Archive - Jan 2008 - Obituaries
Christina R. VanDusen
CORNWALL — Christina R. VanDusen, 60, died Jan. 23, 2008, with her family by her side. She was born Sept. 12, 1947, in Middlebury, the daughter of Joseph A. and Romona (Lackard) D’Avignon.
She was a much loved hair stylist for over 40 years in Burlington and most recently of The Lady Fair in Middlebury.
She is survived by her husband, Ronald L. VanDusen of Cornwall; her son, Scott of Cornwall; her sisters, Pedie O’Brien-Brisson and her husband Armond, and Rebecca D’Avignon; her brothers, Tim D’Avignon and his wife Jan of Orwell, and Lindsey D’Avignon of Orwell; her sister-in-law Diane Heald and her husband Jim of Essex Junction, and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her father.
At her request there will be no services at this time; a celebration of her life will be held at a later date to be announced with family and friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Addison County Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753, or to the Addison County Humane Society, 66 Boardman St, Middlebury, VT 05753.
Samuel Svrcek
BRISTOL — Samuel Svrcek, 100, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, at his home in Bristol. He was born July 13, 1907, in New York City, N.Y., the son of John and Kristina Svrcek.
He spent 79 years on Long Island, N.Y., and the remaining 21 years in Bristol. He was employed as an installation-repair foreman for 49 years at New York Telephone Co. He was a mason for 65 years and member of the Libanus Lodge in Bristol.
Samuel is survived by a son, William Svrcek and his wife Patricia of Bristol; a daughter, Evelyn and her husband William Rice of PA; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
January 28th
Janet Mary Maisoneauve Martel Brunelle
MIDDLEBURY — Janet Mary Maisoneauve Martel Brunelle, 74, died January 23, 2008, at Helen Porter Nursing Home after a long bout with Parkinson’s disease and dementia. She was born February 27, 1933, in North Conway, N.H., the daughter of Jean and Maurice Maisoneauve.
She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1951. She worked as a telephone operator with the New England Telephone Co. in her early years.
She married Thomas Paul Martel in October 1953; they had four children. He predeceased her in May of 1978. She then married Robert O. Brunelle, who predeceased her on Feb. 11, 2005.
According to family, she enjoyed traveling, shopping, entertaining, playing bridge and golfing, and spending time with her family and grandchildren. She spent her summers in South Burlington and winters in Sun City, Fla.
She was an active member of the JC’s Club, Canadian Club, Elks Club, and bridge club. She was a member of Christ the King Parish and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
She is survived by her daughter, Paula Martel Duchaine of Salisbury; her sons, John Martel of Vergennes, James Martel of Riverside, Conn., and Thomas Martel of Winooski; her daughter-in-law, Gay Martel; her son-in-law, Allen Duchaine; four grandchildren; her sister, Marilyn Noble of Sarasota, Fla.; and four step-daughters, Pam, Kathy, Nancy and Paula and their children and spouses.
She was predeceased by her sister Pat Bianchi.
Friends may call at Sanderson Funeral Home, 117 South Main St. in Middlebury, on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be held immediately after at 7 p.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Skip Baltz, pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Brandon, officiating. Burial will be Friday at Hope Cemetery in Barre.
January 24th
James (Jim) Frederick Litch
ADDISON — James (Jim) Frederick Litch, 70, died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, at Fletcher Allen Hospital after a long illness. He was born June 18, 1937, in Burlington, the son of Floyd and Helen (Bigelow) Litch.
He lived in Addison for the past 50 years. Jim owned and operated his farm along with his wife and children for 31 years. After developing health problems they sold the farm and Jim went on to work in a stone quarry for 13 years, driving trucks, until he was forced to retire for good because of health problems.
According to family he loved to hunt and fish, play golf with his son, sons-in-law, brothers-in-law, and friends, and he loved to draw and read, but most of all he loved to spend time with family and friends.
