Milestones

Transitions

• Chloe Learey, executive director of the Winston Prouty Center for Child Development in Brattleboro, has graduated from the Early Childhood Leadership Institute (ECLI), a program of The Richard A. and Barbara W. Snelling Center for Government in Williston. The Early Childhood Leadership Institute was initiated in 2014 and seeks to stimulate enthusiasm for and effective participation in efforts to improve early childhood work in Vermont.

Honors

• Ryan Stoodley, Parks & Recreation Director at the Rockingham Recreation Department, recently received the Active Community Engagement (ACE) award from Greater Falls Connections (GFC). The award, given to what GFC called “the unsung heroes within the community who foster positive change and are dedicated to creating safe, healthy, and fun options for youth, families, and the community at large,” was presented at the Nov. 3 Rockingham Selectboard meeting.

Obituaries

• Donna Lee (Morse) Brochu, 73, of North Augusta, S.C. and Bernardston, Mass. Died Nov. 8, following a long illness. Wife of Arthur Brochu. Mother of Vicki Draleaus (Taylor) and her husband, Ken, of Halifax, and Trent Taylor and his wife, Stephanie, of Brandon. Stepmother of Christine Pettine and husband, Steve, of Somerset, Mass., Carl Brochu of Laconia, N.H, and Kevin Brochu and his wife, Debbie, of Whitingham. Sister of Colette Carrier and her husband, Kip, of Augusta, Ga. Born in Bennington, daughter of the late Burton and Blanche (Courser) Morse of Whitingham, she was a loving wife, mother and sister. She attended schools in Whitingham, where she raised, and provided for her family with love, strength and happiness. Prior to retirement, she worked for many years at New England Power Company and True Value. Since retiring, she has enjoyed traveling with her husband and spending time with her family. Her gentle, caring and fun soul will be missed and in our hearts forever. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: No service information provided.

• Donald W. “Don” Camolli, 73, of Williamsville. Died Nov. 17 at Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend, following a short, courageous battle with cancer. Brother of Josephine Howard and her husband, Maurice, of Brattleboro, Joseph of Bradenton, Fla., Thomas of Brattleboro, Edward of Buckfield, Maine, Ralph of Portland, Ore., and the late Howard Camolli. Born in Brattleboro, the third son of the late Edward R. and Josephine DeAnzeris Camolli, he attended Vernon Elementary School and Brattleboro Union High School. Shortly after high school, he began his life's adventure, at first with the National Guard during the Vietnam era, then traversing the country, learning a little about a lot of things and cultivating his love of all living things. He was also an expert house painter, among other things. He spent many years living and working in Maine with his younger brother, Ed. While living in Maine, Don worked as a carpenter with Ed. He also worked in some of the big, local apple orchards. Don took advantage of what Maine had to offer in the way of fishing, camping, hunting. Don was also always helping people out who were in need. He followed the harvests, coming back to New England during the fall to pick apples, and out to the West, picking vegetables and working his way across the country, doing whatever work he could find. He especially loved gardening and throughout his life, and cultivated a vast knowledge of trees, plants, mushrooms, and everything in between. He was adept at pruning fruit trees in the fall, vegetables in summer and everything else in the off-seasons. He was most happy working in someone's garden, planting and cultivating vegetables and fruits. He returned to New England five years ago after a 20-year stint in the Portland, Ore., area. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: There will be no funeral services, as per Don's request. A celebration of his life is planned for spring. As a lifelong animal lover, everyone may send memorial donations to the Windham County Humane Society, 916 West River Rd., Brattleboro, VT 05301.

