Obituaries pg 8 4-5-12
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Dr. William Fisher,
educator, civic leader
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Dr. William T. Fisher, longtime UConn administrator and emeritus professor, died March 30, 2012, in Springfield. He was 94 and lived at residences in Thompson and Manchester.
Dr. Fisher was predeceased by his wife, Mary Rowena (Donnelly) Fisher. They were wed on Dec. 26, 1949, in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret. Mrs. Fisher, former principal of Thompson Elementary School, now the Mary R. Fisher Elementary School, died Dec. 2, 1991. Dr. Fisher studied at American International College, Boston University, Clark University, Columbia University, and UConn, where he was assistant dean of the School of Insurance of the School of Business.
For several years prior to joining UConn, Dr. Fisher was an educator in Templeton, Mass., and Thompson. He also taught at Becker College in Worcester, Ohio University, and the State University of New York at Albany. He accepted an appointment at UConn in 1957 and continued there until 1989, for a total of 32 years of service to the university.
A 25-year member and past chairman of the Connecticut State Insurance Purchasing Board, Dr. Fisher served under governors Dempsey, Meskill, Grasso, and O’Neill, and until 1990 during the first year of Governor Weicker’s administration. The board is responsible for the property and liability insurance program of the State of Connecticut. He was a past state chairman of the Connecticut Small Business Administration Advisory Council and a past state president of the Connecticut Association of Municipal Development Commissions. He served as a member of the Board of Directors and secretary of the Education and Research Foundation of the IMA-Professional Insurance Agents for the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut from 1973-83. He was a licensed real estate broker from 1973-1993.
A longtime trustee of American International College in Springfield, he was also a member of the AIC Corporators from 1972 to 2007. He received his undergraduate degree with high honors there and later in his career was a recipient of the college’s Alumni Achievement Award. Dr. Fisher also served for several years as a member of the Board of Trustees of Annhurst College, Woodstock.
Interested in philosophy and religion, Dr. Fisher enrolled in the Permanent Deaconate Program at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, and was ordained a permanent deacon in 1973, among the first 12 individuals completing the program in New England. Assigned to St. Joseph Cathedral, Hartford, he served as a deacon whenever possible over the course of the next 10 years. Upon his retirement from UConn, Dr. Fisher was awarded two research fellowships at Yale University Divinity School. He participated in the Theological Opportunities Program at Harvard Divinity School in 1994; and from 1995 on, he was visiting scholar for periods of time in the divinity schools of Duke, Vanderbilt, and Emory Universities.
A WWII veteran, Dr. Fisher spent 39.5 months in continuous overseas service. He enlisted in the U.S. Army March 2, 1942, and served in the field and in administration. The last 14 months of his overseas service was spent as a member of the joint British-American staff at Allied Force Headquarters, Caserta, Italy. Countries of service included England, North Africa, and Italy.
Dr. Fisher was a contributor to numerous journals, newspapers, and professional magazines. Various articles of his were included by Connecticut Congressmen in the U. S. Congressional Record. He was editor of Selective Readings in Human Resources Management, published by Ginn Press, Lexington, MA, during the 1980s. Beginning in 1968, he was listed in Who’s Who in America.
Locally, Dr. Fisher served as a member of the Thompson Board of Finance and the Municipal Development and Industrial Commission for many years. He was past president and trustee of the Thompson Library, Inc.; past chairman of the Connecticut Library Service Center, Willimantic; a member of Region 3 Advisory and Planning Council of the CT Department of Mental Retardation; a corporator of Day Kimball Hospital, Putnam; Windham County Director of the regional development commission; and was a member of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Thompson Democratic Town Committee, and the Thompson Historical Society.
Dr. Fisher was born March 15, 1918 in Central Falls, R.I., son of the late William L. and Sarah (Foley) Fisher. For all but the first few weeks of life, he was a Connecticut resident.
Dr. Fisher leaves his son, Dr. William T. Fisher Jr., and daughter-in-law, Lynn T. Gordon, BSN, MPA, of Holyoke, Mass., and Manchester; sister, Mary (Fisher) Dinsdale, RN, of Putnam; nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by three brothers: Dr. Francis J. Fisher, Charles E. Fisher of Mansfield, and Louis F. Fisher of Cranston, R.I..
The Mass of Christian Burial was private. Also private was his burial in the W. Thompson Cemetery beside his wife, Mary, with an additional marker in the cemetery on the campus of UConn, Storrs. Donations: The Mary R. (Donnelly) Fisher & Dr. William T. Fisher Scholarship Fund, c/o First Niagara Bank, 1063 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089; or the Dr. William T. and Mary R. Fisher Scholarship Fund at American International College, c/o American International College, 1000 State St., Springfield, MA 01109. Gilman and Valade Funeral Homes.