He was a charter member of the St. Peter’s Knights of Columbus, and a member of the Vergennes Eagles Club.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Gisele (Vanier) Litch of Addison; four children, Jeannine and her husband Wayne Partridge of Orwell, Jacques and his wife Janis Litch of Addison, Jackie and her husband Dan Flynn of Addison, and Terry and her husband Joe Anthony of Austin, Tex.; ten grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; two sisters, Jean Withington and her husband Eugene of West Rutland, and Brenda Jaring and her husband Bill of Richford; two brothers-in-law, Bernard Vanier and his wife Fleur Ange of Moriah, N.Y., and Serge Vanier and his wife Nancy of Cornwall; one sister-in-law, Gislaine (Gigi) Uzzell and her husband William of Colchester; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by one brother, Timothy Litch.
A mass of Christian burial was celebrated on Monday, Jan. 21, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Vergennes. Interment will be in Prospect Cemetery in Vergennes.
January 21st
Judith “Judy” Huetter
CORNWALL — Judith “Judy” Huetter, 67, of Cornwall, Vt., died at home on Sunday, January 13, 2008, after a difficult but mercifully short battle with pancreatic cancer.
She was born on Feb. 6, 1940, the daughter of Dorothea (Force) and Edward Masters. Raised in Nutley, N.J., with her brother George, she went on to earn her RN at Saint Michaels Hospital School of Nursing and worked at the hospital before joining the Navy Nurse Corps in 1965. While serving at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Newport, R.I., she met and married her husband, Harvey Huetter.
In 1969 she and her husband moved to Chatham, Mass., and in 1970 were blessed with the arrival of their daughter Kristin. After several years as a stay-at-home mother she resumed working, first for the Chatham Visiting Nurse Association, then as a paraprofessional in the Chatham Elementary School, and finally at the Chatham Medical Center.
In 2003 she and her husband moved to Cornwall, Vt., to be close to family, and there she worked as a paraprofessional at the Bridport Central School. Judy was an accomplished knitter and enjoyed needlework of all types.
She is survived by her husband Harvey; daughter Kristin, son-in-law David and three grandchildren, Kaitlin, Jacob and Reilly, all of East Middlebury; several cousins; many nieces and nephews; and her foreign exchange student daughter Ingela Nilsson Juthberg, her husband Peter, and their son Leo all of Stockholm, Sweden.
Her parents and brother predeceased her.
Funeral and burial services were private. A memorial service was celebrated at the Cornwall Congregational Church on Jan. 19.
Memorial gifts may be made to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753.
January 17th
James Earl Sprague Jr.
PORT HENRY, N.Y. — James Earl Sprague Jr., 77, died at his home in Port Henry, N.Y., on Jan. 4, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children, his wife, Lucille Sprague, and his dog Peanut.
He was born April 22, 1930, in Spencertown, N.Y., the son of James and Beatrice (Stanton) Sprague Sr.
He worked at Nu Way laundry for his father-in-law for several years. He also worked in the mines in Canton, N.Y. After working for 36 and a half years at International Paper’s Ticonderoga Mill, he retired in 1992. With the help of his wife Lucille and 11 children, he owned and operated Sprague’s Woodcraft Shop in Port Henry. A skilled carpenter, his family said he built the first Champ, the Lake Champlain sea monster.
Friends said he enjoyed being with his family, working in his shop and sitting next to his wood stove in his rocking chair. He loved to visit with anyone who stopped by, he had a story for everyone. He also loved sitting in the kitchen or in the garage watching traffic and the birds at his feeders.
During his illness he called his daughter Stacy “Doc Adams” in jest because of the way she cared for him.
January 14th
Diane Ashland Larocque
ST. ALBANS / SALISBURY — Diane Ashland Larocque, 63, passed away from the loving arms of her family to the loving arms of her Lord on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008, after a long battle with breast cancer.
She was born on Jan. 29, 1944, to Clifford S. and Laura (Cheney) Ashland in St. Albans.
Diane attended St. Albans schools and graduated from B.F.A. St. Albans in 1962, where she was very active in many programs as a student. She attended the University of Vermont, where she graduated as a math teacher in 1968. Diane then taught math for nearly 30 years, with the majority of that time being spent at Middlebury High School. She also had taught a short time at Burlington High School and in Utica, NY. She enjoyed her career immensely, almost as much as raising her children and kept in contact with many of her former students.
