Good sport,  friend 

Gerry Vaillant dies 

unexpectedly

By Ron P. Coderre

The overwhelming number of people in attendance at the calling hours and funeral for Gerry Vaillant was not surprising.  A gregarious and easy going individual, Vaillant was well known throughout Putnam and beyond and loved by everyone he met over his 66 years.  As the Mass went on and his daughter Angela Johndrow eulogized her dad, there wasn’t a dry eye in St. Mary Church.

The death of Gerry Vaillant, reported on Sunday, February 14, sent shock waves throughout the community.  On the day prior to his death, those who spent time with him or who saw him noted that he had one of the “best days of his life.”  That wasn’t unusual for Vaillant because anyone who knew him knew he cherished and enjoyed every day of his life.

In an unusual tribute, Main Street Grille, a dining spot he frequented, had his photo with a tribute on its menu.  The “Gerry Wrap” was a menu specialty consisting of eggs, onions, peppers, cheddar cheese and hash browns bundled in a toasty wrap, according to owner Kim Berkowitz.

Vaillant first became known in the area because of his exploits as a young athlete.  Following his graduation from St. Mary School he went on to carve an outstanding athletic career as a Putnam High School Clipper, where he graduated in 1967.

As a basketball player he scored 521 career points on the basketball court and was named to the 1967 Quinebaug Valley Conference All-tournament team.  A left handed shooter, he was a long range threat, where he was an extremely accurate outside shooter.  His teammate Peter Bonin jokingly said, “Gerry never saw a shot he didn’t like.”

There have been some memorable touchdown passes in the history of Putnam football and Vaillant was on the throwing end of one of those.  As the quarterback, Vaillant threw a touchdown pass against Killingly on Thanksgiving morning in 1965 to lanky Paul Levesque.  The pass won the game and lives on in the annals of Putnam football.

Vaillant was a standout baseball player on some great Clipper teams that featured the likes of Bonin and former professional player Bob Auger.  He was a pitcher, who was very respected and doubled as a good hitting outfielder.  He also flourished on the diamond for the Danielson Recs American Legion Baseball team.

In real life Vaillant enjoyed a career in industry working at Belding Corticelli and U.S. Button prior to assuming a sales role at King Cadillac, where he was also the marketing guru and radio voice of the dealership.

He and his late wife Sandy, whom he missed dearly, raised three beautiful and intelligent daughters, Merry Crabtree, Emily Mayo and Angela Johndrow.  Gerry was a terrific grandfather to his five grandchildren, doting on them and always bringing out the best qualities in life every moment he shared with them.

My personal memories include numerous trips to the “old” Boston Garden with his good friend Bob LeClair and Gerry in the noted Cadillac with Celts 1 and Celtics 86 license plates.  The trips were always exciting and lively because Vaillant was a Yankee and Dallas Cowboy fan, noted for getting under the finger nails of Boston sports fans.

We also enjoyed a tradition for many years of going to see the Celtics on Super Bowl Sunday and returning to the Knights of Columbus in Putnam to view the game.  The annual sojourn included Bob Guillot, the driver, me, Gerry and the late Dick Tercjak.  On one particular trip Gerry and I sat in one section and Bob and Dick in another.  All afternoon, Gerry and I received more than 10 bags of popcorn each thanks to the two jokers in the other seats.  Everytime Gerry and I would meet and Guillot was around we half expected to see a bag of popcorn coming our way.

As noted in his obituary, Gerry was a truly civic-minded and community- oriented individual, serving on and leading a variety of organizations and fund-raising efforts.  He’ll be remembered for all he did for Putnam but more than that he’ll always be remembered as a friend.

Although Gerry Vaillant is no longer with us physically the many personal memories that everyone enjoys of him individually will live on and be talked about as long as friends get together over a cold one.

 

Hockey win

WOODSTOCK — Woodstock Academy beat the Housatonic Co-op 6-3 Feb. 19 in ice hockey.

WA 3 2 1

Housatonic 2 1 0

Scoring

WA Ryan Black 3, Nathan Deluca 2, 

Will Liscomb 1

Housatonic

Diamond 2, Micywehan 1

Assists

WA Deluca 2, Burnham 2, Black 1, 

Jon Luc Cournoyer 1

Shots WA 28 Housatonic 16

Cal Wilcox in net for WA with the win

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

This week’s RPC column is dedicated to Dan Gomes.  The former Putnam Clipper standout basketball player now serves as an assistant at Putnam Science Academy in his spare time.  During the summer Gomes can be found at Harrisville Golf Course where he serves as the course superintendent of grounds.  In the winter he jockeys his plow around, earning extra money.

Over the past four seasons the Woodstock Academy football team has had trouble picking up victories.  Despite its losing record, one young man, Cahan Quinn has been a steady influence on the spirits of the gridiron team.

