- Details
- Category: Past Issues
Daun A. White,
former police officer
MANNING, S.C. — Daun Alan White, 62, husband of 42 years to Karen Rose Orcutt White, former resident of Chepachet, R.I., and Whitman, Mass., died Feb. 24, 2012, at Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia.
Born Dec. 21, 1949, in Brockton, Mass., he was the son of the late Lester Leroy White and the late Gladys Elizabeth Thompson White. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam war, a retired Pawtucket police officer where he was a member of the honor guard and special squad, a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, having served as president of his local chapter in Rhode Island. He was also a member of Player’s Course Golf Club; he served on various committees at Wyboo Plantation and he was of the Methodist faith.
He leaves his wife of Manning; three sons, Daun Alan White Jr. (Julie) of Jefferson, N.J., Kyle Richard White (Kim) of Johnston, R.I., and Erik Brandyn White (Tasha) of Providence; a brother, Gerry White (Sharon) of Ovieda, Fla.; two sisters, Ellen Prescott (John) of Orlando, Fla., and Cynthia DuLong (Marvin) of Stoneham, Mass.; six grandchildren, Tori, Keira, Daun III, Maura, Gavin and Travis.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on March 23, at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 55 Woodland St., Lincoln, R.I., with Rev. Jeffrey Hooker officiating. Burial follows at 3 p.m. in Bourne National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. Donations: Fraternal Order of Police Foundation, 328 Massachusetts Ave., North East, Washington, DC 20002. Stephens Funeral Home & Crematory, Manning,
Susan T. Duquette,
church member
GROSVENORDALE — Susan T. (Rogers) Duquette, 83, died March 12, 2012, in Day Kimball Hospital. Born in 1928 in Holyoke, Mass., she was the daughter of the late William B. Rogers and Susan T. (O’Donnell) Rogers. Susan’s husband of 63 years, Robert Duquette died Feb. 6, 2012, in Matulaitis Nursing Home. Together they shared life and for the last four and one half years shared life at Matulaitis.
Susan was a member of St. Joseph’s Church of N. Grosvenordale and a longtime member of the Daughters of Isabella. She was the center of family life and a strong supporter of her proud Irish heritage. Susan loved to yard sale, but she was happiest when she was with her coffee klatch in the Klondike.
She leaves two sons, Robert B. Duquette (Margaret) of Webster, and James M. Duquette (Christine) of Woodstock; two daughters, Catherine Duquette of Dudley and Janice L. Duquette of Grosvenordale; two sisters, Shirley Lavin of Ledyard and Mary Violet Santerre (Rene) of Grosvenordale; five grandchildren, Rory Duquette (Susan) of Webster, Marinda Dexheimer (Mike) of Fairhaven, Mass., SFC William Duquette of Homestead, Fla., Lindsey Duquette of Providence, and Kelsey Duquette of Vermont; and two great grandchildren. She is predeceased by two sons, her sister Rosemary Piotrowski, and her brother Bill Rogers.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 16 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: Matulaitis Activity Fund, 10 Thurber Rd, Putnam, CT 06260. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Wallace Green,
WWII vet
BROOKLYN — Wallace E. Green, 92, of Brooklyn, died March 3, 2012, at the Westview Nursing Home.
He was born April 19, 1919, in Bridgeport, son of the late Carl E. and Hazel Green. He was the husband of the late Ruth (Atwood) Green.
He was an engineer working 20 years for American Brass in Waterbury. He retired in 1963.
He was a veteran of WWII serving with the U.S. Air Force.
He leaves three nephews Charles, Wallace and David Lyman; six grandnieces and nephews; and three great-grand nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. March 31 in the Evergreen Cemetery, 183 North St. Watertown, followed by military honors. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
J. ‘Juozas’ Rygelis,
space shuttle designer
THOMPSON — Joseph “Juozas” Rygelis, died March 10, 2012, in Day Kimball Hospital. Born Aug. 12, 1920, in Lithuania, he was raised on a farm and was one of seven children born to Antanas and Veronika (Puodziukynaite) Rygelis. He was the husband of Aldona (Tercijonas) Rygelis whom he married on April 16, 1950.
