Obituaries pg 8 12-15-11
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Jerre Fillmore,
school principal
DANIELSON — Jerre Fillmore of Danielson died Dec. 10, 2011, at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester after a lengthy illness.
He was born July 25, 1939, son of the late Walter and Marion Fillmore. Jerre was educated at the University of Southern Maine, East Carolina College, and UConn. He moved to Killingly in 1967 and became director of the Killingly High School Big Red Marching Band. The band enjoyed years of popularity and received many honors including national champions of the 1980 Edison Festival of Light. The band became widely known for its appearances at Schaeffer Stadium, Eastern States Exposition, half time of the New England Patriots, the Hartford Knights, Disney World and Killingly football games. He directed the yearly high school musicals that were a total sell out for 10 years.
Jerre was a member of the committee that was first in decorating Davis Park for Christmas. He was co-chairman that organized the Springtime Festival. Following his career in the field of music.
He became principal of the Killingly Intermediate School in 1988 until his retirement. Jerre was a member of the Elks Lodge BPOE 1706.
He leaves his wife Elizabeth (Bette) Fillmore; sons, Jerre Fillmore (Robin), Mark Fillmore (Laura); grandchildren Kasey, Kyle, Hannah, and Connor; sister Addie Hoyt; nieces and nephews, and his friend “Bailey.” He was predeceased by brothers Walter and DeWitt and brother-in-law Phillip Hoyt.
Calling hours are from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 15 at the United Methodist Church, Spring Street, Danielson, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:30. In lieu of flowers, tell someone everyday that you love them. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Dorothy Lariviere,
mother of 1
PUTNAM — Dorothy (Lepine) Lariviere, 83, of Steward Street., died Dec. 12, 2011, in the Oakwood Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Webster. She was the wife of the late Ernest “Champ” Lariviere. Born in Hartford, she was the daughter of the late Clovis “Jack” Lepine and Anna E. (Duffy) Lepine.
Mrs. Lariviere was a homemaker who loved her family. She was a volunteer for Daily Bread and was a communicant of Most Holy Trinity Church. She also loved dogs.
Dorothy leaves her sister, Shirley Dowgiewicz of Webster; nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her son, Raymond E. Lariviere.
Visitation is from 9 to 10 a.m. Dec. 15 in the Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St., Putnam. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Project Northeast, c/o Rev. Richard Archambault, 81 Church St, Putnam, CT 06260.
Michael J. Grassl,
truck driver
POMFRET CENTER — Michael J. Grassl, 55, of Pomfret Center, died Dec. 8, 2011, at home. He was the husband of Kimberly (Vigue) Grassl.
He was born June 2, 1956, in Putnam, son of Joseph and Marguerite (Deloge) Grassl of Danielson. Michael was a truck driver for Willimantic Waste for the last six years, he had worked for five years, as assistant seafood manager for Big Y in Mansfield. He attended Killingly schools, Michael enjoyed fishing, bow hunting, gardening, cooking and riding his Harley. Michael was an avid Boston Red Sox Fan.
He leaves his wife Kimberly; his father and mother Joseph and Marguerite; a brother Mark Grassl (Cathy) of Sterling; two sisters Joann Pasquerella of Pomfret Center, Debra Gasiorek (MSG John) of Pomfret Center; a step daughter Tiffiny Mckusick (Dean) of Fort Myers Beach, Fla.; grandchildren Lukas, Larhamie and Layah; a niece Jessica Grassl; four nephews Christopher Pasquerella, Joey Guilmette , Kyle Pasquerella, A1C Brandon Gasiorek, brothers-in-law Keith Vigue of Ashford, Kevin Vigue Mansfield; sister-in-law Kristin Leblanc (Jerry) of Hebron. He was predeceased by his brother Jay Grassl in 2008.
