By Ron P. Coderre
This week’s RPC sporty shoutout goes to Putnam native Norma Martell. Raised in the “Northend” when the area was booming with athletic kids, Martell later became the mother of a number of male and female athletes who were Putnam standouts. Today she enjoys retirement and her grandchildren with her husband Paul.
In the years 1965 through 1968 the Tourtellotte Memorial High School boys’ basketball team was a force to be reckoned with up and down eastern Connecticut. The Tigers of coach Jim Canty always seemed to produce athletes who towered over the players of opposing teams. One of those domineering athletes was 6-foot, 6-inch Bill Pedersen.
On June 22 Pedersen will be inducted in the TMHS Athletic hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2013. The honor is rightfully deserved.
During his four years on the Thompson campus, Pedersen starred in soccer, basketball and baseball for the Tigers. But it was on the hardwood that he gained his notoriety and recognition. As a member of the Quinebaug Valley Conference, Tourtellotte was a force in the league every season that Pederson played.
In 1967 and 1968 Pedersen was named a QVC Tournament All Star, while garnering the tourney MVP Award in 1968 after leading his team to the title in a 54-45 victory over Norwich Tech in the championship contest. Along the way he tallied more than 1000 career points with more than 600 coming in one season. At the conclusion of his senior season he was named a Royal Crown Cola Prep School Honorable Mention All-American.
Pedersen followed-up his high school career with four years at Assumption College as a member of some of the Greyhounds most successful teams. Although he never achieved the same heights in college as he did in high school, Pedersen was one of the most popular players to grace the Andy Laska Gymnasium. He was part of the 1972 team that finished third in the NCAA Division II National Tournament and was voted by UPI as the Number One team in the country in the final poll.
A member of the National Honor Society while in high school, he is still remembered whenever people gather to talk about Tourtellotte and QVC basketball. Pedersen lives in Thompson.
CIAC Honors Scholar-Athletes…
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference recently honored 340 male and female student athletes from throughout the state at a ceremony held at the Aqua Turf Restaurant in Southington. A dozen of the individuals honored, come from local high schools.
Charleen Williams and Augustus Larose were honored from Ellis Teach, along with Michela Veillette and Dane Grauer of Killingly, Ashlyn Hart and Noah Fields of Plainfield, Monica Phongsa and Alex Fontaine of Putnam, Brianna Wrubleski and Keith Poitras of Tourtellotte, and Julia Low and Elijah Martin of Woodstock Academy.
Among those receiving special recognition was Killingly’s Michela Veillette who stars for the Redgals in field hockey and tennis. Last autumn, she was felled by a mysterious infection that doctors were unable to diagnose. Despite the inability to pinpoint a diagnosis, doctors were able to help her recuperate. Today Veillette is back on the field and tennis court.
Veillette, in addition to being honored as a student athlete, was awarded the Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award for the courageous battle she waged against the mysterious infection.
Runners On Your Mark…
The advent of reasonable weather has signaled the start of the running season in northeastern Connecticut. The O’Putnam Race in March and Jog For Judy, held on May 4 have both the avid and recreational runners on the roads for daily workouts.
On May 27 the Woodstock Recreation Department will host its 33rd Woodstock Memorial Day 10K Road Race. The Pre-Registration period has passed; however, runners can register on line at
Starting time for the event is 9 a.m. sharp. Winners will be awarded in male and female categories including Child (12 & under); Junior (13-19); Intermediate (20-29); Senior (30-39); Masters (40-49); Grand Masters (50-59); Ultra Masters (60-69); and Super Masters (70 & up). Cash prizes will be awarded for the first three male and female runners in the amounts of $125, $75 and $50. The first male and female runners from Woodstock will each receive a cash award of $50. Post-race shower facilities will be available at the Academy.
Entries may be mailed to Woodstock Recreation Department, 215 Coatney Hill Road, Woodstock, CT 06281.
Kentucky Derby Tidbit…
The 139th running of the famous Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs had a distantly related Putnam connection. Verrazano, which went off in the 14 slot, and coincidentally finished 14th in the 19-horse field, with jockey John Veleazquez in the saddle is owned by Let’s Go Stable. Co-owner of the horse is Bryan Sullivan, who’s been involved with the sport since 1997.
According to a May 3 column by Jeff Jacobs in the Hartford Courant, Sullivan is married to the former Courtney Scatuorchio, whose dad is the reason Sullivan’s involved with Verrazano. The Putnam connection is through Sullivan’s mother, whose brother is Putnam horse racing aficionado Peter LeClair. Area horse racing fans it was certain had their eye on Verrazano on Saturday afternoon despite its disappointing finish.
