Judith Daviau
Judith “Chop” Benoit Daviau died May 24, 2020. She was born Sept. 4, 1961, in Norwich, daughter of Donald and Estelle Benoit.
Judy married Robert Daviau on Sept. 14, 1991. They lived in a small farmhouse filled with love and laughter. Judy loved all animals, especially dogs. Through the many years together, all their dogs were free to roam the acres of beautiful countryside. Judy had an incredible green thumb and loved to tend to her gardens.
She was predeceased by her daughter Rae Anne Daviau in 2003. She leaves her husband Bob; her parents; siblings Donald (Renee) Benoit, Donna (Jackie Krause) Benoit and Patti-Sue Brown; nieces Jacklyn (Nathan) Brodeur and Sarah Henry and nephews Marco Michalski, Ryan Benoit, Elisha Benoit and Cameron Henry.
At the time of her passing, Judy was employed as deputy chief quality and operations officer for the Arc- Eastern CT. Her dedication to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities spanned over decades of employment with various agencies.
Judy had a passion for knowledge and was always searching for the next thing to learn. Her interests ranged from learning to knit to becoming a certified Fitness Instructor and Holistic Nutritional Wellness Coach. She had an insatiable appetite for reading and often could be found in her hammock with a book.
Judy loved words and she loved LOVE. She became a Justice of the Peace and used her voice to unite people in marriage.
The family will be making arrangements when they can. Until then, they ask that you think of her when you look up at the sun, when you put your feet in the water and remember to always live your life to the fullest. Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson.
Joseph P. Breton
WOODSTOCK — Joseph P. Breton, 33, of Woodstock died unexpectedly May 24, 2020. He was born April 16, 1987 in Anchorage, AK.
Joe grew up in Woodstock, where he gained an appreciation for nature and the great outdoors. He was very creative and loved drawing, sketching, creating his cartoon characters and simply just doodling. He developed a passion for taking photographs and also enjoyed skateboarding and spending time with his friends. Joe was very charismatic and easily made friends with all whom he met.
Joe leaves his father Paul Breton (Donna) of Woodstock; his mother Valerie Breton and her fiancé Michael Gauthier of Tilton, N.H.; his sister Michelle (Breton) Hoover (Walter) and kids, Odin, Warren and Alaric of Alpena, Mich.; his grandmother Ruth Breton of Woodstock; aunts, uncles, cousins, long-time friends Donnie Jorgensen Jr., Trish Frost and his cat Oliver. Joe is predeceased by his grandfathers, Paul M. Breton and H. Warren Day and his grandmother, Patricia Day. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St. Putnam.
Christopher L. Ellis
BROOKLYN — Christopher L. Ellis, 36, of Proulx St., died June 5, 2020, at Day Kimball Hospital. He was the longtime companion of Lisa Gavis of Brooklyn. Born in 1983 in Westerly, R.I., he was the son of Debra (Brainard) Ferland of NH and the late Thomas Ellis.
Mr. Ellis was the manager and partner of Performance Overhead Door Company. He enjoyed fishing and riding his motorcycle.
He leaves his longtime companion Lisa Gavis of Brooklyn; his children, Christopher T. Ellis of Rogers and Adalena Ellis of Brooklyn; his stepson, Gaige Shaw of Brooklyn; two brothers, Michael Brainard of Grafton, N.H., and David Ellis of Westerly; five sisters, Cassie Marie Chase of Landaff, N.H., Brenda Thornley of Exeter, R.I., Tammy Drake of Texas, Kimberly Williams of Westerly and Amy-Lee Spencer of Woonsocket, R.I. He was predeceased by a brother, Thomas Ellis Jr.
A Celebration of Christopher’s Life will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 21 at 53 Proulx St., Brooklyn. All who knew and loved Chris are welcome. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Charlotte A. Herlihy
PUTNAM — Charlotte A. Herlihy, 87, originally of Putnam, died May 31, 2020, at Westview Healthcare Center in Dayville, after a period of declining health. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Robert J. Herlihy, in 2016. Charlotte was born on July 15, 1932, the daughter of the late Seconda and Rita (Lavigne) Rovero. She graduated from Putnam High School, Class of 1950, and later from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford, Class of 1953, where she obtained her degree as a Registered Nurse. She spent the majority of her career working at Matulaitis Nursing home from where she retired.
True to her French and Italian heritage, Charlotte believed in the tradition of “sharing a good meal” to bring people together. As many of her generation did, she had the ability to stretch a meal in order to feed her six children and sometimes their friends who happened to stop by. She was a mother to many and a friend to all.
Charlotte was also a firm believer in the handwritten note and never missed mailing cards for birthdays, anniversaries, or for sending notes of encouragement during trying times. She also loved watching and naming birds and kept her field guide handy.