A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 in S. Killingly Cemetery. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Helena K. ‘Dolly’
Vermiglio
THOMPSON — Helena “Dolly” (Kelaita) Vermiglio, 82, of Westside Drive, formerly of Bristol, died Dec. 10, 2011, in UMass University Campus.
Born in 1929 in Bristol, she was the daughter of the late David Benjamin and Yokhaver (Ayeas) Kelaita.
Prior to her retirement in 1994, Mrs. Vermiglio worked as a receptionist and secretary for Dabko Industries and TRW/SKF.
She leaves her daughter, Maria (Vermiglio) Bashaw of Thompson; sister, Mae Nimchek (John) of Putnam; sister in-law Joan Kelaita of Plainville. She was predeceased by her brothers and their wives, William Kelaita and his wife Eileen, Joseph Kelaita and his wife Betty, and George Kelaita.
Private funeral. Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church St, Putnam.
Henry Turenne,
mechanic
PUTNAM — Henry Armand Turenne, 71, of Putnam, died Dec. 8, 2011, at home. The husband of Jana (Leverson) Turenne, they were married July 22, 1995, in Thompson.
He was born Aug. 13, 1940 in New Haven, son of the late Henry O. and Florence (Lariviere) Turenne. Henry attended St. Mary’s School and Putnam High School, after graduation in 1959 he went to the General Motors Institute in Boston where he studied mechanics for three years and graduated at the top of his class, becoming a Certified Master Mechanic. Hank worked in many garages in the area; he taught mechanics classes at Norwich Tech and Windham Tech.
He had a great love for music, especially country, Hank played in a band “The Country Kings” for 34 years, who played in many different places. He always said the 14 years he worked for Danny Rovero at Rovero’s Garage, was the best job he ever had. Hank had his own garage on School Street for several years. In 1988 he moved to Wisconsin, where he ran the White Birch Inn Supper Club, which he enjoyed, then in 1992 decided to move back to Putnam, where he started working for Dick Forest Excavating, retiring in 1996, due to failing health.
Friends would stop by or call Henry in his last years and ask his opinion on how to fix their vehicles, in which he always seemed to know the answer. Many friends expressed that Hank was the best mechanic ever. He enjoyed motorcycle riding, boating and just having a good conversation with friends.
He leaves his wife Jana, two sons Michael of Simpsonville, S.C., Gary of Putnam; a sister Irene Loftus of Sand Creek, Wisc.; two grandchildren Brittney Therrien (Jeremy) of Sterling, Bradly Turenne of Lexington, Ky; a great-grandchild Kaylynn and three special people who came into his life over the last four years Lisa, Shirl and Mindy Parker. He was predeceased a brother-in-law Larry Loftus.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 13 in St. Mary’s Church of the Visitation, with burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Esther Krasnoger,
church member
W. SIMSBURY — Esther P. (Peluso) Krasnoger, 80, of W. Simsbury, wife of Frank J. Krasnoger, died Oct. 29, 2011 at home.
She was born Sept. 21, 1931, in Putnam, daughter of the late Nicholas and Louise (Truppa) Peluso and lived in Putnam and Hartford prior to moving to W. Simsbury 51 years ago.
Mrs. Krasnoger was employed at Fashion Flair in W. Hartford for 46 years until her retirement in 2002. She was a member of St. Catherine of Siena Church in W. Simsbury. Esther was an avid fan of the New York Yankees and instantaneously transformed into a cheerleader whenever a UConn girls’ basketball game aired. The highlights of her life were her marriage and the birth of her daughter. A third was sharing an airplane flight and conversation with the legendary Billy Martin, who at the time was second baseman for the Yankees.
Besides her husband of 51 years, she leaves her daughter and son-in-law, Susan Krasnoger Saunders and her husband Steven Saunders of Milford; two brothers and sisters-in-law, John and Wanda Peluso of Shawnee, Kan., and Stephen and Tina Peluso of Putnam; special friends, Trudie Hayes and Lise Ouellette and many other relatives and friends. She was predeceased by two sisters, Angeline Peluso and Evelyn Baxter.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Catherine of Siena Church. Donations:
Charity of the donor’s choice. Vincent Funeral Home of Simsbury.
