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Fall 2001

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OBITUARIES: 1946-60

JASON KIRSHEN ‘46, 75, a civil engineer and an Army veteran of World War II, who died Wednesday in his home in Pittsfield. Born in Boston, Mr. Kirshen graduated from Boston Latin School. He received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Mr. Kirshen also earned a degree from Brown University. He worked as a civil engineer with the Massachusetts Highway Department in Boston and then for Clarkson Construction, a firm with offices throughout the world. During his employment at Clarkson, Mr. Kirshen was the civil engineering supervisor of a bridge erected in Annapolis, Md., and then was a construction supervisor of road building in Burma and Nigeria. When he returned to the Boston area, Mr. Kirshen worked for the state as a road engineering supervisor until he retired in 1985. He moved to Pittsfield in 1999. Mr. Kirshen leaves his wife, Sylvia (Novick); two daughters, Cindy Flemming of West Kingston, RI, and Marion Rice of Portland, Ore.; a sister, Leila Salmon of Amsterdam, NY; and two granddaughters. . .

(Boston Globe 3/30/01)

DONALD LADD SMITH ‘46, 76, owner of Windy Wood Orchard, died March 7, 2001, in the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. Born May 20, 1924, in Barre, he was the son of Donald W. and Freda (Ladd) Smith. He graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre, Class of 1942; and from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1946 with a BS degree. He attended the American College of Life Underwriters and became a Chartered Life Underwriter in 1966. In 19667, he obtained a Pension Planning Certificate. Oct. 11, 1947, he married Ruth Reynolds in Northampton, MA. Following their marriage, they had always lived in Barre Town. In 1961, Mr. Smith founded the Smith Insurance Agency, retiring in 1988 after selling the agency. From 1959 to 1962, he was the Vermont state director of the Federal Housing Administration and served on the Vermont Council of Farm Cooperatives as executive secretary from 1949 to 1971. Since 1951, he had been on the board of directors of the Cooperative Insurance Company of Middlebury and resident of the Company of Middlebury since 1973. He had been the owner operation of the Windy Wood Orchard since 1969, assisted by his son, Donald "Sandy" Smith. . .Besides his wife, survivors include a son, Donald R. Smith of Barre Town; a daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters, Rebecca Ruth Miracle and her husband, Stephen, and Brittany and Halen Miracle, all of East Montpelier; a sister, Caroline Sprague and her husband, Sherman of Montpelier; a brother, Chandler L. Smith and his wife, Jean, of Kinderhook, NY; and nieces and nephews. . .

(Burlington Press 3/8/01)

C. WILLIAM HALL ‘48, of Davie, Fla., formerly of Sterling, died December 18, 2000 in Davie. He leaves two daughters, Dianne Rockwell of Lancaster and Susan Boles of Quartz Hill, CA; two sons, David Hall of Canyon Country, CA and Stephen Hall of Tehachapi, CA; two sisters, Marilyn Hall of Rockport and Eunice Bengal of Saratoga, CA; a brother, Richard Hall of Benbrook, Texas; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren. A brother, Robert Hall, predeceased him. He was born in Melrose, son of A. William and M. Viola (Messenger) Hall, and grew up in Still River. He graduated from Bromfield High School in Harvard, and was a Navy veteran of WW II. He later graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture. He lived many years in Sterling and Hinsdale, NH, before moving to Florida in 1984. Mr. Hall was a salesman and self-employed businessman. He was a member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in West Palm Beach. . .

(Holden Landmark 1/4/01)

ANTHONY J. RANDAZZO ‘48, 78, of North Andover, a retired presiding justice of Amesbury District Court, died Wednesday in Lawrence General Hospital. Judge Randazzo was born in Lawrence. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston University Law School. After serving in the Army during World War II, he was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. A lawyer in private practice, he was nominated to the bench by Governor Edward J. King in 1982. He became presiding justice of Amesbury District Court and, when the court merged with Newburyport District Court in 1991, became first associate justice of Newburyport District Court. He retired in 1992. He leaves his wife, Ilah B. (Cooksey); two sons, Anthony J. Jr. of Portsmouth, RI, and Richard L. of Barrington, RI; a daughter, Anne L. of Methuen; a sister, Mary Moschetto of Methuen; and five grandchildren. . .