• Suzanne “Sue” Chase White Hedgecock, 63, of Park City, Utah. Died Oct. 22 in the Hedgecock Family home on Hedgecock Hill in Park City. Wife of the late William Anson Hedgecock Jr. Mother of Wesley Anson Hedgecock. Also survived by several cousins, aunts, and uncles in the Cerosky, Douglas, and Hamilton families. Born in Brattleboro with her identical twin sister, Sally, she was the daughter of Ruth Ann Cerosky White and the late Arnold Miller. She grew up on her family farm in Marlboro, riding horses in the summer, and skiing every day in the winter at the family-owned Hogback Mountain Ski Area in Marlboro. She attended school in Marlboro and Brattleboro, and went to college at Johnson State College in Vermont, and Keene State College in New Hampshire, where she earned a B.S. in secondary education. She also took college courses at the University of Utah. She went on to a career in alpine ski racing, and enjoyed success locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. In the early 1970a, she was named to the U.S. Ski Team and competed in domestic World Cup Races. She worked for UVEX in Salt Lake City for a time. She was a Certified USSCA Alpine Ski Coach Level 3, and a PSIA Level 3 Instructor for 40 or more years. She taught skiing in the family business at Hogback Mountain Ski Area, and she worked at Skyline Restaurant and Hogback Mountain Gift Shop in Marlboro, and later at Haystack Ski Area, Ski Club Vail, Aspen Ski Club, Alyeska Ski Club, and Juneau Ski Club. She spent time coaching the women's team at the University of Utah and spent approximately 35 years as a ski instructor at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. During her years in Alaska, she worked as an interpretive guide and naturalist for the U.S. Forest Service at Portage Glacier, and had a similar job in Juneau, Alaska. She was also a successful businesswoman, and worked for a number of years as store manager at the Guess Park City Outlet Store when it was first opened. Her love for and involvement with horses never diminished, and later in life she was able to get back to her roots with horses. She became a highly regarded competitor in the Endurance horse racing field, having won numerous races and Best Condition awards both locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally with her own horses. She was a sought after horse trainer, and highly respected horsewoman. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A celebration of her life will be held at Mountain Life Church in Park City, Utah, on Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. A celebration of life will also be held at Marlboro Meeting House on June 18, 2016, at 1 p.m. Donations to Marlboro Meeting House, P.O. Box 64, Marlboro, VT 05344, Attention: The Hedgecock Fund.

• Carol Ann Barry James, 72, of Bellows Falls. Died Nov. 13 at home with her family. Wife of Stephen James for more than 50 years. Mother of Stefan James and fiance, Leticia Hernandez, of Bellows Falls; Tony James and fiance, Dianna Liberty, of Bellows Falls; and Julia James-Torres of Bellows Falls. Sister of Margaret Barry of Bellows Falls and the late Kevin and John Barry. Also survived by nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Born in Bellows Falls, daughter of John and Connie (Bushway) Barry, she attended Saint Charles School and was a graduate of Bellows Falls High School. In her early years, she was employed by the Village of Bellows Falls and served as Town Auditor. She also worked briefly as a secretary for the Miami Dolphins in the early 1980s. With her husband, they owned and operated James Plumbing & Heating Company for 43 years before the business was taken over by their son, Tony. In addition to the plumbing and heating business, she and her husband operated Speedy Steve's Laundromat in North Walpole, N.H. She meticulously did the bookkeeping for both businesses for over 30 years. She was an avid collector of antique dolls and for eight years she owned and operated The Wicker Carriage Doll Shop, in North Walpole. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A funeral Mass was held Nov. 18 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls. Donations for a scholarship in her memory may be sent to Bellows Falls Union High School, P.O. Box 429, Bellows Falls, VT, 05101. Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home of Bellows Falls was in charge of arrangements.

• John Edward LaCroix, 65, of Putney, a former resident of Milford, Mass. Died Nov. 16 at his home. Husband of Marcia Bentley. Father of Shawn LaCroix of Colorado and Jennifer Taylor of Tennessee. Stepfather of Lynn Collins of Milford, Mass., and Elizabeth Weidenbaum of Stroudsburg, Pa. Brother of Joseph LaCroix of Ashland, Mass., Kathy Gillis of Cataumet, Mass., Jean Barker of Harwich, Mass., Mary Tiziani of Hopkinton, Mass., Annie Casey of Danvers, Mass., and the late Sharon Santini. Born in Worcester, Mass., the son of Edward and Marjorie (Dowd) LaCroix, he was raised and educated in Framingham, Mass., and was a graduate of Marion High School in Framingham, Class of 1967. For many years he owned and operated Wimpy Amusements, an amusement and vending machine company based in Milford. Following his retirement, with his family he relocated to Putney. He enjoyed working on cars and tractors, yardwork and puttering around his home. He was known as being a “jack of all trades,” and could fix or repair just about anything. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: In keeping with his final wishes, there are no formal funeral services scheduled. Donations to the Putney Volunteer Fire & Rescue, 14 Main St., Putney, VT 05346. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.atamaniuk.com.

• William F. “Bill” Lockaby Jr., 61, of Vernon. Died Nov. 12 at home. Husband of Lori Damian for 15 years. Father of Samuel, Juliana, and Halee Lockaby, all of Vernon; Joshua Lockaby and his wife, Trisha, of Austin, Texas; and Jordan Lockaby of Ottsville, Pa. Brother of the late Judy Lockaby Simpson. Born in Greenville, S.C., son of the late Mary Turner and William F. Lockaby Sr., he graduated from Wade Hampton High School in Greenville and went on to graduate magna cum laude from Mars Hill College in North Carolina. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He spent his career working as a chaplain and also as a pastor for several churches in South Carolina, but his most fulfilling role was working as a chaplain for hospice. He had a passion for reading and writing, and completed a novel as well as beautiful poetry. His poetry was frequently used in his work with hospice. He married his soulmate in Vernon in 2000, moved to Pennsylvania in 2001, and went on to adopt a family of three children. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A funeral service was held on Nov. 21 at Guilford Community Church. Memorial services in Pennsylvania and South Carolina will be held at future dates.

