Transitions
• The Rev. Emily C. Heath, pastor of West Dover Congregational Church, was elected to the United Church of Christ Board, the national board of directors for the denomination, on July 1 at the UCC's General Synod in Long Beach, Calif. Rev. Heath has been the pastor of West Dover Congregational Church for the past three years, and also serves as chaplain to the West Dover Fire Department and as a regular contributor to the Huffington Post's religion section. As one of the Board's 52 members, drawn from across the nation, Rev. Heath will be helping to lead the denomination for the next six years. She will continue her ministry in West Dover, where she lives with her spouse, Heidi Carrington Heath.
• Rachel Selsky of Brattleboro recently joined the Board of Directors of Youth Services, a nonprofit agency. With a background in urban and regional planning, Selsky is in her fifth year of working remotely for Camoin Associates, a nationally-recognized economic and community development consulting firm, and serves as Camoin's project manager on economic development strategic planning efforts.
College news
• Elizabeth Degnon of Whitingham was awarded a B.S. in athletic training at Sacred Heart University's annual commencement on May 18 in Fairfield, Conn.
School news
• Ethan Lawrence, a sophomore from Grafton, has been named to the Honor Roll at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn.
• The Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce recently awarded “Skills for Success” scholarships to four area high school graduates. They were each awarded $500 to help further their post-secondary school education. This year's awardees are Michael Franklin of Guilford, from the Windham Regional Career Center, who will attend Branford Hall Career Institute in Springfield, Mass., in preparation for a career in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning); Greta Pellerin, from the Austine School, who will be going to Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology to continue her study of the photographic arts; Noah Simeon of Putney, from Brattleboro Union High School, who will attend the Vermont Technical College to continue his study of automotive mechanics; and Matthew Mulligan of Hinsdale, N.H., who will attend the River Valley Community College in Keene, N.H. to study computer technology.
Obituaries
• Daniel Knowles Butler, 84, of Gwynedd, Pa., formerly of Philadelphia. Died June 28 after a long illness. Born in New York, N.Y., the son of the late John Ben Butler and Dorothy Cumpson Butler, he was raised in Fieldston, N.Y., and graduated from The Fieldston School. He received his B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University. He worked as a nuclear physicist at the Argonne National Laboratory, designing nuclear power reactors. He was an early pioneer of the three-dimensional computer modeling of reactor cores. He later taught computer science at Cleveland State University and Rutgers University. An active volunteer, he served as president of the Naperville, Ill., Board of Education and as chair of building preservation on the Board of The Wyck Association. His lifelong fascination with everything mechanical led him to acquire an extensive collection of antique clocks. A resident of Foulkeways, he was known for his kind and gentle character. He summered for eight decades in Marlboro, Vt., where he met his wife of 60 years, Marigene Harrington Butler. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Daniel K. Butler, Jr. (Janice), Paul H. Butler (Christiana), and Katherine M. Butler. He was predeceased by his brothers John Ben Butler, Jr. and Edward R. Butler. Memorial information: Services and interment will be private. Donations to the Marlboro Meeting House (Preservation Endowment Fund), P.O. Box 64, Marlboro, VT 05344, or to Wyck Association, 6026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144.