(Boston Globe 4/21/01)

THADDEUS CIESLUK ‘50, 83, of Holyoke, a former high school teacher, died Monday at home. He taught for 30 years at the Springfield High School of Commerce, where he developed the English curriculum and was an adviser and chief photographer on the yearbook staff. Born in this city, he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree in education from Springfield College. A veteran of World War II, he served in the Pacific Theater and took part in the New Guinea and Philippine liberation campaigns. He was a communicant of Master Dolorosa Church and a member of the Holy Name Society and American Legion Post 351. HE was involved in Holyoke youth baseball as a coach and umpire. He leaves his wife of 53 years, Josephine Czarnota; two sons, Alfred and Leonard; a daughter, Melanie Ciesluk; a sister, Stella Doray; and four grandchildren . . .

(Springfield Union News 5/2/01)

WILLIAM GALLAMORE ‘50

LOREN WILLIS KELLEY ‘50, 78, formerly of Hillsboro, NH, died August 14, 2000, at the Southridge Living Center in Biddeford after a long illness. He was born in Roxbury, MA, a son of Walter and Marion Stone Kelley. He graduated from Canton High School and received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1950. He served in the Navy during WW II. Mr. Kelley was employed as an electrical engineer for Sylvania in Hillsboro for many years. He spent his free time woodworking. His wife, Wilda L. Brown Kelley, died in 1987. A son, Steven Kelley, also died previously. Surviving are four sons, Paul of Lynn, MA, Robert of Hillsboro, James of Kennebunk and Peter of Leeds; a brother, Walter of Marston Mills, MA; a sister, Lois Robertson of South Orleans, MA; and eight grandchildren. . .

(Portland Press Herald 8/16/00)

RICHARD ROBINSON ‘50S, 70, of North Falmouth died Saturday at the Royal Megansett Nursing Home, North Falmouth. Mr. Robinson was born in Providence and spent most of his life in Needham, where he was a town planner, before moving to Falmouth in 1992. He graduated from Needham High School in 1942 and from Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1951. He received an associate’s degree from Northeastern University in 1961. He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955. Mr. Robinson was Needham’s assistant town planner for more than 30 years, retiring in 1991. He was a member of the Pocasset Golf Club. He was also a member of the Nehoiden Masonic Lodge and the Charles River Shriner’s Club, a former Little League coach in Needham, and a former member of the Needham Congregational Church. He leaves his wife, Virginia (Page) Robinson; one son, Walter P. of Shrewsbury; and one granddaughter. . .

(Boston Globe 2/19/01)

FRANK T. CHIDSEY ‘51S, 71, of Longmeadow, died Sunday in a local nursing home. He was a former animal control officer for Longmeadow. Born in Springfield, he was a longtime resident of Longmeadow, graduated with an associates degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture and Western New England College with a bachelor’s degree in business. He was a member of Alpha Tai Gamma fraternity of UMass and a former Mason. He was a member of the First Church of Christ Congregation. He leaves his wife, the former Jean Avis; a son, Frank T. Jr. of Longmeadow; two daughters, Jean Duclos and Marilee Elliott, both of Longmeadow; a brother Irving of Maryland; and four grandsons. His daughter, Cheryl Champ, died in 1988. . .

(Springfield Union News 2/12/01)

LORETTA J. BELVAL ‘53, 69, of Uxbridge, died Tuesday, November 21, 2000, at home after a long illness. She was born in Northbridge, daughter of Arthur A. Belval of Uxbridge and the late Antoinette Y. (Guertin) Belval. She lived in Uxbridge for the past 40 years. A graduate of Northbridge High School in 1949, she graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1953, and earned her master’s from Worcester State College. She took many courses at Boston University, Assumption College, Anna Maria Framingham State and Fitchburg State colleges. Miss Belval was a teacher in the Abington school system, and later in the Northbridge Schools from 1957 to 1965. She served as assistant principal, then Principal of Balmer School. She retired in 1989 as director of Chapter One Program and assistant principal. She was a member of Good Shepherd Church, Linwood, where she was the director of bereavement from 1989 to 2000. She also served on the Parish Council and was cochairman for many years of the Bishop’s Fund. She was a member of many educational associations. Survivors include her father, a sister, Madeleine B. Leaver of Boynton Beach, FL; nephews and nieces; a sister-in-law, June D. Belval of Holliston. She was the sister of Norman P. Belval of Holliston, who died in 1989. . .