• Thomas H. Lowell, 68, of Dummerston. Died Nov. 15 at his home after a long battle with kidney cancer. Husband of Ellen O'Beirne for 36 years. Father of Peter O'Beirne Lowell. Brother of brother Francis C. (Peter) Lowell and his wife, Vicky, of Falmouth, Mass., and Charles R. Lowell of Concord, Mass. Born and raised in Concord, Mass., he was the youngest of the three sons of Dr. Francis Cabot Lowell and Elizabeth Shurcliff Lowell. His father, former chief of the allergy unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was involved in research and teaching. His mother was an active member of the League of Women Voters and was actively involved in Concord's town planning. His education included the Fenn School of Concord, Milton Academy, Concord-Carlisle High School, and Marlboro College. A sailor, skier, pilot, inventor, builder, tinkerer, an avid reader and a family man, you could find him flying a plane to Oshkosh, skiing the Vermont hills, or sailing the Belize coastline. He was always busy starting a project and finishing just as many. One of his first big projects as a teenager was a complete rebuild of a Willys Jeep. Among his many other projects, he made toys to demonstrate sailing to children, a go-kart for his son, a special hand-held sail to use when ice-skating. He and a neighbor built a rope tow for the neighborhood kids to use when skiing and snowboarding. Innumerable cars, a few boats, and a 1957 Cessna were restored, mostly in his home garage. With his lifelong friend Jim Young, he co-designed his much-acclaimed super insulated house. Although perpetually busy with projects, he was always willing to pause for pleasant conversation. He loved chatting with friends and strangers alike. One of his last projects in 2014 was, again, a complete rebuild of another Willys Jeep. In business, he was an inventor, machinist, engineer entrepreneur and consultant. At Appropriate Technology, he was the vice-president of operations, and worked with Mike Mross, the VP of research to develop the Window Quilt insulating window shade and all the techniques and machinery used in its manufacturing. Later, the Lowells built the original West River Marina and together ran this popular restaurant in Brattleboro until its sale to the current owners. After launching the restaurant, he was recruited by his former business partner and friend Mike, to join him in starting up Vermont Photonics, a distributor of high-precision optical testing equipment. These three startups continue today. He also served on the board of the Compass School in Westminster. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A celebration of his life was held Nov. 22 at the Marina in Brattleboro. Messages of remembrance may be posted at www.forevermissed.com/thomas-lowell/#about. Donations to the Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire, White River Junction, VT 05001; Brattleboro Area Hospice, 191 Canal St. Brattleboro, VT 05301; or to the Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.

• Leo P. Madore, 61, of Bellows Falls. Died Nov. 14 at his home. Born in Lebanon, N.H., the son of Marjorie Judd and the late Arthur Madore Sr., he attended schools in Westminster and Bellows Falls and worked locally as a mechanic and truck driver, most recently with The Current. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. His greatest passion was his three grandchildren. On Oct. 29, 1983, he married Linda Huot, who survives. Also surviving are his mother, Marjorie Carlson and her husband, Ray, of Westminster; his children, Travis Madore of Bellows Falls and Tammy Simpkins of Walpole, N.H.; his brothers, Walter Madore, Sr. of Enfield, N.H., Dennis Madore of Barre, Joseph Madore of Bellows Falls, and Arthur Madore, Jr. of Nashville, Tenn.; his sisters, Claudia Zombeck of Claremont, N.H., and Theresa Woolbert of North Walpole, N.H.; and the late Marie Madore. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: A funeral service was held Nov. 19 at Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home in Bellows Falls, with burial in the Saxtons River Cemetery. Donations may be made to a charity of choice.

• Harold S. Wilbur Jr., 73, of Brattleboro. Died Nov. 14 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. Husband of Clara (Orne) Wilbur for 53 years. Father of Jeffrey Wilbur of Brattleboro. Brother-in-law of Kay Orne of Houston, Texas. Born in Brattleboro, the son of Harold and Dorothy (Haire) Wilbur, he attended school in Johnson, later graduating from Brattleboro Union High School, Class of 1959. He went on to attend linotype school in Boston, eventually returning home to Brattleboro. where he went to work at the former Publishers Composition. He later was employed by the former American Stratford Company where he retired following many years of faithful service. An avid golfer, he was a former member of both the Brattleboro Country Club and Pine Grove Springs Country Club in Spofford. He also loved harness horses and owned many throughout the years. MEMORIAL INFORMATION: In keeping with his final wishes, there will be no formal funeral services. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in his name may be made to the Windham Country Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence to the family, visit www.atamaniuk.com.