Sophie Bednarski,
mother of 2
S. KILLINGLY — Sophie “Mema” Bednarski, 100, of S. Killingly, died Dec. 10, 2011, at home.
She was born Nov. 24, 1911, in Heidelberg, Germany, daughter of the late Martin and Luise (Feile) Gieser.
She was first married to Mathias Lohbusch — they were married on Sept. 22, 1934. He died March 3, 1946. She later married William Bednarski on April 19, 1947. He died May 13, 1981.
She leaves her sons Wilhelm Lohbusch (Marion) of Leesburg, Fla., and Rudolph Lohbusch (Nancy) of S. Killingly, with whom she made her home; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson.
Lester T. Campbell,
Air Force vet
PUTNAM — Lester T. Campbell, 68, of Vandale Street, died Dec. 6, 2011, at home.
Lester was born in Somerville, Mass., son of the late Victor and Mabel (Lyons) Campbell. He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran, and was a retired carpenter.
He leaves his wife of 15 years, Linda M. (O’Connell) Campbell of Putnam; a step-son, Timothy Burdick of Mapleville, R.I.; a step-daughter, Wendy Bisson of Brownville, Maine; two grandchildren, Kevin and Caitlyn.
The funeral was private. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Maggie Denis,
ran business
BROOKLYN — Maggie Denis, 88, died Dec. 5, 2011, at Pierce Memorial Baptist Home, where she had lived since August of 2009.
Maggie was born in North Troy, Vt., just across the train tracks from Canada to Ervin and Margaret (Wylie) Elliott. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother, Dorman Elliott, and by her husband, Roger Denis.
Maggie and her husband Roger were married for 31 years. He died in 1976. They successfully established and ran a construction company in Spencer, Mass., for 15 years. Maggie was a very intelligent, curious and creative woman who managed to find outlets for those characteristics while raising her family. She was an avid crossword and jigsaw puzzler and enjoyed pattern making for crafts. She loved word play and made up poems, songs, and jingles for fun. The advertising world lost a great ad executive due to her choice to remain a housewife and keep the books for Denis Construction Company. She was a loyal fan of the Red Sox, Celtics, and later in life of the Bruins as well.
She leaves three daughters, Elaine Nelson of Pomfret, Deborah Allen of Lynchburg, Va., and Gretchen Volenik of Bear River, Nova Scotia; nieces, nephews, two grandsons, two granddaughters, two great-granddaughters and one great-grandson on the way.
The funeral was private. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Antoinette Burdick
Hewlett
BROOKLYN — Antoinette “Ann” (Burdick) Hewlett, 87, formerly of Fairgrounds Road, died Dec. 10, 2011, at Matulaitis Nursing Home in Putnam. She was born Feb. 21, 1924, in Girard, Ohio, daughter of the late Andrew and Rose (DeCello) Patros.
She lived in Ohio before moving to the east. She worked at the former Ben Grosvenor Inn in Pomfret until 1951 when she married Arthur Burdick and moved to Brooklyn. Mr. Burdick died in 1980. She later married Douglas L. Hewlett in 1982..
Ann was a member of the Federated Church of Christ of Brooklyn where she served as a Sunday school teacher. She also was a member of the A.M. Bridge Club for 27 years. She enjoyed baking and knitting for everyone.
Besides her husband she leaves her children, Rose Smith (George), Debra Lefevre (Fredrick) of Brooklyn, Arthur Burdick (significant other Connie Abare) of E. Killingly and Nick Drakus of Austin, Texas and a daughter-in-law Meg Burdick of Danielson; stepchildren, Cheryl Bianchi of Canterbury, Elizabeth Shearn, Thomas Hewlett, Frances Thornton of Warsaw, Ohio, Patricia Miller of Sprague and Veronica Hewlett of LaGrange, Ohio; seven grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Kenneth Burdick and sister Theresa Hastings.