(Milford Daily News 11/22/00)

PAUL H. LAWRENCE ‘53, 75, of Murrysville, PA, and a native of Holyoke, died Monday at home. He was a 30-year accountant and supervisor of purchasing for GTE Sylvania and retired in 1980. Born in Holyoke, he graduated from Holyoke High School in 1943 and attended the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He later graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He served in the Merchant Marines as a junior Third Assistant Engineer on the Sea Owl transporting troops and supplies to the Atlantic war zone during World War II. He lived in Naugatuck, CT before moving to Murrysville 21 years ago. He was a member of the Meadowink Gold Club and a life member of Warren, PA, Lodge of Elks. He leaves his wife of 51 years, the former Ruth Gagne; a son, Richard P. of Calverton, NY; two daughters, Virginia Haberman of White Oak, PA, and Paula Bowley of Beacon Falls, CT; and three grandchildren. . .

(Springfield Union News 5/19/01)

ELIZABETH RIGALI ‘53, 68, of Holyoke, died Sunday at Holyoke Hospital. She was a controller at the Springfield Children’s Study Home and worked previously as an analytical chemist for the Rohan & Hass Corp. in Philadelphia. Born in Springfield, she attended Springfield Technical High School and received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in accounting, both with honors, from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She lived in South Hadley for 18 years and Granby for 20 years before moving to Holyoke. She leaves her former husband, Dr. Louis A. Rigali of Holyoke; a son, David of Columbus, Ohio; three daughters, Dr. Linda Rigali of Northampton, Carla Southworth of Hampden, and Dana Davidson of Maynard; and four grandchildren. . . .

(Springfield Union News 1/30/01)

J. FRANK DEARNESS ‘56, 68, of Owensboro, Ky., died Monday at home. He was the executive director of the Green River Comprehensive Care Center from 1975 to 1990, when he retired. He had also been the assistant commissioner of mental health for the state of Tennessee. Born in Holyoke, MA, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received a master’s degree in social work from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. He was a former member of the Owensboro Rotary Club and a director of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra. He leaves four daughters, Jennifer Dearness of Miami, FL, Laura Dearness of Scottsdale, Ariz., Patricia Turcotte of Easthampton, MA, and Cynthia Smalley of Chicopee, MA; three sisters, Carol Houle of Chicopee, Virginia Zimmer of Walker, Minn., and Joan Kidd of Wykoff, Minn.; and two grandchildren. . (Springfield Union News 3/23/01)

JACQUELINE N. FLEMING, ‘56

RAYMOND RHODES ‘56, 69, of Red Hook, died Tuesday, November 14, 2000, at his home. A Red Hook resident for the past 42 years, Mr. Rhodes was both an electrical and a licensed civil engineer. For 34 years he worked as an Engineer for IBM in Kingston, He retired in 1990. Mr. Rhodes was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Rhinebeck, the Red Hook Boat Club, and the IBM Quarter Century Club. He was the past Commander of the Mid-Hudson Power Squadron, the Chairman of the Town of Red Hook Water Board, the Manager of the Red Hook Water District, and a member of the Dutchess County Waste Water Management Commission. He had served on the Red Hook Board of Education and had been a coach and manger for the Red Hook Little League. In 1985, Mr. Rhodes retired as a Commander from the United States Naval Reserve in Poughkeepsie, after 34 years of service. While Commander he was instrumental in the construction of the Red Hook Recreation Park and arranged for the SeaBees to do much of the grading of the park. Born in Springfield, MA, on December 27, 1930, he was the son of Frank and Martha Hartig Rhodes. On September 10, 1955, at Springfield, MA, he married Christine Cabral. Mrs. Rhodes survives at home. In addition to his wife, he is also survived by a daughter, Donna Rhodes of Pleasanton, CA: a son and daughter-in-law Bruce & Kathleen Rhodes of N. Reading, MA; a daughter and son-in-law Cynthia & Gerald Bush of Alpharetta, GA; a son, Mark Rhodes of Winter Springs, Fla.; a son and daughter-in-law, Richard & Brandi Rhodes of Kingston; a brother, Everett of S. Weymouth, MA; grandsons, Steven Rhodes, Taylor Bush, Alec Rhodes; granddaughters, Jordan Bush, Alexis Bush, Juliette Rhodes. He was predeceased by a brother, Robert Rhodes. . .

