Obituaries
• Wayne Carhart, 75, of Brattleboro. Died March 8 at Thompson House in Brattleboro from Parkinson's disease. A retired health administrator and local historian, he moved from Manhattan to Brattleboro in 1997. As an adolescent, he spent summers in Westminster West, helping his parents' Long Island neighbors, the Schwan family, build their summer home. He pursued his lifelong interest in history by becoming president of the Brattleboro Historical Society in 1998, a position he held until 2004. During his tenure, the Society published two books, acquired the Beal House, led the effort to restore the Canal Street School bell tower, and initiated a digitizing and indexing program for the historical society's photo collection. A website soon followed. He wrote a monthly column, accompanied by vintage photos, in the Brattleboro Reformer from 1998 to 2004. In 2006, the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce, to commemorate its 100th anniversary, published some Carhart's essays in a book, Pages in Time. He hosted a writing group in his home for many years and wrote short stories that often focused on many human idiosyncrasies. Carhart and Charles Fish of Dummerston co-authored the 2009 book On the Job: The Brattleboro Public Works Department. In 2011, he published his first novel, Becoming Himself, about a boy from a blue-collar background growing up in the suburbs of Manhattan in the 1950s who had aspirations higher than his family. The book also deals with the protagonist's homosexual experiences before and after the Stonewall riots. He was born on April 7, 1941, and attended Mineola, N.Y., public schools and graduated in 1963 from Clarkson University. After working as an admissions counselor for Stony Brook University, he became administrator of the pediatric ambulatory services for the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He held positions as director of prison health services and administrative director of family court mental health services for the City of New York. At the time of Carhart's death, he was working on his memoir. In 1989, his 20-year marriage to Jane Margales ended in divorce. He is survived by his close friend and writing partner Douglas Goertzen of Brattleboro. Memorial information: Interment in the Westminster West Cemetery will take place.
• Nancy Ingram Evans, 90, of Townshend. Died March 7 after a lengthy bout with Alzheimer's Disease. Born March 20, 1926 in Rochester, N.Y., she never knew who her father was and, as a youngster, she moved from home to home. When still a young girl, John Raymond “J. Ray” Ingram fell in love with her mom Pat, married her and adopted Nancy. They lived in Louisville, Ky., for many years. During World War II, she worked at Grumman Aircraft and met her husband, Brian D. Evans, there. They wed in 1945 and were loving partners for 61 years until his death, living in Glen Cove, N.Y., Locust Valley, N.Y., and on West Hill Road in Townshend.They raised four children: Melinda, John (of Townshend), Patricia, and Brian A. “She made her life work the care of her husband and the raising of her children. No other aspect of her life gave her more joy and satisfaction except, perhaps, her six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren,” her family writes. After her mom died, she took over care of her father, ultimately building an apartment for him on West Hill Road. “Nanny,” as she was known by her family and grandchildren, was kind-hearted, devoted, and loving, her family says; “she had a smile and a quick introduction for all she met and volunteered at many civic and community events [...]. Her love of flowers had her out in the garden for hours. Roses were her specialty.” She swam and walked for exercise and played golf with Brian in their retirement at Brattleboro Country Club and Stratton. “She was the consummate hostess, charming guests with a hint of southern hospitality learned from her days in Louisville. Her “Derby Day” parties were enjoyed by many. She was an accomplished cook but most well known for her cakes, especially the icings.” Memorial information: The family will gather later in the year in Townshend to celebrate her life and inter her ashes alongside her husband at Oakwood Cemetery.
• Miriam (Mazzola) Adams Howland, 75, of Guilford. Died March 9. Born July 8, 1941, in Queens, N.Y., her Italian father and Jewish mother baptized her and raised her in the Dutch Reformed Church, which her family calls “one of the many interesting contradictions in her life.” She attended public schools and enjoyed touring the work sites of her grandfather's construction company. She did her undergraduate work at the City College of New York. After a brief marriage to Ronald Adams, she landed a public relations job at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. As assistant director of public affairs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York, with a Rolodex that included most of the politicians, she coordinated discreet visits and medical procedures and always confounded the press and paparazzi. She went on to receive her graduate degree in public health from Hunter College, and worked thereafter at Memorial Sloan Kettering in public health education, designing innovative programs focused on breast cancer education. At a conference in Florida she met her second husband, Dr. William Howland, an internationally renowned anesthesiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and author of several medical treatises. Her family writes: “He had a ski chalet near Mount Snow, where she took to snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing - especially the steepest slopes. On summer weekends, they traveled around Vermont in Bill's van. A boat trip on Lake Champlain ended in disaster, with a storm, Miriam on the ship-to-shore radio, and an anchor on the ferry line's underwater cable. From then on, real vacations were taken by plane. On one flight to Washington, D.C., the landing gear failed, and after a few circles, the plane made a belly landing. Seated across from New York Senator Jacob Javits, she grabbed him and declared, 'You are my Senator, you had better save me.' He carried her off the plane. At a fundraiser in the hidden rooms of the Metropolitan Opera, Placido Domingo accidentally knocked her over. The great tenor fell to his knees, kissed her hand, and then embraced her, as the room gave them a standing ovation.” After retiring from Memorial Sloan Kettering in 1987, the couple moved to Guilford. Although Bill Howland fully retired, she established Adams and Associates, a consulting firm, where she designed and wrote major National Institute of Health grants for hospitals and health organizations nationwide. Her work would bring her honors and international recognition, and she presented papers and seminars at the White House and several times in Paris. She served in various leadership positions on the board of the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, on the development committee of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, on the board of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and supported a variety of other local and state nonprofits. She is survived by her brother Vincent Mazzola, her sister Frances Cantara, her nephew Kenneth Cantara, her Cambini cousins, their families in New York, and the family of her husband, who died in 1996. “She passed away quietly with Josh James, her aide-de-camp and longtime caregiver, holding her hand, and others who were close to her heart,” her family notes. Memorial information: A private service is planned. A memorial reception will be held in the spring.
