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Richard F. Potter,
WWII vet
WOODSTOCK — Richard F. Potter, 93, of Woodstock, went to be with his Lord Dec. 25, 2012, at the Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. He was the husband of 70 years to Gwendolyn (Withers) Potter.
He was born April 22, 1919, in Worcester, son of the late Arthur and Grace (Pierce) Potter. Richard served four years with the U.S. Army 43rd Infantry Division in the Pacific Theater during WWII and served six months in Germany during the Korean war. As a member of the Connecticut National Guard, he served as a chief warrant officer (CW2) with the 43rd Infantry Division, Middletown, West Haven and Manchester He retired in 1979 as chief warrant officer (CW4) after a 41-year military career with the U.S. Army and the Connecticut National Guard.
He was a member of the Putnam Masonic Lodge No. 46 AF & AM, he served as secretary for many years, Woodstock American Legion Post 111, served as commander and historian. He was an avid stamp collector, a member of the Webster-Dudley Stamp Club. He was active for many years with the Woodstock Historical Society, Winston Churchill – Finest Hour, American Philatelic Society (APS), Panama Canal Zone Study Group; Connecticut Postal History Society; Isthmus Collector’s Club, Sons of the American Revolution, Israel Putnam Branch 4, S.A.R., Woodstock Theft Detecting Society; Gov. Wm “Leete Legacy” US Possessions Philatelic Society, Harper’s Weekly.
He leaves in addition to his wife Gwendolyn; his children Richard Potter of Cromwell, Dennis Potter of Woodstock, Patricia Clair Sarasin (Ken) of Woodstock; Susan Norris (Scott) of Enfield; grandchildren Elizabeth Norris, Lauren Norris, Cassandra Clair, Sharie Potter, Paula Potter; great-grandson Maddox Roy. He was predeceased by his grandson James Clair, his daughter-in-law Judith Potter; siblings: Charlotte, Evelyn, James, Charles, Arthur, Harris and Alice.
The Funeral was Dec. 29 at Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with burial with military honors was in Center Cemetery, Woodstock. Donations: American Legion , PO Box 111, Woodstock, CT 06281; or Putnam Masonic Lodge No. 46, PO Box 46, S. Woodstock, CT 06267.
Anna Brouillard,
church member
PUTNAM — Anna Brouillard, 84, formerly of Centennial Street, died Dec. 28, 2012, at Westview Health Care Center in Dayville. She was the wife of Ovila Brouillard for 50 years. He died Sept. 7, 2004. Her son, Richard Allan Brouillard, died Dec. 4, 2003.
She was born July 28, 1928, in Webster, daughter of the late Francis and Hazel (Tracy) Stochaj. She worked for many years at the Webster Shoe Shop. Anna had made her home in Putnam most of her life, a communicant of St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam. She enjoyed traveling, especially with the Royal Travelers; she also enjoyed walking and making puzzles.
She leaves two nieces and two nephews. She was predeceased, in addition to her husband and son, by a sister Pauline King; brothers Francis, Robert, and Paul. Calling hours are from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Jan. 3 at the Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Burial is in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam.
Camille H. Carroll,
WWII vet
WOODSTOCK — Camille H. Carroll, 96, of Belleview Avenue, Tiverton, R.I., formerly of Woodstock, died Dec. 26, 2012, in Grand Island Nursing Home, He was the husband of the late Frances E. (Cunha) Carroll.
Born in 1916 in Putnam, he was the son the late Willis and Alida (Duhamel) Carroll.
Mr. Carroll was a pharmacist and operated Carroll’s Drug Store in Putnam. He also worked for Putnam Kawasaki in his retirement.
He was a WWII Army veteran and was a member of the American Legion in Woodstock. He enjoyed go-karts and was a founding member of the Tri State Kart Club. He was also a Fourth Degree Member of the Cargill Council of the Knights of Columbus.
He leaves a daughter, Camilla Salo of Woodstock; three grandchildren, Shawn Sanga, Amy Sanga and Tracy Place; and a great-granddaughter, Makayla Place.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 29 in St. Joseph’s Church, with burial with military honors in St. Mary Cemetery in the spring. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Pearl Rita Veilleux, DHS
PUTNAM --- Sr. Rita Veilleux, DHS, 82, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, died on Dec. 25, 2012, at Holy Spirit Health Care Center, where she has been in residence since June, 2000.