• Elizabeth Manley “Betty” Colburn, 97, of Brattleboro. Died July 4 at Thompson House. Wife of the late Delbert E. Colburn, Jr. for 44 years. Mother of Robert Colburn, and his wife Orella, of Brattleboro and Diane Colburn, and her partner, Ronald Giroux, of Hinsdale, N.H. Sister of Bill Manley, and his wife, Mildred, of Brattleboro, and the late James and Eleanor Manley. She was born at home on Maple Street in Brattleboro, the daughter of the late Robert and Jennie (Farnsworth) Manley. She was raised and educated in town and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1934. She worked for many years as a sales associate at the former W.T. Grant store on Main Street and for several years at the former Adams Donut Shop and Pierce's Creamie Stand, both on Canal Street. She had been a longtime resident of Highland Street and more recently at Melrose Terrace in West Brattleboro. A faithful and devoted homemaker, her life centered around her family. Steadfast in her walk of faith, she was the oldest and longest member at Centre Congregational Church. She was also a founding member of the original Brattleboro Ladies Evening Club. She also enjoyed knitting, reading, playing Bingo, and travel. Memorial information: A memorial service was held July 9 at Centre Congregational Church, with committal services and burial at Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery. Donations to Centre Congregational Church Music Program, 193 Main St., Brattleboro, VT 05301. Arrangements were under the direction of the Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
• James “Jim” Edward Galvin, 95, of Perkinsville. Died June 29 at Cedar Hill Health Center in Windsor. Husband of the late Ruth (Ingraham) Galvin for more than 50 years. Predeceased by siblings Ann, his twin brother John, and Artie Galvin. Born in Brattleboro, the son of the late James E. and Helen (Powers) Galvin, he attended St. Michael's High School in Brattleboro. Following graduation, he joined the Marines, serving on Guadalcanal during World War II. He was discharged on July 2, 1946. He earned the Good Conduct Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Theatre Campaign Ribbon; the American Theatre Campaign Ribbon; the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with bronze star; and the Victory Medal. Following his discharge, he worked at Estey Organ in Brattleboro. Following his marriage in 1954, he attended the The Art Students League of New York and became a fine art painter. He enjoyed canoeing, camping, fishing, sail boating, relating tales of his service years, and reciting Shakespeare. He also enjoyed and wrote poetry. Memorial information: A graveside service was held July 3 at Plains Cemetery in Perkinsville.
• Alf Nilsen, 83, of Wilmington. Died June 27 at his home. Husband of the late Eleanor (Gundersen) Nilsen for 31 years. Father of Erik Nilsen and his wife, Kim; Karl Nilsen and his wife, Jen; and Sonja Nilsen. Born in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of the late Martin and Helga (Petersen) Nilsen, he spent his youth in Norway, Staten Island, N.Y., and several small towns along the New Jersey shore. After serving in the Army at Camp Hood and Camp Kilmer, and a lengthy trip abroad, he married his beloved Eleanor in 1958. He did commercial fishing with his father, then became a dock builder and member of Union Local 1456. It took seven years, working nights and weekends, for him to build Nordic Hills Lodge on Cold Brook Road, but he was able to move his family to Wilmington in 1967. The Nilsens operated the lodge for 20 years while raising their children. After his wife's death in 1989, he spent the ensuing years working on various construction projects in the area, including houses he built with his son Erik. He played sandlot baseball on Staten Island and was an avid skier well into his 70s. He took up golf at age 50 and was a charter member of Haystack Golf Club, where he seldom missed the Breakfast Club or a tournament. Spending winters in Sarasota, Fla., gave him opportunities for golf with a group of retired firefighters and for the greyhound racing that he called “feeding the dogs.” Ever the genial host, he loved a party. He was a great dancer in both popular and the traditional Norwegian styles. He enjoyed travelling and meeting people and could strike up a conversation anywhere. He was a 65-year member of Nansen Lodge 3-410 on Staten Island and a life member of Sons of Norway. He also held memberships in several civic, fraternal and service organizations. Memorial information: Following cremation, he will be interred with Eleanor in Riverview Cemetery in a private service where military honors will be accorded. Donations to the Deerfield Valley Rescue Squad, in care of Covey-Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Franklin D'Olier Reeve, 84, of Wilmington. Died June 28 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Laura Stevenson, his daughter Alya, sons Benjamin, Brock, and Mark; stepdaughters Katharine O'Connell and Meg Staloff, and 18 grandchildren. Born in Philadelphia, he was educated at Princeton and Columbia, and taught at Columbia University (1952-61) and Wesleyan University (1962-2002). He was an exchange professor in the Soviet Union in 1961, and in 1962, he accompanied the poet Robert Frost to Russia, introducing Frost to Russian poets and translating during Frost's dialogue with Nikita Khruschev. The author of 31 books, he was distinguished for his poetry, novels, translations, and essays. A resident of Vermont since the 1980s, he moved to Wilmington in 1995, and later served as a Justice of the Peace and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Pettee Memorial Library. Memorial information: The date for his September memorial service will be listed on his website, www.fdreeve.org. Donations to Pettee Memorial Library, P.O. Box 896, Wilmington, VT 05363, or the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A, Short Hills, NJ 07078.