A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 17 at The Federated Church of Christ of Brooklyn. Donations: The Federated Church of Christ of Brooklyn, P.O. Box 204, Brooklyn, CT 06234. Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson.
D. ‘Doc’ Murdock,
Army veteran
WORCESTER — Donald G. ‘Doc’ Murdock, 61, of Arnold Road, died Dec. 7, 2011, in his home.
Doc was born in Pomfret and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam Era. He was the owner of Delray Doc’s Fruit and Deli in Webster for the past six years. Doc enjoyed being with family and friends.
Doc leaves behind his’ Love’ of 15 years; Sandra A. ‘Sandy’ Domian; two daughters; Amanda L. Jyringi (Neil S.) of Dudley and Lindsey D. Silva (Nathan) of Worcester; his parents, William H. and Barbara A. (Baker) Murdock of Pomfret; twin brother, Douglas Murdock of Thompson; two sisters, Sandra L. Murdock of Worcester and Diane L Murdock of Pomfret; granddaughter; Shelby W. Jyringi. He was predeceased by a brother John Murdock earlier this year.
Visitation was Dec. 9. Donations: American Cancer society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701. Robert J. Miller Funeral Home and Lake Chapel, Webster.
Helen Mayotte,
former spinner
WEBSTER — Helen A. (Twardzik) Mayotte, 99, formerly of Dudley and Webster, died Dec. 5, 2011, in the Life Care Center of Auburn after an illness. Her husband, George J. Mayotte, died in 1947.
She was born in Webster, the daughter of Jacob and Anna (Wojdasz) Twardzik. She lived in Dudley for many years, moving back to Webster in 1984 and then to Auburn in 1999.
Mrs. Mayotte was a spinner at Stevens Linen Associates in Dudley for several years, and then was a stitcher at B & W Footwear Company in Webster for several years before she retired in 1972. She was a member of St. Andrew Bobola Church in Dudley and the Saint Anne Society of St. Joseph Basilica in Webster.
She leaves a son, Joseph G. Mayotte of Quinebaug; a sister, Nellie Thompson of Dudley; seven grandchildren, George Hetherman (Mary Burke), Colleen Rogers (Wayne) Jamie Hetherman, Shawn Peter Hetherman (Angela), Kathleen Mayotte, Christopher Mayotte (Lori), and Jeffrey Mayotte (Kathy); 11 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughter, Gloria H. Hetherman, by three brothers, Joseph, William and Chester Twardzik, and by two sisters, Stella Grochowski and Mamie Rulli.
The Funeral Mass was Dec. 9 in St. Andrew Bobola Church, Dudley, with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace. Scanlon Funeral Service, Webster.
Kevan ‘Mike’ Mara,
Vietnam war vet
QUINEBAUG — Kevan Michael “Mike” Mara, 65, died Dec. 11, 2011, unexpectedly after a short illness at Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge.
Kevan was born March 2, 1946, in Worcester, son of the late Frank and Irene (Harrington) Mara. He lived 16 years in Quinebaug and 20 years in Dudley /Webster and many in Worcester . Mike graduated from Classical High School , Worcester State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and he worked at the Webster First Federal Credit Union.
He was a Vietnam veteran.
He leaves his wife Maureen E. “Mo” Valentine-Mara; one son: Michael K. Mara of Auburn; two daughters: T. Valentine and her Spouse Judy of N. Grafton, Mass., and Margie Roesch of Phoenix; two grandchildren Cassie Roesch of Phoenix and Eli Valentine of N. Grafton. He was predeceased by his brothers Francis and Brian Mara.
A Memorial Service will be held later. Donations: Veterans Inc., 69 Grove St., Worcester, MA 01605. Bartel Funeral Home & Chapel, Dudley.