• Edward Gamaliel Janeway, Jr., 84, formerly of South Londonderry. Died March 10 at Valley Terrace Assisted Living in Hartford, Vt. He was born in 1932 in Glen Cove, N.Y., to Edward G. and Elinor (White) Janeway. His father served in the Vermont Legislature, first as a House member from Londonderry from 1951 to 1955, then as a state senator from Windham County from 1959 to 1976. Growing up in Oyster Bay, N.Y., he attended the Green Vale School, where he discovered his passion for writing and history. Following the family move to South Londonderry in 1945, he attended nearby Vermont Academy before studying and graduating from Middlebury College in 1955. He pursued a master's degree in communications from Boston University, graduating in 1965. He learned French on a summer immersion experience in France in 1953 with the Experiment in International Living in Brattleboro. He also served abroad as an Army correspondent in Germany after college and then later served as a visitor guide at the Brussels World's Fair of 1958. He met his French-born wife, Claude Laumont, at a wedding reception in Connecticut. Their courtship began on a Cambridge tennis court. They married in 1965, and the family love for tennis was a constant throughout their life, as well as skiing, hiking, canoeing, biking, and golfing. She died in 2009. “They enjoyed these activities in Vermont and in the Adirondacks in New York, where his family was an integral part of the Adirondack Mountain Reserve and the beginnings of the Adirondack Trail Improvement Society. As a fourth generation member of the Ausable Club, he made many lifelong friends there. He and his wife were proud '46ers,' having ascended all the Adirondack peaks over 4,000 feet,” his family writes. He had “a boundless interest in writing, language, and books.” A journalist, he covered stories and politics in Massachusetts and Vermont. During the 1970s, when the Janeways lived in Rhode Island, he owned the Bristol Bookshop. The Janesways moved to Norwich in 1982, building a family home where he tended sheep and chickens, harvested sap for maple syrup, and participated in Jericho Community Club gatherings. A railroad enthusiast his whole life, he worked as a stationmaster in White River Junction and was a substitute teacher in the Upper Valley school systems in the 1990s and 2000s. He served as an Everybody Wins! Vermont reading buddy, coordinated the Norwich Farmer's Market and, in 2012, acted in community theater. “He will be remembered for his spirit, kindness, charm, easy-going personality, civic involvement, and love of Vermont life,” his family writes. He is survived by his daughters, Annie Janeway and Margaret Conway; son-in-law Sean Conway; brother Harold of Concord, N.H.; and brother-in-law Philippe Laumont of New York City; numerous cousins, and 18 nieces and nephews. Siblings Ted, Priscilla Sherwood, Elsie Apthorp, and Betsy died earlier. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 1, at 1 p.m., at the Norwich Congregational Church. Donations to the Parish Players, P.O. Box 136, Thetford, VT 05074, or Vermont Public Radio, 365 Troy Ave., Colchester, VT 05446.
• Earle Everett Pinkham, 98, of Chester. Died March 10 at Springfield Hospital. Born Dec. 2, 1918 in Lynn, Mass., son of the late Earle Everett Pinkham Sr. and Aletha Florence Parrott, he graduated from Lynn English High School in 1936 and attended Burdett Business College. A World War II veteran, he enlisted in the Army in 1940 and served in Panama. In 1942, he married Barbara Louise Winston before serving in North Africa and, later, in Karachi, Pakistan, with the Army Air Corps. He was honorably discharged in 1945 as a second lieutenant. When he retired after 34 years managing service stations in Salem and Lynn for Bursaw Oil Co., he relocated to Belchertown, Mass. He and his wife moved to Chester in 1992 to be near his in-laws, Jean and George Winston, who lived in Grafton. After his wife died in 2008, Barbara H. Kolodziej “served as his caretaker and highly valued friend, allowing him to stay in his own home as he wished,” his family writes. “She was his advocate and frequent companion both for medical appointments and daily care as well as family occasions. He never missed his morning exercise routine and was quite pleased with the Patriots' recent success, but will no longer be concerned with college basketball brackets.” He was deeply interested in history and was an avid reader and book collector. He was also a 32nd degree Mason. His children and grandchildren considered him “one of the kindest and smartest men they have known and remember him with love.” He is survived by his son, Galen, of Grafton; his brother, Edward, of Lynn; and four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. A brother, Norman, died in 1994, and his daughter, Cheryl, in 2007. Memorial information: A graveside service is planned for June 4 at Cobb Cemetery in Houghtonville. In lieu of flowers, please mail memories to Galen Pinkham at 2026 Stage Coach Rd., Grafton VT 05146.