Francis E. Allen,
WWII vet
DANIELSON — Francis E. Allen Sr., 94, of Danielson, died March 28, 2012, at Backus Hospital in Norwich. He was the husband of Yvonne (Carrier) Allen; she died in 2006.
He was born March 4, 1918, in Dayville, son of the late Napoleon and Bertha (Lyon) Allen.
Francis was a WWII veteran serving with the U.S. Army and participated in occupation of Quadalcanal. He was a communicant of St. Joseph Church, Dayville. Francis worked for Rogers Corporation for 35 years; he was also the caretaker of Salem Village in Brooklyn and Mason Island in Mystic.
He leaves a son Raymond Allen and Kim Quattrucci of Danielson; grandchildren Brent and Erick Allen, Scott and Penny, nine great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a son Francis “Rocky” Allen Jr. and a brother Raymond Allen.
A Graveside Service with full military honors was April 2 in St. Joseph Cemetery, Dayville. Donations: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Noella M. Beaulieu,
former teacher
POMFRET CENTER — Noella M. Beaulieu, 87, of Pomfret Center, died March 27, 2012, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam. Noella was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Quebec, Canada, the daughter of the late Donat and Laura (Dube) Beaulieu.
She graduated from Waterbury Catholic High School. Noella then received her master’s degree from Wesleyan University. She taught at the Waterbury Elementary School until 1958. From 1958 to 1962 she taught school in Indonesia. In 1962 to 1992, she taught at the Watertown Elementary School. She moved to Pomfret Center in 2002. She was an avid reader and a world traveler. Noella enjoyed the opera and going to the theater.
She leaves her brother: Richard Beaulieu of Watertown; two nephews, Lawrence Balanda of Winter Park, Fla., Richard Balanda of Watertown; three nieces, Nicole Brynga of Harpswell, Maine, Denise Perkins of Jackson, N.H., Deborah Howe of Pomfret Center.
There was a Memorial Service March 30 at St. Joseph Church, N. Grosvenordale. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Leonard Sheppard Sr.,
Korean war vet
DANIELSON — Leonard E. Sheppard Sr., 82, of Danielson, formerly of Franklin, Mass., died March 28, 2012, at the Masonic Home in Charlton.
He was born Dec. 9, 1929, in Buffalo, N.Y., son of the late John and Mary (Gantress) Szczypkowski. He was the husband of Alice (Getz) Sheppard.
They were married Sept. 4, 1954.
Leonard was a communicant of St. Joseph Church in Dayville. He was a senior electrical engineer for Ratheon Co. After retirement Leonard moved to Poland, Maine and then lived in Connecticut.
Leonard was a veteran of the Korean war, serving with the U.S. Army. He was an avid golfer enjoyed fishing and hunting. He loved playing the trumpet. He was a member of the Pomfret Rod and Gun Club. He raised seven children with his wife.
He leaves his wife Alice Sheppard of Danielson; five daughters: Dawn Pettinelli (Paul) of Charlton, Susan Sheppard of Utah; Belinda Donohue (Phil) of Charlton, Carol Mitchell-Boudreau (Bob) of Charlton, Laura Sheppard (husband Kevin Bathalon) of Amherst, N.H.; two sons: Christopher Sheppard of Southbridge, Leonard Sheppard Jr. of Wilmington, Mass., four brothers: Chester Sheppard, John Sheppard, Ronald Szczypkowski, Fred Sheppard; grandchildren: Caitlin, Emily, Carlyn, Chance, Sydney and Phillip. He was predeceased by a brother Ted Sheppard and a sister Delores Urbanski.
The Mass of Christian Burial was March 31 at St. Joseph Church, Dayville, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery. , Gagnon and Costello Funeral Home, 33 Reynolds St., Danielson.
Florida M. Perron,
Harvey’s Stand
PUTNAM — Florida (Beaudoin) Perron, 89, of Thurber Road, died March 28, 2012, in Matulaitis Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Herve A. Rhault, the late Walter Rzeznikiewicz, and the late Edward W. Perron.
Born in 1922 in New Market, N.H., she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Celia (O’Connor) Beaudoin.
Mrs. Perron owned and operated Harvey’s Stand on Thompson Hill for 25 years. She enjoyed coin collecting, crossword puzzles, and playing bingo.
She leaves her daughters, Rita Diulio of N. Grosvenordale, and Theresa Christensen of Ft. Meyers, Fla.; sister Rita Thibeault of Myrtle Creek Org.; three grandchildren including Tammy Shippee-Gionis who was instrumental in the care of her grandmother, and four great grandchildren.
A private burial was held in St. Joseph Cemetery, N. Grosvenordale. Valade Funeral Home, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.