second period.  All three Woodstock goals came off the stick of Ryan Black who posted the “hat trick” in one stanza, an unusual feat.

Woodstock looked like it was in position to win the contest when Zack Burnham tallied a goal to open the third period but the hockey gods weren’t in the Centaurs corner as SWS scored two late third period goals to send the game to overtime.

Woodstock goalie Cal Wilcox was immense in the net.  SWS peppered Wilcox with 56 shots on goal while the Acads could only come up with 24 shots on goal.  The 50 saves by Wilcox are unheard of on any level.

Nathan DeLuca and Doug Gerrity each had a pair of assists for Woodstock while Black and Jon-Luc Cournoyer also contributed one assist apiece.       

Woodstock, which closes out its season at 20-5, reached the semifinals with a convincing 6-1 victory over Housatonic-Northwestern in the quarterfinal round.  The Centaurs won on the strength of another Black “hat trick,” two goals from Burnham and one from Deluca.  Wilcox had 13 saves as Woodstock outshot Housatonic-Northwestern 32-14.

Headed to the Dark Continent…

Africa is often referred to as the Dark Continent but shortly it will receive a ray of sunshine in the form of Brooklyn resident Megan Gaudreau.  The St. Michael’s College senior and captain of the women’s basketball team is part of a group headed to South Africa in a leadership and personal growth program.

According to Gaudreau, she’ll initially spend a few days traveling around the beautiful sights of Cape Town.  The group will then spend some time in the townships and schools coaching kids in basketball.  The time in Africa is also spent building relationships and forming bonds with the children and coaches they come in contact with during the sessions.

“The people I have met from South Africa or from the U.S. who went on the trip with me have impacted me much more than I have impacted them.  I’ve learned so much from each person I’ve come into contact with and take a piece of them with me wherever I go.  I’m going with an entirely different group of people this year and can’t wait to learn even more from those I meet this year,” said the humble Gaudreau. 

At St. Michael’s the former Pomfret School standout never missed a game during her four years on the Winooski, Vt.  She led her team in three-point baskets all four years and led the Northeast-10 Conference in threes this season.  The two-year captain also was the team leader in assists her final two seasons.

As her college career comes to its close, Gaudreau is taking the things she’s garnered not only from basketball but from life and the education she’s been blessed to receive and putting it to work helping others.

From the Where Are They Now Files…

Former Woodstock Academy basketball player Todd Blodgett, who played for coach Greg Smith, is now a member of the coaching staff of DME Academy located in Daytona Beach, Fla.  The 22 year old Blodgett is a graduate of UConn.  At DME, Blodgett served as an assistant coach during the National Prep Championships, which were held at Albertus Magnus University.  The DME Lakers were beaten 93-66 by Putnam Science Academy in a first round game.

Blodgett, who professes to love basketball, wants to be a college coach in the future.  He’s the son of Sid and Nancy Blodgett of Woodstock.

Honor For Espo…

Next Up Recruits an NCAA approved organization that follows prep school basketball announced its Coach of the Year recipients for the recently concluded season.  Putnam Science Academy coach Tom Espinosa was named as the Northeast Region Coach of the Year.  Espinosa had probably the best team in the history of the school as the Mustangs posted an impressive 37-4 record and lost in the semifinals of the National Prep Championships.  This year Espinosa passed the 200 career victory mark during his time at Putnam Science Academy.

American Legion Honor…

 The American Legion State Baseball committee made a special presentation at its annual Coaches Summit on Saturday, March 12.  Woodstock resident Everett Shepard, who has served as the Department of Connecticut State Adjutant for the past nine years was presented a plaque in appreciation of his outstanding service to the Connecticut American Legion Baseball Program.  Shepard has also served as the treasurer for the TriTown American Legion team for the past decade.

Prep Tourney Late News…

Referees from Board #8 and Board #35 were well represented at the recent National Prep Championships.  Board #35 members Roberto Marquez and Charlie Lee worked as did Board #8 member Davey Cruz.  It’s great to see referees from East of the river being selected for prestigious tournaments.

Also on hand was former PSA Mustang Aaron Robinson, currently a member of the Quinnipiac University Bobcats.  Robinson noted that he’s gradually assimilating himself to the college game as well as performing well in the classroom. 

Mat All Stars…

The Eastern Connecticut Conference recently announced its wrestling all star selections for the recently concluded season.  Killingly High School placed three of its members on the Small Division All Star unit.  Selected were Austin Caffrey in the 182-pound class; Conner Lemley in the 195-pound class; and Josh Angel in the 285-pound category.  Two other Redman matmen, Dillon Knupp and James Lantigua received Honorable Mention honors.   Knupp and John Currie of Woodstock Academy received the Sportsmanship Award.

RPC’s Closing thought For The Day: When dealing with people, learn to walk in their shoes, not step on their toes.

(If you have news worthy sports information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

 

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Woodstock public schools

Monday: Hot dogs, cucumber cups, fruit. Tuesday: pizza, carrot sticks, fruit. Wednesday: Cheese quesadilla, fruit. Thursday: Chef salad, fruit. Friday: Fish sandwiches, fruit. 