At the pinnacle of his career Rygelis worked as a staff interdivisional consulting engineer for Singer Kearfott, Division Chief of analytical Methods, Chief of Applied Mechanics and Friction Research & Chief of special Structure Avco Lycoming. Career highlights include designing the control panel for the space shuttle, designing portions of the space shuttle Thermal Protection System and designing rocket navigational systems using the stars (which is commonly referred to as a GPS). Rygelis is author to several patents in the materials area and was an active contributor to the evolution of computer materials modeling and simulation systems and other inventions.
Rygelis holds an MSME & Metallurgy TU Darmstadt Germany with further education at MIT and Columbia. He was a regional chairman of the ASME.
Joseph was active throughout his life in the Lithuanian community in the U.S, helping to build a Lithuanian children’s camp in Vermont in the ’70s and was an Ateitininkas throughout his life, running retreats in Kennebunkport, Maine until 2007. He volunteered his time to the Lithuanian Heritage Museum an ALKA located at the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Convent in Putnam. He was a president of the Lithuanian American community 1960-1970.
Joseph, a life-long devout Catholic, leaves his wife of 62 years Aldona; five children, Aldona, Antanas II, Vincas, Regena and Vita Cepkauskas; eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 15 in the Immaculate Conception Convent Chapel, with burial in Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Donations: Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, 600 Liberty Highway, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Florence Tourtellotte,
church member
PUTNAM — Florence R. (Baranski) Tourtellotte, 96, of Thurber Road, formerly of Seely Brown Village in Pomfret, died March 14, 2012, in Matulaitis Nursing Home.
She was the wife of the late Marshall H. Tourtellotte Sr. Born in 1915 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Tessie (Stompski) Baranski. Mrs. Tourtellotte worked as an assembler for Arrow Heart. She was very much the “family matriarch.”
She enjoyed reading and gardening and was a communicant for Most Holy Trinity Church.
She leaves her children: Marshall H. Tourtellotte Jr. (Karin), Elizabeth A. Gingras (Gerald), and Barbara J. Lamb (Thomas); siblings: Celia Ray, Loretta Wood, Gloria Paine (Al) , Elaine Gingras (Raymond), John Baranski (Delores); sister in law, Jacqueline Baranski; nine grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brothers, Edward Baranski Sr, and Robert Baranski.
The Funeral was March 17 at Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial in W. Thompson Cemetery. Donations: Matulaitis Nursing Home, 10 Thurber Road, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Yvonne E.
(Bernier) Vaillancourt
PUTNAM — Yvonne (Bernier) Vaillancourt, 100, of Cleveland Street, died March 17, 2012, in Oakwood Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Hector Vaillancourt. Born in 1911 in Mechanicsville, she was the daughter of the late George and Rosanna (Lucier) Bernier.
Mrs. Vaillancourt worked as a drop wire operator for Putnam Woolen and Belding Heminway. She enjoyed going to Foxwoods and playing bingo. She loved caring for her many cats.
She leaves several great nieces and nephews, Peggy Tenzar of Eastham, Maine, Jean Racine of Jewett City, Jeanne Johnson of Thompson, Alan Bernier of Thompson and Joanne Slezycki of Lyme; her nephew’s wife, Lucette Bernier of Jewett City and her god daughter, Susan Shaevitz of Putnam. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her brothers Herman and Leo Bernier.
Visitation is at 10 a.m. March 21 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, with a Funeral Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Burial is in St. Mary Cemetery
Loretta S. Dickerson,
mother of 2
N. GROSVENORDALE — Loretta S. Dickerson, 79, of Main Street, died March 18, 2012, in Matulaitis Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Gene Dickerson. Born in 1932 in Kannapolis, N.C., she was the daughter of the late George and Blanche (Coone) Smith.
Mrs. Dickerson worked as a cost accountant for several local textile manufacturing companies until her retirement. She was member of Emanuel Lutheran Church and a hospice volunteer for eight years.
She leaves two daughters, Katherine Collins of Woodstock, and Karen Gregory of Whatley, Ala.; her sister, Clara Lamb of Alabama; seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson.