Verrazano is trained by Todd Pletcher and most recently won the prestigious Wood Memorial. The horse had four victories in four races prior to the Derby. The three-year old did not race last year and was trying to become the first horse not to race as a two-year old and win the Derby since 1882. Long odds.
From The Annals of Putnam
Sports History…
May 1901: Putnam Golf Course opens. (Author’s Note: It’s assumed that the Putnam Golf Course was on Park Road across from J.D. Cooper’s Restaurant. It is not the current Connecticut National Golf Club located on Chase Road.) (Information contributed by Willie Zamagni.)
RPC’s Closing Thought For The Day: Never cut what you can untie.
William R. Cunha
PUTNAM — William R. “Billy” Cunha, 60, of Sabin Street died April 30, 2013, in New Britain, after an illness. Born in 1952 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Richard and Doris (Charron) Cunha.
Billy enjoyed WWF wrestling and his cat “Mama”.
He leaves his brothers, Kirby Cunha of N. Grosvenordale, and Richard Cunha of Millbury, Mass.; sister, Barbara Cunha-Naumann of N. Grosvenordale; nine nieces and nephews and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was the brother of the late Philip Cunha.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 7 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Roland J. Durand
N. GROSVENORDALE — Roland J. “Shorty” Durand, 92, died April 27, 2013, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. He was born in 1920 at his parents’ home in N. Grosvenordale. He was the son of the late Philip and Rose Alma (Mandeville) Durand.
Roland left trade school early and worked full time to support his mother and younger siblings, before for joining the Army Air Force at age 18. He trained to be a Sperry Ball and Martin upper gunner on B17s, but was grounded by a severe knee injury during parachuting practice. After almost a year in Military hospitals, no specialist could be found to repair his knee. He was told if he could walk out of the hospital on his own he could go home, to which he grabbed a cane and walked out. He was honorable discharged in 1941.
Roland worked as a shipper/receiver for Simonds Inc. in Southbridge until his retirement at age 79. He never took a sick day and never missed an opportunity for overtime. Even at work he was better known as Shorty or Uncle Shorty. He was a life long parishioner of St. Joseph’s Church, a member of St. Bernards Council 2087 Knights of Columbus, the American Legion and the Community Fire Department.
He excelled at doing his own car repairs, plumbing, electrical and carpentry and made sure his children learned all of his skills. He never let his damaged knee or arthritis stop him from working or completing a project at home, and once done, he enjoying his hobbies and weekend adventures with his children.
His love for the outdoors included horseback riding, motorcycling, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, camping, Nascar, Modifieds, and motorcycle racing at Laconia. It was a common sight for him to come home from work on a Friday night, and head out on weekend adventure. His truck cab was always equipped with a pillow and sleeping bag. No matter where he went, he always made sure he knew where the closest church was, and the Mass times
Roland leaves sons, Ronald Durand (Donna), Raymond Durand (Sue), David Durand (Lisa); daughter Paula Ramos (David); his sisters, Doris Boutin and Evelyn Rogers; seven grandchildren, Ray Jr., Tony, Amanda, Laura, Megan, Sara and Dominick; five great-grandchildren Jenna, Antonio, Elijah and two baby boys due in May. He was predeceased by his daughter Pauline Durand and by his brothers Conrad Durand, Fredrick Durand, Lineal Durand, and Robert Durand.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 3 in St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale, with burial with military honors was in St. Joseph Cemetery. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
Theresa A. Savoie
KILLINGLY — Theresa Alice Savoie, 89, of Killingly, died May 2, 2013, at Pierce Memorial Nursing Home in Brooklyn. She was the wife of the late William A. Savoie. He died in 1991. They were married Feb. 22, 1941, in St. James Church in Danielson. Theresa was born Dec. 4, 1923, in Danielson, daughter of the late Leon and Irene (Dupre) Perreault.
Theresa was a communicant of St. James Church. She lived in Killingly most of her life. She worked at Cheney Bros. of Manchester, as a weaver for 13 years then for Acme Chaston of Dayville for 23 years. In 1990 she moved with her husband to Lady Lake, Fla. She later returned back to Killingly in 1998. Theresa loved to travel, finish puzzles and throughout her life she enjoyed doing various crafts and activities.
She leaves three sons: Ronald L. Savoie of Thompson, Roland L. Savoie (Sandy) of Woodstock, William E. Savoie (Carol) of Danielson, a brother Robert Perreault of Danielson, daughter-in-law Elaine Ignasiak of Florida; 17 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son Richard L. Savoie, two brothers Norman Perreault, Lucien Perreault and daughter-in-law EiIeen Savoie.