While residing in Salisbury, Diane was a member of the Salisbury Fireman’s Auxiliary, served on the Salisbury Elementary School Board for many years and enjoyed local politics. Diane was a member of the Ladies Red Hat Society and the Vermont Retired Teachers Association.
She married Marcel J. Larocque on August 30, 1969, in St. Albans and settled in Salisbury where they raised their family, until moving back to St. Albans in recent years.
In addition to her fabulous and loving husband Marcel of St. Albans, Diane is survived by her two wonderful children, Amy Larocque of Hinesburg and Andre Larocque and his wife, Linda of Salisbury, four adoring grandchildren: Brady (10), Ally (8), Carly (6) and Will (6) who were the spark of her life; her brother Duane Ashland and his wife, Diane from Virginia and their five children: Jane, Diana, Laura, Stephanie and Heidi.
She was predeceased by her Father on Nov. 5, 1975, and her Mother on Dec. 1, 1978.
January 10th
Claire Wilson
RIPTON — Claire Wilson passed away at her home in Ripton on Dec. 31, 2007, surrounded by family and friends. Born Sept. 26, 1950, in Evanston, Ill., Claire Ellen Lodal was the firstborn child of Norm and Shirley Lodal and the namesake of her beloved grandfather Clarence Edward Nelson.
Raised in Skokie and Rockford, Ill., with her three siblings, Beth, Peter and John, Claire lived in a close-knit family that enjoyed sports, music and reading. As an undergraduate, Claire attended Illinois Wesleyan University where she majored in English, graduated Phi Beta Kappa and later served for three terms as a college trustee. As a sophomore, she met Christopher Kent Wilson and they were married during their senior year on Dec. 27, 1970.
After graduation, Claire and Kit moved to New Haven, Conn., where Claire earned her master’s degree in special education. Before giving birth to her first son, Benjamin Lodal Wilson, in 1976, Claire taught in the North Haven school system and at Southern Connecticut State College. In 1979, the family moved to Ripton, Vt. During the early 1980s, Claire worked in the Student Activities Office at Middlebury College, served as a college carilloneur and was an active member of the Ralph Myhre Golf Course and an early organizer of Hook-a-Kid on Golf.
In 1984, she gave birth to her second son, Peter Copp Wilson, and began working for Professor Steven Rockefeller, assisting him with his many scholarly projects, including his biography of John Dewey, his work on the Earth Charter, and the college symposiums and art exhibitions, Christ and the Bodhisattva (1984) and Spirit and Nature (1990), celebrating the visits of the Dalai Lama to Middlebury.
January 7th
Dr. Ruth Frankey Smith
ROCHESTER — Dr. Ruth Frankey Smith, 77, died Dec. 27, 2007, at Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Middlebury. She was born in Stockton, N.Y., on Aug. 2, 1930.
She studied at Columbia University and served as librarian of the faculty of Yale University Medical School before moving to Vermont. She was employed as a psychotherapist both in private practice and at the Brandon Training School.
She moved to Rochester from Shelburne in 1999. According to family, she enjoyed oil painting, cooking, traveling, good music and being in the great outdoors. She was a writer and was working on an historical novel.
She is survived by a niece and a grand-niece.
She was predeceased by her husband, Harold Smith.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, Jan. 7, 2008, at 2 p.m. at The Miller and Ketcham Funeral Home in Brandon. The Rev. Richard White, pastor of the Brandon Congregational Church, will officiate.
Private burial will take place, at a later date in Stockton, N.Y.
Memorial gifts may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
A. Elizabeth (Betty) Fuller
BEVERLY COMMONS, Mass. — A. Elizabeth (Betty) Fuller, 101, died Jan. 2, 2008, at home in Bristol. She was born July 22, 1906, the daughter of Zeno Elwell and Mirinda Jane Willett of Essex, Mass.
She worked 22 years at United Shoe Machinery Corp. in Beverly, Mass.
In late life she enjoyed traveling throughout Canada, Europe, and Asia, according to family.