Quinn, who is known for his dedication and hard work at whatever endeavor he undertakes, has recently received some good news, which is a reward for his perseverance.  Quinn was notified of his acceptance to Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., where he’ll enter the core of cadets in the school’s military preparedness program.  In addition to his acceptance he was notified that he’ll be receiving a Presidential scholarship.

During his time at Woodstock Academy, the Putnam resident has served as the Centaurs football captain during his junior and senior seasons.  The rugged linebacker was recently selected as Eastern Connecticut Conference 2nd team All Conference as a linebacker.  This is the second year in a row he’s received the honor.  In addition to football, Quinn is a four-year member of the school’s lacrosse team and two-year member of the wrestling squad.  As a junior he received the coach’s award in football and wrestling.

In preparing for his entry to Norwich Quinn has been invited to meet with the university’s football coaches.  According to reports, the Norwich staff is very interested in Quinn.  The Cadets play in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference with all home games at Sabine Field.

Quinn, who is a serious student, carries a GPA well over 3.0 in the classroom.  In addition to his interest in a military career, Quinn plans on majoring in Criminal Justice.  As a student at Woodstock Academy Quinn has found time to volunteer his services with the Quiet Corner Football program, Northeast Opportunities for Wellness and the Arc of Quinebaug Valley.

Cahan Quinn is the son of Eric and Julie Quinn of Putnam.

‘Man Mountain’ Jordan Earning 

Hoop Honors…

During the 2013-2014 basketball season Putnam Science Academy had a 6-foot, 8-inch forward/center by the name of Jordan Butler.  The rugged Butler picked up the nickname “Man Mountain” for his yeoman’s work on the boards and tireless energy on the court.  When he left the 18 Maple St., campus, he had a reputation as one of the best big men to ever play for the Mustangs.  His credentials were solidified by the 405 points he scored for coach Tom Espinosa.

Butler, a native of Hartford, earned a basketball scholarship to Norfolk State University, where he’s proving to be a valuable asset for the Spartans who play in the Mid-East Athletic Conference.  Last week Butler was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, his third such honor this season.  He was previously named Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 23 and Dec. 28.  He’s the only player in the league to win the honor three times.

In a 79-73 win over Morgan State Butler had 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.  In an earlier game Butler had 16 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal in a 76-70 win over UMES.  On the season, Butler is averaging 6.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1 assist per contest. 

In other college action last week, Woodstock Academy grad Ian Converse led Worcester Polytechnic Institute to a big NEWMAC victory over Coast Guard Academy in a contest played in New London.  Converse had a double-double, posting 10 points and corralling 20 rebounds in a Herculean effort for the Engineers.

Quinnipiac University’s Chaise Daniels, who’s recovering ahead of schedule from early season knee problems, had two outstanding performances last week for the Bobcats.  In a double overtime 84-80 loss to Fairfield University Daniels had a career game posting 28 points on an 11-17 shooting performance.  Later in the week QU was beaten 78-59 by Iona despite a dozen points from the 6-9 Daniels.  His teammate Andrew Robinson is seeing more playing time for coach Tom Moore.  He posted a total of five points in the two games.

Putnam Loses Two Former Athletes…

The community of Putnam bid farewell to two former athletes who died last week.  Ron Dubuc died on February 14 and Bill Purdon died on February 11.

Dubuc, who played football for the Putnam Clippers in the early 1960s, was a quarterback on some scrappy coach Jim Greenhalgh coached teams.  Following high school graduation, Dubuc enlisted in the U.S. Army and saw action in the Dominion Republic and served during the Vietnam era.  He’ll be missed by many of his former teammates who remember him as a dedicated athlete and a man with a great sense of humor.  His teammate and friend Moe Coderre eulogized Dubuc and characterized him as “having the courageous heart of a lion.”

Purdon, who was originally from Killingly, played on some of the good Weiss’ Market softball teams that dominated local circuits in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.  He was a pitcher of note who was especially effective in slo-pitch contest.  Many of his former teammates will remember him for his competitive spirit.

PSA Climbing In National Rankings…

Putnam Science Academy moved up a notch from #4 to #3 in the National Post-Grad Rankings last week according to NextUp Recruits.  The Mustangs trail #1 Hargrave Academy of Virginia and #2 St. Thomas More of Oakdale, a team that beat PSA earlier in the season.

In the #4 slot is South Kent School.  The remainder of the Top-10 - #5 Mt. Zion Prep, #6 Brewster Academy, #7 Elev8 Prep of Florida, #8 New Hampton School, #9 Northfield Mount Hermon and #10 Notre Dame Prep.  The Mustangs are scheduled to meet Brewster Academy and Mount Zion in future games. 

RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

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