Fred Oppert
THOMPSON — Fred Oppert, 60, of Thompson, died Aug. 2, 2016, at UMass Medical Center after a lengthy illness. He was the husband of Diane Oppert. He was born Jan. 26, 1956, in Putnam, son of Vernon Oppert and Ruth Hochstetter.
He was a heavy equipment operator using satellite precision for Beebee Construction for 20 years. In his off time his passion was cooking.
He leaves his wife Diane Oppert of Thompson; three children: Ryan Oppert of E. Killingly, Bethany Burton of Danielson, John Burton of Thompson; grandsons: Bodie Defocy of Woodstock, Jayden Hoenig-Burton of Danielson, Kiernan and Rhys Oppert of E. Killingly; siblings: Billie Gamble of Chapel Hill, N.C.; Lee Oppert of Plainfield, Daniel Oppert of Lake Placid, Fla. Elaine Harrigan of Griswold.
A Celebration of Life will be at 3 p.m. Aug. 13 his brother Lee’s home, 33 Dow Road, Plainfield. Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Doris E. Stickney
CROMWELL — Doris E. Stickney, 98, of Covenant Village, Cromwell, formerly of Woodstock, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Aug. 3, 2016. Together again with her husband Herbert F. Stickney, he died in 1997.
She was born Nov. 28, 1917, in S. Woodstock, daughter of Bernard and Anna (Ask) Johnson.
She had made her home in Woodstock for more than 42 years, moving to the Covenant Village in 1991. She was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Woodstock, and also a member of the church choir, she loved singing and was a soloist all her life. Doris enjoyed cooking, traveling with her husband, including several trips to Europe. Doris enjoyed caring for her gardens, especially her flowers and African violets.
She leaves her children Susan Halversen (glen) of Plainville, Althea Valentine (Robert) of Warren, Penn.; Forest W. Stickney (Karen) of Bloomfield; grandchildren Kevin, Julie, Eric, Shari, Kira, Tommy, Alexis, Jason, Kristine and Javier and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her siblings Arthur, Irene and Laura.
A Memorial Service was Aug. 8 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam, with graveside services in Elmvale Cemetery Woodstock. Donations: Covenant Benevolent Care, 5101 N. Francisco Ave, Chicago, Ill 60625; or Gideon’s International.
Arthur Duquette,
WWII vet
N. GROSVENORDALE — Arthur Duquette, 93, of N. Grosvenordale, died Aug. 1, 2016, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam.
He was born in Putnam, son of the late Adrien and Diana (Mailloux) Duquette and lived in N. Grosvenordale all his life. He was a retired truck driver, having worked many years at Barnes Concrete. He was a WWII, US. Army veteran. He was charter member of the Valley Springs Sportsman Club, was a member of the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus and St. Joseph Church, all in N. Grosvenordale. His wife, Josephine (Kruzel) Duquette died on Oct. 4, 2012. He leaves three sons, Ronald Duquette of Dayville, David Duquette and his companion Barbara Hart of N. Grosvenordale, Paul (Brenda) Duquette of N. Grosvenordale; his grandchildren, Kevin (Misty), Ryan, Alan, Danielle, Nicole and Stephanie; great-grandchildren, Emmalena, Bentley and Luke. He was predeceased by two brothers, Robert “Pete” Duquette and Charles Duquette; by two sisters, Violet Briere and Marie Congdon. The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 5 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial with military honors, in St. Joseph Cemetery. Donations: Food Pantry at St. Joseph Church, Main Street, N. Grosvenordale, CT 06255. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Honored
N. ANDOVER, Mass. — Merrimack College recognizes local students who have achieved dean’s list for Spring 2016: Christopher Alves of N. Grosvenordale and Ryan Baronowski of Thompson.
On dean’s list
E.HARTFORD — Goodwin College announces that 1010 students achieved Dean’s List status for the Spring 2016 session including: Jessica Hicks of N. Grosvenordale, Cindy-Jo Youssef of Putnam, Douglas Rosen of Woodstock.
Perfect score
E. HARTFORD — Putnam resident Cindy-Jo Youssef has achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average at Goodwin College for the Spring 2016 session, earning a spot on the elite President’s List.
Caption:
Donation
Sherry Abbate-Witkowski, center, presents a $450 donation to TLGV Ranger Marcy Dawley, right, at Taylor Brooke Winery, represented by owner Linda Auger, left. Photo courtesy of Taylor Brooke Winery.
Sherry Abbate-Witkowski is an artist and a proud member of The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV). As someone who loves where she lives, she had a vision for an art show featuring local talent that would be staged at the perfect venue, Taylor Brooke Winery. Taylor Brooke, celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2016, is also a strong champion for the region and a long-standing TLGV business partner.
“Keep your heart brave & your imagination wild” was the driving force as Sherry gathered artists and organized the event details. With 16 local artists showing off 40 pieces of art during the collaborative art show, Sherry’s vision came to life. A portion of the artists’ entry fees were earmarked for donations to The Last Green Valley’s conservation efforts and one generous artist donated a portion of her sales to TLGV, too.
“We are grateful for Sherry’s creativity and enthusiasm in pulling together such a wonderful event and fund-raiser for TLGV,” said TLGV Executive Director Lois Bruinooge. “Taylor Brooke Winery’s 12th anniversary celebration provided the perfect backdrop for the artists, and we are also grateful for owners Linda and Richard Auger’s continued support.”
Learn more about The Last Green Valley and TLGV’s programs and events online at www.thelastgreenvalley.org and on Facebook.
Clockwise from top left: Lacey George, 10, of North Carolina, gives the hula hoop a spin. Artist at work. Lucas Blagburn, 7, of Putnam, putting in some coffee beans --- what else --- into a Seattle art piece. Seattle skyline in process at A