She leaves six children, Daniel Herlihy (Liz), Michael Herlihy, Joan Woodis, Doreen Brooks (Rodney), Dorothy Herlihy, and Marla Allard (James); her siblings, Daniel Rovero, Malcolm Rovero, Paula Looby, and Maria Werner; six grandchildren, Michael, Madori, Tamreh, Katelyn, Abigail, and Joshua; four great-grandchildren. Besides her parents and husband, she was predeceased by a brother, Louis Rovero. Donations: Westview Recreation Department, c/o Westview HCC, P.O. Box 428, Dayville, CT 06241. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Lucier service
PUTNAM — Deborah K. (Roy) Lucier, 65, of Wilson Rd. died May 17, 2020, at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, after a fight with kidney and heart disease. She was the wife of 43 years to Gary Lucier.
Visitation is from 9 to 11 a.m. June 20 at Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam, followed by a service at 11 a.m. in the funeral home at 11, with burial in Putnam Heights Cemetery. Donations: American Diabetes Assoc., 2080 Silas Dean Hwy., Rocky Hill, CT 06067; or the National Kidney Foundation, 3000 Whitney Ave, Suite 121, Hamden, CT 06518.
..
The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) has awarded more than $11,000 in a new grant program designed to help non-profits build capacity during challenging times. Funds are still available. As non-profits strive to advance their mission while not being able to offer their usual programs, events and opportunities, TLGV will provide up to $1,500 for equipment, services and training to help organizations improve communication or provide alternative means of engaging the public.
“We’re trying to encourage innovative ideas for working in a new climate,” said Lois Bruinooge, executive director of TLGV. “We want to help non-profits in the National Heritage Corridor not only get through a challenging time but unlock new potential for their organizations moving forward. The response so far shows us the funding is meeting an important need.”
Grants have been awarded to: Pomfret Historical Society in Pomfret: $750 for equipment to digitize images and documents for use on their website; Windham County 4-H Foundation in Pomfret: $1,500 for the purchase of equipment to offer virtual learning experiences; Click in Windham: $1,065 for the creation of an outdoor “open air” learning space in Willimantic; Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution in Lebanon: $853 to hire a videographer/marketing company to produce a video to promote the history of the Wadsworth Stable; Girl Scouts of Connecticut in Lebanon: $1,500 for equipment to enhance virtual learning at the environmental lab at Camp Laurel; Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust in Mansfield: $1,500 for the purchase of equipment and software to increase their ability to film and promote their properties throughout the region; The Mill Museum in Willimantic: $1,490 to develop and implement online educational programs to promote the history of the region; Norwich Historical Society in Norwich: $1,500 for the production of three videos to improve public awareness of Norwich history and increase NHS and Leffingwell House Museum’s storytelling capabilities; Opacum Land Trust in Southbridge: $1,500 to improve and expand their remote communications through their website and other digital platforms to better promote their properties.
Grants may range from $500 – $1,500. Funds will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis and must be matched 1:1 by cash or in-kind contributions. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Non-profit 501(c) organizations are eligible and must have missions aligned with and advancing the visions and strategies of Vision 2020, the management plan for The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor, which can be found at TheLastGreenValley.org in the Publications section under the About menu.
Full application details and requirements can be found on TheLastGreenValley.org on the home page in the news section. All applications must be emailed to
.
St. Joseph
grads get
reverse parade
N. GROSVENORDALE — The 8th graders of St. Joseph School have been denied the traditional rites of passage afforded to their predecessors for as long as one can remember. The five members of the 8th grade received a reverse parade members of the SJS community held two weeks ago. Each graduate and their family received a special Graduation Sign to display at home.
Principal Davide Sizemore said: “While I have only been blessed to have been with these young people during the past two years, each of them represents what we hope an alumnus from SJS ultimately becomes: a caring, respectful, and nurturing person. I could not be more proud of Katie Atwood, Kylie Cummings, Amelia Hull, Clayton Lehmann, and Kiera MacKenzie! Graduation has been moved Aug. 1. By Aug. 1, I sincerely hope that we will be at a different re-opening phase of the Coronavirus so that we can hold graduation at the church like we normally do."
.
The following charges were listed in the Putnam Police Department logs. The people charged are innocent until proven guilty in court. The Town Crier will publish dispositions of cases at the request of the accused. The dispositions must be accompanied by the proper documentation. The Putnam Police Department confidential Tip Line is 860-963-0000.
June 1
Jonathan Yater, 39, Putnam Pike, Dayville; disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief.
June 4
Kyle Brinkley, 24, Chase Avenue, Webster; possession of controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia.
June 8
Carly Hetrick, 47, Rt. 197, Woodstock; violation of protective order.