• Lee Sanderson, 64, of Westminster. Died July 3. Husband of Connie Santoli Sanderson. Father of Todd Sanderson. Brother of Kate Sanderson of California. Born in New York City, the son of the late Louise Breyer and Leo Sanderson, he attended school in Port Washington, N.Y., and college at The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. He followed in his father's footsteps as an artist, creating Shaker style furniture for most of his career. In 1976, he and wife moved to Vermont. Later in life, he published editorial cartoons with the Brattleboro Reformer, The Commons, and other regional papers. He was also a musician and singer for the band, Django, which recorded and performed in the Netherlands for several years in the 1970s. In his recent retirement, he took great pleasure landscaping his property in Westminster. He lived a rich and full life, and will be missed by everyone who came to know and love him. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, July 13, at 2 p.m., at Fenton and Hennessy Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. Donations to Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, P.O. Box 127, Westminster, VT 05158.
• David Austin Sheldon, 86, of Walpole, N.H. and Dunedin, Fla. Died July 1 at home. Husband of the late Mary Teresa Murray. Father of Peter Sheldon and his wife, Cheryl, of Langdon, N.H., and John Sheldon and his wife, Annette, of Walpole. Born in Ludlow, Mass., the son of the late Lawrence M. and Martha (Robbins) Sheldon, and attended schools in the Agawam, Mass., area. He left school to join the Navy near the end of World War II, where he was stationed on a mine sweeper in the Pacific. After the war, he was a machinist at Hamilton-Standard in Windsor Locks, Conn. He then joined his brother, Ralph, in operating a restaurant known as the Glen in Russell, Mass. He left the Glen to purchase The Town House Restaurant in Belchertown, Mass., with his wife. In 1973, the Sheldons sold The Town House and on the July 4th weekend in 1974, they came to Walpole and found the Homestead Inn. After many years of hard work, the Inn became the place they both dreamed about. They fully retired in 1998 after the Inn was sold. He had a love for classic cars that was shared by his sons. He enjoyed reading westerns, playing cards, having a good laugh, be it with a friend or with someone he just met, and spending time with his family. He was a wonderful husband and father. He was a man of integrity, honor and pride. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held July 6 at St. Peter's Church in North Walpole, N.H., with burial in Walpole Cemetery.
• Barbara J. Sprague, 79, of Saxtons River. Died June 29. Wife of Leo F. Sprague for nearly 53 years. Mother of Christine Riendeau, Deborah Colgan, Richard and Michael Sprague, and the late Jonathan Sprague. Sister of the late Carolyn and Clifford Sprague. The daughter of the late Leroy and Mildred (O'Dette) Simonds, she attended Saxtons River Elementary School, Bellows Falls High School, and Castleton Teachers College. She got married in 1952 and, after a brief time in Virginia, the Spragues made their home in Saxtons River where they raised their family. She worked at Vermont Academy for 30 years. In her lifetime, activities that she was involved included the Grange, Mothers Club, PTA (president and secretary), chair of the Saxtons River Recreation Committee, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Pieces of Eight Square Dance Club, Club 39, and the Senior Center. Her interests were reading, furniture refinishing, and eating out with the Wednesday Family Luncheon. Memorial information: A graveside service was held July 6 at Saxtons River Cemetery. Donations to The Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168.