Born Pearl Rita Veilleux on Aug. 15, 1930, the daughter of the late Simeon and Henedine (Gagné) Veilleux, she entered religious life in 1947 and made her religious profession on Aug. 23, 1950, at the Motherhouse in St. Brieuc, France. She was then known as Sr. Simone de la Croix.
Sr. Rita received her bachelor’s degree from Diocesan Sisters’ College, S. Woodstock, in 1969. She taught most of her religious life in parish schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts and from 1974 to 1995 she was involved in Pastoral Ministry at St. Mary’s Hospital, Waterbury, and later at St. Mary’s Home in Hartford. Due to failing health she retired to the Provincial House in Putnam in 2000.
She leaves one brother, Hervey Veilleux of Vernon; nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 28 in the Provincial House Chapel followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: Daughters of the Holy Spirit Retirement Fund, 72 Church St., Putnam, CT, 06260. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Vernon S. Gray III,
Vietnam vet
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. — Vernon (Terry) Stevenson Gray III, 66, formerly of Pomfret, died Dec. 20, 2012, in the home he shared with his longtime companion Beverly Wranosky. Born in 1946 in Toledo, Ohio, he was the son of the late Vernon Stevenson, II and Beth (Warnick) Gray.
Mr. Gray was a proud graduate of Nichols College. He worked at International Paper for several years as a corporate controller as well as several other paper companies along the East Coast.
Terry enjoyed outdoor activities including hiking, camping and golfing. He also had a love for the beach and spent many weekends at Myrtle Beach. He was an honored member of the U.S. Army, serving his country in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968.
He leaves three children, Heather (Eric) Livingston of Putnam, Nicole (Gary) Klotzer of Woodstock, and Sean (Nadine) Gray of Putnam; five grandchildren, Mackenzie, Jillian, Colby, Cooper, and Avery. He is predeceased by his sister Linda Gray.
Terry’s wishes will be honored with a memorial service and burial with his father and grandparents in Woodstock, Vt., at a later date. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
William Hildebrandt,
WWII vet
PUTNAM — William “Bill” Hildebrandt, 84 of Farrows Street, died Dec. 29, 2012, at the Westview Health Care in Dayville. He was born Feb. 13, 1928, in Clinton, Mass., son of the late Sigmond and Caroline (Poppke) Hildebrandt.
He was a school teacher, teaching math at the Putnam High School. He retired in 1988. He was a veteran of WWII serving with the U.S. Army as an MP. He was a graduate of Boston University and received his master’s degree from Worcester State College, member of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in N. Grosvenordale. He was formerly of Clinton, a life member of the Clinton Turners, a life member of the Putnam Lodge of Elks.
He leaves his sons: David Hildebrandt of Mason, Mich., William Hildebrandt of Halsey, Ore.; two sisters: Betty Heseman of Tennessee and Olga Scherer of Illinois; seven grandchildren and his former wife Kay Davis of Niantic. He was predeceased by his brothers Herman, Gerhardt, Edmond.
The funeral was private with burial in Clinton. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Llewellyn Berry
DANIELSON — Llewellyn M. Berry, 40, died Dec. 28, 2012.
She was born in Putnam, daughter of the late Linda (Orr) Berry and lived in Danielson all her life. She attended Killingly High School and also Job Cor at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. She also went to California to Nanny School.
She leaves her daughter, M. Elizabeth V. Berry of Danielson; her father, Lyndall Berry of Danielson; a sister, Celestia “Julie” K. Mazzarella (Kevin) of Putnam; a half-sister, Cathy Giovinazzi of Vineland, N.J.
The funeral was private. Donations: Charity of the donor’s choice. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
James ‘Smiling
Jim’ Gaudreau
ROGERS — James Edmond (“Smiling Jim”) Gaudreau, 75, auctioneer, died Dec. 25, 2012, at home.
James was born Sept. 17, 1937, in Putnam to the late Amie Gaudreau & Beatrice (Vachon) Gaudreau. As a child and into his teenage years, Jim lived in Rogers, Putnam, and Central village. When Jim was 14, his father died and Jim was forced into the working field to help support his family’s household. He worked as a stone mason and bricklayer while attending Putnam Trade School and in 1957 became a member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers Local #1. He worked on projects such as building Day Kimball Hospital’s “modern addition,” the Library at UConn, pointing St. Mary’s Church steeple in Putnam, much of the brick work at Hanks Restaurant in Brooklyn.