There will be a Memorial Mass at 11 a.m. May 10 in St. James Church, Danielson. Burial will be private in Holy Cross Cemetery Danielson. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Gregory J. Cote
DANIELSON — Gregory J. Cote, 58, of Garrick Street, died April 27, 2013, at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. He was born Sept. 2, 1954, in Putnam, son of the late Henry and Florence (McHugh) Cote.
Gregory worked for Anchor Glass in Dayville. He was an avid New England Patriots football fan. He leaves behind three brothers and six sisters and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents.
The Funeral was April 29 at Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson, with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery Danielson.
Aldona Drukteinis
S. PASADENA, Fla. — Aldona M. (Gudaityte) Drukteinis, 90, died May 2, 2013, in St. Petersburg, Fla., after a sudden illness.
She was born on Aug. 10, 1922, in Klaipeda, Lithuania; the daughter of Mykolas Gudaitis, a prominent newspaper editor, and Maria Gudaitis who lived under the care of Aldona all of her life. Aldona was predeceased by her younger brother Algirdas who was her only sibling.
Aldona’s early schooling was in Klaipeda and then Kaunas, Lithuania, where she finished Ausra High School. She went on to study dentistry in Kaunas but completed those studies at Erlangen University in Germany, where she and other family members fled during WWII. Years later, after coming to the U.S., she earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate from the University of Dayton, and taught German and Russian language studies at Centerville High School.
Aldona was married 53 years to Dr. Edmund Drukteinis, who predeceased her in 1997. They were communicants at Holy Cross Lithuanian-American Catholic Church. Aldona and her husband moved to Palm Harbor, Fla, after their retirement, and spent their last years in South Pasadena.
She leaves a son Edmund Drukteinis (Olga) and their extended family; a son Dr. Albert Drukteinis (Jura); grandchildren Drs. Dainius and Jennifer Drukteinis, and Drs. Saulius and Lesbia Drukteinis; and great grandchildren Lily, Daniela, Gavin, Annika, and Mila.
Visitation is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. May 9 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at noon in St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam, with burial in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Putnam.
Donations: Immaculate Conception Convent, 600 Liberty Highway, Putnam, CT 06260.
Thomas M. Hogan,
Vietnam vet
DAYVILLE — Thomas “Tom” M. Hogan, 70, of Primrose Village, died May 3, 2013, in William W. Backus Hospital. Born in 1942 in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late Francis and Flora Hogan.
Mr. Hogan worked as the manager of the meat department at McMerriman’s Market and later Brooklyn Market. Tom was a Marine Corps veteran serving during the Vietnam War. While he was enlisted, he volunteered for many training missions that allowed him to travel all over the world.
Tom leaves his son, Michael Hogan (Jodi) of Dudley; daughter, Amy Hogan and fiancé Jason Dumaine of Thompson; grandchildren, Troy and Kylie Hogan of Dudley, and his former wife Cheryl Hogan of Sturbridge.
Visitation is from 6 to 7 p.m. May 9 in Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam, with a funeral service at 7.
Eva L. Lamondy
PUTNAM — Eva L. Lamondy, 87, of Putnam, died April 25, 2013, at Regency Heights, Danielson. She was the wife of Clarence Lamondy, who died in 1977. She was born April 26, 1925, in Dayville, daughter of the late Alfred and Mildred (Gay) Cote.
Eva was the cafeteria manager at H.H. Ellis Vocational Trade School in Danielson for 26 years, retiring in 1985. She had made her home in Putnam since 1975, a member of the Congregational Church of Putnam and the Brooklyn Senior Citizens. Eva enjoyed reading, Bible study, embroidery and crochet.
She leaves two sons: David Lamondy (Roberta) of Orange, Calif., Dennis Lamondy (Jane) of Putnam; nine grandchildren, 12 1/2 great-grandchildren; step mother Frances Cote of Killingly; three step sisters Susan, Janet, and Agne. She was predeceased by her daughter Donna Bianchi in 2009, her grandson Adam Lamondy, her two brothers George Cote and Donald Cote.
A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. May 11 at the Congregational Church of Putnam, 175 Main St., Putnam, with Rev. Thomas Meyer officiating. Donations: Congregational Church of Putnam, PO Box 463, Putnam, CT 06260. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Mary Rose Langway
DANIELSON — Mary Rose Langway, 94, of Maple Court, died May 4, 2013, at Westview Nursing Home in Dayville. She was the wife of the late Edgar O. Langway, who died Sept. 30, 1995. They were married Sept. 3, 1938, at St. Roch Church in Oxford, Mass.