• Col. John M. “Jack” Robb (ret.), 84, of Watertown, Conn., formerly of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 21 at Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital. Husband of Norma (Emerick) Robb for more than 55 years. Born in Brattleboro, son of the late Hermon and Bertha (Haynes) Robb, he worked on the Robb Family Farm on Ames Hill, dairying and maple sugaring. He graduated from Brattleboro Union High School and attended the University of Vermont, where he served as president of Sigma Phi and graduated with a degree in economics. During college, he joined the Vermont Air National Guard and became an F-89 fighter pilot. He earned a command pilot rating and flew more than 5,000 hours in fighters and transport aircraft, including missions during the Vietnam War. He continued to serve in the Air Guard for the next 33 years, retiring in 1988 in his final post as chief of staff of the New Hampshire Air National Guard. He retired at the rank of colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit. He worked 32 years for IBM, traveling the world as an international account manager. “One of his memorable assignments was in Germany, where he was accompanied by his family for three years and lived in Aufkirchen in Bavaria,” his family writes. He lived in Watertown, Conn., since 1963. He served as deacon of the First Congregational Church, Troop 76 Scoutmaster, justice of the peace, and chairman of the Watertown Fire District, and he assisted with the Connecticut committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program. Besides his wife, Jack Robb is survived by his children and their spouses, John and Marie of Acton, Mass.; Heidi and Peter of Ann Arbor, Mich.; James and Melissa of Columbia, Md.; and Joel and Kimberly of Monument, Colo.; brothers Thomas of Scarsdale, N.Y., and Charles of Brattleboro; and 11 grandchildren. His sister, Mary Robb Mansfield, died in 2016. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 22, at 10 a.m., at the First Congregational Church in Watertown, Conn.
• Jean Rice Shaw, 89, of Dummerston. Died March 12. She and her family moved to Dummerston in 1963, where she and her husband Gaylord lived until 2014. She taught fifth grade at the Dummerston Elementary school for more than 20 years, retiring in 1989. She loved the outdoors and taught her students to appreciate it as much as she did. She and Gaylord spent many hours flying around southern Vermont, and spent summers at their camp in North Hero. She was a member of the Dummerston Congregational Church for over 50 years. She is survived by her sons, John, Doug and his wife Loren, Steve and his wife Terry, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Her husband, Gaylord, died in 2015; her youngest son, Scott, in 2013. Memorial information: There will be a family graveside service at a later time. Donations to the Groundworks Drop-In Center in Brattleboro or Brattleboro Senior Meals.
• Steven Randall Vakaros, 30, of Brattleboro. Died March 16 after “a long-enough battle with malignant melanoma,” his sister, Chrissy (Vakaros) Howe writes. Born May 8, 1986 in Newport, R.I. A 2004 graduate of Brattleboro Union High School, he was “a father, provider, and protector to two beautiful rays of sunshine. Julianna and Preston, his carrot top and blue-eyed blonde who love him beyond reproach,” Howe writes. “Steven was Greek, and as such he was a committed soccer fan and dedicated time to coaching kids at the Rec Center in Brattleboro.” He served as a family member/owner of Frankie's Pizzeria for numerous years. “Steven loved it and kept it going, and Frankie's was transformed into the space that is now Hazel” with his help, Howe writes. “He owned a piece of that company for a short time and continued to work passionately in a hot kitchen making delicious food until he became ill.” Vakaros worked most recently as a paver for Vermont Roadworks, where he “loved the torture of summer paving and the freezing cold work of winter clearing.” In addition to his sister and children, Vakaros leaves his wife, Lindsey (Saunders) Vakaros, “who cared for him so thoroughly that she ironed his suit and made sure it smelled like his favorite cologne for his final sleep,” Howe writes. He leaves his parents, Linda (Randall) Vakaros of Newport, R.I., and Frankie Vakaros of Brattleboro; a grandmother; and many cousins, aunts, uncles, a brother-in-law, a niece, and two nephews. His family in Greece will miss him dearly. Memorial Information: A wake will be held at Atamaniuk Funeral Home on Thursday, March 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Steven Vakaros's name may be made to an account established for his two children through Savings Bank of Walpole, P.O. Box 744, Keene, N.H. 03431.