Pomfret Community

Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches, carrot snacks, fruit. Tuesday: Crispy chicken patties on rolls, veggie cups, fruit. Wednesday: French toast sticks, turkey sausages, hash browns, veggie cups, Teddy Grahams. Thursday: Personal pizza, broccoli, veggie cups, fruit. Friday: American Chop Suey, green beans, fruit, frozen dessert.

Putnam Elementary/Middle

Monday: Macaroni and cheese, broccoli. Tuesday : Chicken patties with penne pasta, marinara sauce, roasted vegetables. Wednesday: Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, Goldfish crackers, vegetables with ranch dressing or hummus. Thursday: Chicken drummies, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots.  Friday: Putnam Special Pizza.

Putnam High

Monday: Clipper burgers, cole slaw, sherbet. Tuesday: Chicken enchiladas, Mexicali corn. Wednesday: Italian meatball subs, pasta salad. Thursday: Roasted BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots  Friday: Pizza, cucumber and tomato salad.

 

 

June M. Beausoleil

DANIELSON — June M. Beausoleil, 90, of Wauregan Rd., died March 17, 2016, at Morningstar Assisted Living Center in Sylva, N.C.  She was the wife of the late Leo R. Jacob who died in 1958 and Edgar R. Beausoleil who died in 2013.  Born in 1925 in Worcester, she was the daughter of the late Arthur and Ruby (Bullard) Allen.

Mrs. Beausoleil owned and operated Everybody’s Spa. She had also worked at Belding Heminway. June was a member of the Emblem Club and was an avid Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics fan.

She leaves her daughter, Carol Deary (Dennis) of Putnam and Deborah S. Jacob-Brotherton (Dale) of Cullowhee, N.C.; her brothers, Arthur Allen Jr. of E. Brookfield, Mass., Charles Allen of Hardwick, Mass.; her sisters, Catherine Knight of N. Brookfield, Mass., Sylvia Petrin of W. Brookfield, Carol Dulak of Ware, Mass., Barbara Niemec of W. Brookfield, and Dorothy Cebula of Ware; four grandchildren, five great-granddaughters.  June is predeceased by her brother James Allen and her sister Marjorie Allen.

The Funeral was March 23 at Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: NE CT Cancer Fund of DKH, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. 

 

Robert ‘Bob’ Dubois

Navy vet

PUTNAM — Robert “Bob” Dubois died March 16, 2016 in Hartford.

He was born May 19, 1936, in Putnam.

Growing up in Putnam, one of his first jobs was setting pins at a local bowling alley – before machines had been installed to take over the job. One could bowl for just 10 cents per game.  He was also a citywide ping pong champion. After graduating from Ellis Tech he joined the Navy, circumventing the globe and visiting both the North and South pole. Returning after five years he started a construction business. It was at that time his real adventure began. 

He was a 32-year-old bachelor in a blue ‘65 T-bird convertible when he met a widow, Joanne Fafard Walsh and her five children (Jim, Dennis, Ruth, Kevin and Maureen). The youngest, Maureen, at age 2, walked up and called him daddy. Her mom was embarrassed but Maureen turned out to be right. The family grew as his niece and nephew, Brenda and Tom Dubois, came into the house. He and Joanne married in 1969. The T-bird was sold and replaced by a pickup truck. Within a couple years, two more kids were added with the birth of Robert II and Jonathan. 

Over the years he devised many was to stretch a dollar. He built a barn with packing crates he bought at a local mill for $1.25 a piece. He leveled the yard by dragging a section of chain link fence behind his pickup, with every kid in the family sitting on top of it. He developed a small farm to feed the family, and managed to transport the whole family to church every Sunday inside of a 1972 Chevy Nova. You would think he had reached his limits, but no - he walked in one day from work and asked my mom if she would like to take in foster kids, starting the second phase of the family. They adopted one, Kathy. Later on, they started to specialize in taking care of handicapped foster children and those with special needs. This brought Shawn, Melissa, and Sarah into the family. Mary was the latest addition to the family. 

 In addition to his wife, he leaves 14 children; 21 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.  He was predeceased by his parents Altheade and Abigail Dubois and four sisters Theresa, Florence, Stella and Anna. 

 The Funeral was March 23 at Munyan Cemetery with military honors. His grandson, and name sake, Spc 4 Robert A. Dubois III, just recently returned from active duty in Iraq, presented the colors to the family. Donations: Tri-State Baptist Academy, 386 Quinebaug Road, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. 

 

Stanley Stryczek Jr.

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Stanley R. Stryczek Jr., 76, of Crystal River, died March 9, 2016 at home after a short illness.

He was born in Putnam, the son of Stanley and Ellyn Stryczek. Later he was a long time resident of New Jersey and then Florida.

He retired from Clayton Cement Co. of New Jersey after 30 years of employment.

He leaves one brother and one sister and many relatives in Connecticut, New Jersey and Missouri. 

 

Dorothy Aliki 

Theodora Teguis

THOMPSON —  Dorothy Aliki Theodora Teguis, 77, of Thompson died March 14, 2016, at Westview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center following a long illness. 