She was born Dec. 12, 1918, in E. Hampton, Mass., a daughter of the late Adelard and Melandan (Frechette) Couture. She was a cook at the Dragon Hotel in Moosup. Later she went to work at Danielson Curtain. Her husband and she did some traveling in the early years. She was a communicant of St. James Church in Danielson.
She leaves three sons: Edgar (Linda) of Danielson, Bernard (Carol) of Dayville, Leonard (Veronica) of N. Oxford, Mass.; one sister Pomella Bouthillier; nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a granddaughter Denise Ratelle and by four brothers and three sisters.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 7 in St. James Church, with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations: St. James Church, 12 Franklin St., Danielson, CT 06239. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Agnes P. Palazzo
DANIELSON — Agnes P. (Brodeur) Szpyrka Palazzo, 67, of Westcott Road, formerly of Putnam died April 29, 2013, in Regency Heights. She was the wife of the late Ernest P. Szpyrka who died in 1967 and the late Angelo Palazzo who died in 2010. Born in 1945 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Alphonse “George” Brodeur and Jeanne (Robert) Brodeur.
Mrs. Palazzo worked as an office secretary and counselor for Putnam High School for 31 years. She was very family oriented and loved to cook and entertain. She also enjoyed computer programming.
She leaves her son, David Szpyrka of Plainfield; daughter, Christine Kingsbury of Thompson; three stepdaughters, Mary Palazzo of E. Longmeadow, Mass., Angela Dwyer of Dudley, and Rose Gagnon of Woodstock; her brother, Andre Brodeur; six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
The Mass of Christian Burial was May 3 St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Andrew C. Sasser
DAYVILLE — Andrew “Andy” Sasser, 30, died suddenly in his sleep on April 30, 2013. His gift to us all was helping us realize the true nature of patience and tolerance. He had a passion for telling jokes, and an infectious chuckle that could make a whole crowd start to laugh.
He was born on Aug. 14, 1982. He lived in N. Grosvenordale, and Dayville. He received a Certificate of Participation at Woodstock Academy, won several medals at the Special Olympics, and received the “Mr. Casanova” award in 2004 when he graduated from the EastConn Young Adult Program. He was a participant with the Arc Quinebaug Valley.
Andy leaves Bill and Warren and his extended family and friends at Tamarack and the Arc; his mother, Lucinda Bousquet and his step-father Richard Bousquet of Woodstock; his father, Bernard Sasser of New Bedford, Mass.; his brother, Matthew Sasser (Jessica) of Dayville; grandparents Joan and David Sutter of Cape Porpoise, Maine; aunts, Alessandra Page of Windham, Maine, Deirdre Sutter and Judy Dillon of Cumming, Ga., and Katherine Sasser (Roger Buck) of Portland, Maine; uncles Jed Sutter (Laddie) of Milton, Mass., and Rob Sutter (Barbara) of Bedford, Mass. He was predeceased by his half-brother, Justin Sasser, his grandmother, Alice Mae Sasser, and his aunt Ruth Sasser.
The Memorial Service was May 5 in the E. Woodstock Congregational Church. Donations: Arc Quinebaug Valley, 687 Cook Hill Rd., Danielson, CT 06239. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Elaine Frappier
DUDLEY — Elaine C. (Pawlak) Frappier, 66, of Dudley and formerly of N. Grosvenordale, died May 1, 2013, at home.
Elaine was born in Webster, daughter of the late Alexander and Celia (Makowski) Pawlak. She worked for many years at MAPFRE-Commerce Insurance in the Premium Accounting Department and most recently part-time at Park & Shop in Dudley.
She leaves her daughter, Connie Harvey of Dudley; three sisters, Carol Kroll (Chester) of Dudley, Jacqueline Kroll and (Stanley) of Dudley; Joyce Duteau (Daniel) of Webster; one grandson.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. May 9 followed by a prayer service at 11 in the Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster. Burial will follow in Mount Zion Cemetery, Webster. Donations: American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.
Garry Howard
PUTNAM — Garry W. Howard, 58, died unexpectedly April 20, 2013, in UMass Medical Center, Worcester. A resident of Putnam, he was the husband of Suzanne Menard whom he married Feb. 22, 2007.
Born in Providence, he was the son of Lois (Howard) Divencenzo of Harmony and the late James Silverthorne. Garry was the owner and operator of Artistic Stamped Concrete.
Besides his wife and his mother, he leaves three daughters, Kerri Gautreau of Harrisville, Terri Howard of Warwick, Ashley Howard of Acworth, Ga.; one stepson Adam Quigley of Chepachet; one stepdaughter, Raegan Quigley of Putnam, two brothers, Paul Howard of Harmony and
Esther Beilby
PUTNAM — Esther “Essie” (Sicard) Beilby, 97, died May 1, 2013, at Matulaitis Nursing Home.