In 1957, he married the love of his life, Claire (Tetreault) Gaudreau at All Hollows Church in Moosup, moved back to his hometown of Rogers, and started raising his family. In the following year, Jim found a new passion, “The buying and selling of almost anything”. He had his first auction at the barn in Rogers in 1959 that went very well, earning him his nickname “Smiling Jim.”
1963-1964 were busy years for Jim. At the age of 26 he partnered with his friend, John Callahan and built “Trader JJs’ Flea Market” on Rt. 101 in Dayville, he built his first home in Rogers as well as his neighbor’s house, and helped in the construction of the Williamsville (Rogers) Firehouse, of which he was a member for over 50 years. A few years later, he built Smiling Jim’s Trading Post, where he ran a second-hand store downstairs and had many memorable auctions upstairs as well as holding auctions throughout northeastern CT, including many estate auctions & benefit auctions for just about any civic organization or church. Jim sat on the Killingly Town Council tackling issues such as introducing the industrial park, naming Louisa Viens Drive, incorporating Planning and Zoning Commission, laying the path for getting the entire community of Alexander’s Lake hooked up to city sewer (often joking that he spent 4 years on the council to get his name on a bronze plaque mounted on a sewer pumping station). Jim’s greatest personal desire was to protect the working class people of Killingly, often arguing late into the evenings with his fellow town councilors.
After being struck with severe heart disease in 1984, at the age of 47, the doctors told the family that his likelihood of survival was not very good. Being a strong man and not liking what the doctors had to say, he defied science and fought with the issue, regained his strength, went into semi-retirement, purchased a building next to his vacation home in Norway Maine, and started “Jim’s Lakeside Trading Post”. He ran it on the weekends. He was a member of St. Ignatius Church in Rogers and later St. Joseph’s Church in Dayville.
He leaves Claire, his wife of 55 years; a son, James D. Gaudreau (Donna) of Rogers; daughter, Patrice St. Onge (Tim) of Ballouville; a son, Kevin Gaudreau (Lisa) of Rogers; a son, Jason Gaudreau (Bonnie) of Rogers; grandchildren and two great-granddaughters; three adopted grandchildren He was predeceased by his brothers, Richard (Dick) Gaudreau, Robert (Bob) Gaudreau, and Donald (Donny) Gaudreau.
There will be a high Mass at 10 a.m. Jan. 5 at St. Joseph’s Church, Dayville, followed by a celebration of life at Gaudreau’s Auction and Function Center (the former St. Ignatius Church), Williamsville Road, Rogers. Donations: Williamsville Fire Engine Company, P.O. Box 141, Rogers CT. 06263; or Hospice of NE CT, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam CT. 06260. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Natalie Habercoss,
teacher
THOMPSON — Natalie A. (Tonner) Habercoss, 85, died Dec. 29, 2012, at Lanessa Extended Care, Webster.
She was born in Northhampton, Mass., daughter of the late Ewart and Esther (Harvey) Tonner and lived in Thompson most of her life. She was a retired special needs school teacher, having taught for many years at Thornfield Hall. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Webster, and most recently a member of the First Congregational Church in Thompson.
She leaves her husband of 65 years, Alfred A. Habercoss of Thompson; four daughters, Natalie Beauchamp of Wilsonville, Heather LaPlante of Mendon, Mass., Carol Habercoss of San Leandro, Calif., and Kristin Sevigny of Thompson; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The Funeral was Jan. 2 in the Thompson Congregational Church, Thompson, with burial in Mount Zion Cemetery, Webster.
Donations: Day Kimball Homemakers, 320 Pomfret St., Putnam. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Bernice Lyon
POMFRET — Bernice N. (Brown) Lyon, 77, died Dec. 31, 2012, at Regency Heights in Danielson.
Her husband, Joseph J. Lyon, died on Feb. 26, 2012.
She was born in Dudley, daughter of the late Joseph and Blanche (Faford) Brown, and lived in Webster before moving to Pomfret several years ago. She was a retired shoe factory worker.
She leaves a step-son, Michael J. Lyon of Michigan; a niece, Jeannette J. Delaura of Thompson.
The funeral was private. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.