(Poughkeepsie Journal 11/15/00)

RICHARD G. BALDWIN ‘57, 64, an electronic radar engineer who helped develop radar systems for several major missile programs, died yesterday, Nov. 6, at his home in Chelmsford after a brief illness. He was the husband of Gail (Homer) Baldwin. He was born in Pittsfield on January 4, 1936, a son of the late Donald and Margaret (Johnson) Baldwin. He grew up in Dalton and graduated from Dalton High School in 1953. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1957 and his master’s degree in 1968. He and his wife resided in the North Chelmsford section of town. Mr. Baldwin worked as an electronic radar engineer for most of his career. He was employed at Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, CA, LFE Electronics in Cambridge, Sanders Associates in Bedford, Raytheon Co. in Bedford and Draper Labs in Cambridge. Mr. Baldwin was a radar specialist who worked on the Tomahawk and Patriot missile systems and the Hawk Radar project. He also received several awards for his technical writing in radar missile guidance. IN addition to his wife, he leaves two sons, Richard G. Baldwin of Pepperell and Mark of Warren, NJ; two daughters, Debora Baldwin of Ayer and Susan Peterson of Westford; two brothers, Robert of Southington, CT, and Alan of Vernon, CT; a sister, Carol Slattery of Seaford, NJ; his grandchildren, Richard G. Baldwin Jr., Krystal Baldwin, Melissa Baldwin, Emily Baldwin, Julianne Peterson and Jennifer Peterson.

(Lowell Sun 11/7/00)

RONALD A. BUSHEY ‘58, 67, of Windham, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at Parkland Medical Center in Derry. Mr. Bushey was born in Springfield, MA. He grew up in Springfield, had been a resident of Windham for the past 25 year and had previously resided in Andover, MA. He was the husband of Emily W. "Lee" (Walsh) Bushey of Windham. Mr. Bushey worked in engineering management for the Missile Systems Defense Division of Raytheon Corp. in Bedford, MA. He was a member of the Loonies Organization, and he was an avid golfer. Mr. Bushey was a member of the St. Matthew Church in Windham and a former member of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Springfield. He attended schools in Springfield and he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Besides his wife, survivors include three sons and a daughter-in-law, Ronald Todd and Toma Bushey, and R. Troy Bushey, all of Windham, and R. Trent Bushey of New York, NY; two grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. . .

(Nashua Telegraph 2/2/01)

DONALD F. FITZGERALD JR. ‘58, 65, of Westfield, died Thursday at home. He was the president of Advance Whip & Novelty Co. for 25 years and retired this year. Born and raised in Springfield, he moved to Westfield 40 years ago. He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1954 and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1959. He leaves a son, Stephen M. of Springfield; his fiancée, Judith Pappas, with whom he lived; two sisters, Barbara Fitzgerald of Welfleet and Mirium Biggons of Denver; and a grandson. . .

(Westfield Westfield Evening News 11/3/00)

ARTHUR C. PECK ‘58, 64, of Jensen Beach, Fla., died Tuesday in Stuart. He was the director of engineering at Permanent Label in New Jersey. He previously owned Apex Decorative Techniques, worked for Monsanto Corp., and was a weapons tester for Special Services. Born in Pittsfield, MA, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a mechanical engineering degree, and obtained his pilot’s license in 1972. He moved to Florida in 1989. He was the founder of Apex Aviation, a flying club, a Shriners potentate and master Mason in CT, a voluntary pilot for the Angel Flight transport charity, and a member of the Florida Aero Club and Quiet Birdman. He leaves his wife, the former Doris Stoliker; two daughters, Julia Reidy of Foxboro, MA, and Amy Mercier of Ludlow, MA; two step-sons, Peter Hine of Wallingford, CT, and Roger Hine of Beijing, China; a stepdaughter, Pamela Liggins of Stratford, CT; a sister, Jean Potter of Glens Falls, NY: and two grandchildren. . .

(Springfield Union News 2/16/01)

STEPHEN COSMOPOULOS ‘59, 61, of Chicopee, died Friday at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield. He was a pharmacist at Walgreens Drug Store, and retired in 1994. He worked previously at O’Neil’s Pharmacy for 21 years. Born in this city, he was a lifelong resident and a graduate of Chicopee High School. He also attended the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and graduated from the former Hampden College of Pharmacy in 1963. . . . He leaves his wife, the former Ruth LaDuke; a daughter, Andrea L. Cosmopoulos of Pomfret, CT; and a brother, George of Westfield. . .

(Springfield Union News 4/21/01)

PAUL H. JENNINGS ’60

MARGARET MORIARTY JOHNSON ‘60, died on December 27, 2000 following diagnosis of a brain tumor and surgery in June 2000.

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