Essie was born Aug. 17, 1915, in Utica, N.Y. She married George Everett Beilby Jr. in 1938 after graduating from Hollins College in Virginia. Together Essie and George raised four children while living and working in a variety of communities including Williamstown, Mass., Exeter, N.H., Aurora, N.Y., Longmeadow, Mass., and East Orleans, Mass. Esther and George shared a passion for social justice. They were active in the civil rights movement as well as working on behalf of the less fortunate, even opening their home to refugees and people in need. Following George’s death in 1985, Esther continued living on Cape Cod, working for years at the Compass Rose Bookshop in Orleans and, until she reached 89, at La Bodega in Brewster. In her last years she lived at Lathrop Retirement Community in Easthampton and then in Putnam to be near her family.
She leaves four children: Anne Benedict and her partner Gerard Paquin of Hatfield, Mass., George Beilby (Dianne) of N. Conway, N.H., Katharine Hutchinson (David) of St. Albans, Vt., and Janet Arcand of Putnam; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date in East Orleans. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Leonard DesJardins
NEW LONDON — Leonard E. DesJardins, 90, of New London, husband of Rachel A. DesJardins (Magnant), died April 17, 2013. The son of Adolphe and Yvonne (Benoit) DesJardins, he was born on April 14, 1923, and grew up in Putnam. He was an Eagle scout and later was scout master in Putnam with the Boy Scouts of America. He was a WWII veteran. In 1947, he married Rachel. In 1985, he retired from Windham Hospital in Willimantic, where he was employed as a laboratory tech and blood bank director for 32 years.
He leaves his wife, Rachel; children, Alice Sherriff, Denise DesJardins, and Judy DesJardins, all of New London, David DesJardins of Chaplin, Emilie Krogrud of Palm Bay, Fla., and Laura DesJardins of Richmond, Va.; 18 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sister Theresa Mathurin of Brooklyn. He was predeceased by his youngest son, Philip DesJardins in March 2013.
A Mass of Christian Burial was April 24 at St. Joseph’s Church, New London, with burial in Putnam. Fulton-Theroux Funeral Home, New London.
Seminars set
CorePlus Federal Credit Union is hosting two seminars titled “College Financing 101 - Understanding Your Award Letter” with information about Student Choice, the company’s educational loan program. The seminars will be held May 13 at CorePlus, 202 Salem Tpke., Norwich and May 14 at CorePlus, 67 Lathrop Road, Plainfield. Registration and snacks are at 5:30 p.m. and the seminar runs from 6 to 7 p.m.
Both events are free and open to the public.RSVP by calling 860-886-0576 x 3171, at any CorePlus branch, or at
Play hits home
at Pomfret School
POMFRET — This year’s spring play at Pomfret School tells the memorable story of one of the school’s own, a young alumnus killed in Vietnam in 1970. “70lbs of Books” will be presented at 8 a.m. at the school. It’s free and open to the public.
Pomfret Arts Department Chair and Theater Director Chip Lamb, who also authored the play, said that the germ of an idea for “70lbs of Books” began with a school announcement on Veterans Day 2010, widely ignored, and a recently deployed nephew to Iraq. On that day a fellow teacher spoke briefly to the students about the meaning of Veterans Day. “There was very little recognition and support,” Lamb recalls. “I found myself wondering, ‘how might our students come to a deeper understanding of the sacrifice that was being made on their behalf?’”
That took Lamb to the School’s Clark Chapel, where alongside the list of the World War I and II casualties, he found a much smaller plaque, with “Vietnam” at the top and just two names: one of them was Loring Bailey Jr. Lamb went back to his computer and began to investigate. From one or two Google hits, Ring’s story, beginning with an article from Veterans Day 2000 in the New London Day, began to unfold: native of Stonington, only child, a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford; English major, aspiring writer, avid reader, young husband. There are many poignant images to Ring Bailey’s story; but the one that seems to have captured, for Lamb, the loss and the legacy was that, as the article in the Day reported, “Seventy pounds of books and a roll of film were among the belongings sent home [to Ring’s parents] by the Army.”
According to school records, Ring was the last Pomfret School student to die in the line of duty. Through interviews, articles, and acquaintances Lamb began to piece together a portrait of the young soldier — including a first-person account, from Ring’s platoon leader, of “that terrible day in March 1970, when Loring lost his life.” The determination to write the play came when he realized that even though “I had the snippets, I was waiting to hear his voice.” Wrapping his playwright’s arms around all of this, Lamb began working on the play in earnest in April 0f 2011.