She was born Oct. 24, 1938, in Putnam, daughter of the late Nick Peter and Irene (Karapanos) Teguis. 

Dorothy graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School as class valedictorian with the class of 1956 and in 1960 she graduated from UConn with a double major in history and education. In May of 1972 Dorothy received a masters degree in international relations from Clark University in Worcester.

Dorothy’s love of education and pursuit of knowledge led to a lifelong career in teaching U.S. and world history to high school students. Dorothy taught locally at Tourtellotte Memorial High School from 1960-61 and Killingly High School from 1961-64 before venturing into the larger world: North Miami High School from 1964-65, Ramaz School in Manhattan from 1965-67; and Fort Lee High School in New Jersey from 1967-98, the year of her retirement.

“Dina” had a quick wit and sense of humor and was admired her astute intelligence. Throughout her life she showed compassion and sensitivity to those in need. As a teacher, she would come to the defense of any student who got picked on and reached out to students who were facing challenges.

She leaves three sisters, Roxanne T. Pappas of Danielson, and Mary T. Fatsi and Eleanor Teguis, both of Thompson; a niece Althea Caulkins (Rick) of Old Lyme; a nephew Michael Pappas of Old Lyme and three great-nieces, Nicole, Micaela, and Samantha Caulkins all of Old Lyme.

The Funeral Service was March 18 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster with burial at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Webster. Donations: Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 713, Webster, MA 01570. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, CT 06260. 

 

Sr. Flore Trudeau, DHS

PUTNAM — Sr. Flore Trudeau, 91, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, died March 20, 2016 at Holy Spirit Health Care Center where she had been in residence since 2011.

She was born on Feb. 15, 1925, in Graniteville, Vt., and was the daughter of Louis and Hélène (Thériault) Trudeau.  She entered religious life in 1941 at Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam, and made her religious profession there on Aug. 20, 1945.  She was then known as Sr. Hélène de St. Joseph.

She earned a bachelor’s  from Diocesan Sisters’ College in Woodstock in 1969 and a master’s in theology from St. Michael College in Winooski, Vt., in 1976.  She was a teacher for most of her religious life from 1945-1991 in schools operated by Daughters of the Holy Spirit in Burlington and Swanton, Vt., as well as various schools in Connecticut and one in San Francisco. In 1994 she took over as Transportation Director at Holy Spirit Provincial House where she coordinated medical trips to doctors and to the hospital for sisters in residence there.  She retired to Notre Dame Convent in Putnam in 2001 and moved to the Provincial House in 2007.  She was admitted to Holy Spirit Health Care Center in 2011.

She leaves three brothers, Robert of Watervliet, N.Y., Norman of Bedford, N.H., and Laurent of Colchester, Vt.; and three sisters, Mrs. Gilberte Longchamp of Palmyra, Penn.,  Mrs. Gabrielle Seaborn of Los Alamitos, Calif., and Mrs. Susan Gero of Oroville, Wash.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. March 23 in the chapel with burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery in Putnam.

 Donations: DHS Retirement Fund, Holy Spirit Provincial House, 72 Church St., Putnam, CT 06260.  Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. 

 

Stephen Ozaniak,

Army Guard vet

WEBSTER — Lieutenant Colonel Stephen P. Ozaniak, 86, died peacefully March 15, 2016, at home.

He was born in Dudley son of the late Anthony and Carolina (Vnuk) Ozaniak and lived in Webster most of his life.   

He  retired as a  Lieutenant Colonel serving in the U.S. Army National Guard.  

He  worked as a service manager at Bayer Motors and Chris Chevrolet in Dudley.  He was a pilot and a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association.  

Additionally, he was a member of the Retired Officers Association and the Landlord Association.  He sang in the St. Anthony of Padua Choir and was a Eucharistic Minister. 

He leaves his wife of 32 years, Aurore D. (Tetreault)  Ozaniak; two daughters, Joanne Haggerty (Kevin) of Putnam, Janice Jankowski (Yanek) of Dudley; a brother, Adam A. Ozaniak (Therese) of Webster and a sister in law Lillian Ozaniak of Dudley; three  grandchildren, Anne-Marie Barnett, John Jankowski and Alex Haggerty; three nieces, Patricia Cahill, Kathleen Yurkevicius and Karolyn Champagne; three nephews, Steven Ozaniak, Paul and John Yurkevicius. He was predeceased by a brother, John A. Ozaniak of Wilsonville and two sisters, Elizabeth Ozaniak and Anna Yurkevicius of Webster. He also leaves a dear friend and care giver, Sue Szynal of Webster. 

The Funeral Mass was March 21 in St. Anthony of Padua Church, Dudley, with burial, with military honors, in St. Anthony Cemetery, Webster.  Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.

 

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Honored

Connecticut Commissioner of Department of Veterans’ Affairs Sean M. Connolly, left, was on hand for the meeting of the Mayotte Viens American Legion Post #13 as the members honored former Commander Norman “Barney” Seney, center, for 50 years of continuous service to American Legion.  Presenting the certificate in Post #13 Commander Ronald P. Coderre. Courtesy photo.