A Memorial Service will be held at noon March 24 in the Emanuel Lutheran Church, 23 Main St., with burial in Brookhill Memorial Gardens in Rockwell, N.C.. Donations: Hospice of NE CT, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Mary E. Kelly,
operated business
WOODSTOCK —Mary (Praskiewicz) Kelly, 92, of Rawson Road, died March 12, 2012, in Westview Healthcare Center. She was the wife of the late Edmund N. Kelly. They were married on May 8, 1943, in N. Grosvenordale. Born in 1919 Southbridge, she was the daughter of the late Isidore and Josephine (Pupko) Praskiewicz.
Mrs. Kelly grew up in Worcester, moved to Thompson in 1935, and graduated from Tourtellotte Memorial High School in 1936. She was the librarian at the N. Woodstock Library for over 35 years, and taught piano in her home in Woodstock.
From 1972 until 1981, she along with her husband operated Kelly’s Tire in Putnam and she continued working at Kelly’s until her death. She loved sports and played singles tennis until the age of 80. She was a member of Quinnatisset Country Club, golfing into her 90s. She also bowled in the Tuesday morning women’s league in Brooklyn, a proud member of the “Coconuts,” until last month. She loved to watch the Boston Celtics play basketball and never missed a game.
She leaves her daughter Lynn Kelly (husband Dan Avery); sons Paul Kelly, Dennis Kelly (Kathie); granddaughter Erin Kelly. She was predeceased by her brother Stanley and her sister Peggy.
The funeral was private. Donations: N. Woodstock Library, 1286 Rt. 169, Woodstock, CT 06281. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St. Putnam.
Eugene E. Laime,
Vietnam vet
DANIELSON — Eugene E. Laime, 68, of Danielson died March 16, 2012, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
He was born Jan. 30, 1944, in Hartford, son of the late Harry E. and Louise (Cloutier) Laime. He was the husband of Lillian M. (Mascolo) Laime. They were married Sept. 12, 1970.
Mr. Laime was a graduate of Woodstock Academy and earned a bachelor’s from Eastern CT State University.
He served in the Army during the Vietnam era.
He had been employed for several years at St. James Church in Danielson as a cemetery superintendent and later worked as a salesman for the former Despathy Furniture of Danielson.
His final employment was with American Standard in Wauregan.
He was a communicant of St. Anne Church in Ballouville and St. James Church in Danielson. Besides his wife he leaves his son, Christopher E. Laime (Christin) of Stamford.
A graveside service with military honors was March 19 at Holy Cross Cemetery, Danielson. Donations: St. James School, 12 Franklin St., Danielson, CT 06239. Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson.
Lorraine Latour
N. GROSVENORDALE — Lorraine T. (Eno) Latour, 83, of N. Grosvenordale, died March 17, 2012 in Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam, after an illness. Her husband of 42 years, Norman B. Latour, died in 1989.
She was born and raised in Putnam, the daughter of Anderson and Aldea (Larose) Eno.
She lived in Webster for 25 years before moving to N. Grosvenordale over 20 years ago.
Mrs. Latour worked at Putnam Furnishing Company, at Bates Shoe in Webster, at Colt’s Plastic in N. Grosvenordale, and for 20 years as a dietary aide at the Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam.
She retired in 2007.
She was once a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Webster.
She leaves a daughter, Linda D. Latour, with whom she lived; two sons, James T. Latour (Cindy), and Ronald A. Latour (Linda), all of Webster; five grandchildren, Renee, Buffie, Alison, Kelly and Brittany; five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two sisters and a brother.
Calling hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m. March 22, in Scanlon Funeral Service, 38 East Main St., Webster, with a service at 7.
Burial is private.
Donations: Day Kimball Hospital, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam, CT 06260.
Carolyn Brennan,
mother of 1
DANIELSON — Carolyn (Gifford) Brennan, 34, died March 16, 2012.
She leaves a husband, David S. Brennan; a daughter, Nora V. Brennan; her parents, John Jr. and Pat Gifford, Christopher and Virgina (Foskett) Sears; and a sister, Valerie G. Redpath.
A Memorial Service was March 18 in the E. Woodstock Congregational Church.
Donations: the Nora Brennan Fund, c/o Citizens National Bank, P.O. Box 119, Woodstock, CT 06281.
Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.