Obituaries
• Pam Ciampi, 74, of Putney. Died with dignity and grace on Jan. 9, 2019 from complications from kidney disease. She was a proud mother and grandmother, a gardener, a skilled teacher, a respected author, an avid reader, and a well-known astrologer. She loved cooking, watching football, traveling, and long conversations with her close friends. Pam was born in New York, grew up in Florida, and attended college in Alabama. She received her BA in Art History and Education from the University of Miami. For the next 20 years, she lived in Vermont, studied astrology, taught preschool and elementary school, and raised her family. In 1991, Pam moved to southern California, where she lived until May 2017, when she returned to Vermont to be closer to her family. Pam leaves behind her husband, Daniel Harris, two sons, Zak Godwin and Pete Bernhard, a daughter, Caitlin Florschutz Browne and her wife, Katie Browne; a grandson, Ridley Browne; a stepson, Iain Harris and his wife, Annie Adams, a brother, Peter Ciampi; two nieces, Julie English and Corey Greer, and their children, Lydia, Ella, August, and Keller. She is predeceased by her parents, George and Lydia Ciampi, and her beloved dog, Bo. Those who knew Pam will miss her laugh, quick wit, curious nature, warmth, and unwavering strength. She was one of a kind. Memorial information: A celebration of Pam's life will be held in Vermont in the spring; date and location to be announced. Donations to the Putney Public Library, 55 Main St., Putney, VT 05346.
• Ellen Evelyn Cutler, 83, formerly of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 10, 2019 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. She was born in Brattleboro on October 24, 1935, the daughter of Floyd W. and Evelyn F. (Williams) Clark. She was raised and educated in Brattleboro and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1951. For 40 years, she worked as a bartender and manager at the former Mike's Restaurant on Elliot Street. Previously she had been employed as a stitcher at the former Book Press in Brattleboro. She enjoyed cooking and cake baking, as well as time shared with family. She was first married to George Clark, who predeceased her, and later married Thomas Cutler, who is also deceased. Survivors include one son, Ray Clark of Lakeland, Fla., three brothers, Warren Clark and Leon Clark, both of Vernon, Chester Clark of Winchester, N.H., four grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husbands, she was predeceased by a daughter, Diane Brooks, and two brothers, Richard and Charles Clark. Memorial information: Graveside committal services will be held in Locust Ridge Cemetery on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 11 a.m. A reception will follow to be announced at the graveside services. Donations to the Vernon Green Nursing Home Activities Fund, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon, VT 05354. To sign an online guestbook, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Frank Elwell, 76, of Vernon. Died at home on Jan. 15, 2019. He was born in Bennington on September 23, 1942, the son of Albert F. and Louise (Pellerin) Elwell. He attended local schools and was a graduate of Bennington High School, Class of 1960. He enlisted in the Navy in June 1962, and was honorably discharged in August 1966. He then enlisted in the Army, where he served for 20 years and attained the rank of master sergeant. He then became a Vermont State Trooper for seven years, and went on to become an investigator for the Vermont Department of Liquor Control. He enjoyed time spent with family and friends, being outdoors and hunting. He leaves his wife of 51 years, Sharon (Vesper) Elwell; his son Mark, of Derby; his brothers, Al Elwell of Northfield, Vt., and Ron Elwell of Bennington; two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Michael, in 2000. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Jan. 18 at Blessed Sacrament Church with Rev. Timothy Campoli pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery in Greenfield Mass., with military honors provided by Northfield (Mass.) VFW Post 9874. Donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908, or to Blessed Sacrament Church, 182 High St, Greenfield, MA 01301.
• Ilmari Alexander “John” Enola, 91, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 14, 2019 at Pine Heights Nursing Home following a period of declining health. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 15, 1927 the youngest child of Selim Allen and Hannah Pauline (Lind) Enola. Both of his parents were from Finland, which was John's first language. The family moved to Vermont from Brooklyn in 1932 and resided in Eastham (a hamlet of Shrewsbury) and Mount Holly. He was raised and educated in Mount Holly, graduating from Mount Holly Elementary School in 1941 and Rutland High School, Class of 1946. He went on to graduate from Johnson State College in 1953. While at Johnson State, he met his future wife, Virginia Lambert. The couple were married in Johnson, a week after graduation. John proudly served his country in the Army, attached to the Air Force, during the Korean Conflict. He was stationed in Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base with the 813th Engineer Aviation Battalion. Following his honorable discharge from active service in June 1956, he returned home to Vermont and completed graduate work at the University of Vermont, receiving his masters degree in education in 1958. He also received his third degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1970, and later earned his Specialist degree in Library Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1983. John taught at the Austine School for the Deaf in Brattleboro, joining the faculty in 1960 teaching until June 1991. He continued at Austine, in charge of the Captioned Films Depository until 2003, retiring that year following 43 faithful years with the school. During his younger years, John also had been employed as a bellhop working at the Eastern Slope Inn in New Hampshire for several summers. He received an award from the Vermont House of Representatives for his 40 years as an outstanding faculty member at Austine School, and was the recipient of a Johnson State College Distinguished Alumnus award. Active civically, he was a member and past president of the Brattleboro Kiwanis Club and was active for several years with the Brattleboro Winter Carnival, serving as president in 1982. A man of deep faith, he was a longtime and active member of First United Methodist Church in Brattleboro. He especially enjoyed traveling abroad with family and friends to many destinations in Europe and Morocco as well as in the United States. Additionally, he liked to golf and was an avid reader and photographer. Besides his faithful and devoted wife of 65 years he leaves one daughter, Heidi Hinson (Steven) of Worcester, Mass.; granddaughters Ashley Rucinski (Milosz) and Brittany Hinson; great-granddaughter Sienna Mae Rucinski; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by three sisters, Impi Cole, Helvi Parker and Helen Rosenquist, and a brother, Allen Enola. Memorial information: Funeral services were conducted Jan. 19 at First United Methodist Church. Donations to Living Memorial Snow Sports, Inc., P.O. Box 1945, Brattleboro, VT 05302-1945, or to the First United Methodist Church, 18 Town Crier Drive, Brattleboro, VT 05301. To sign an online register book, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Anne M. Lund, 57, of Westminster. Died Jan. 10, 2019. Born in Bellows Falls on March 27, 1961, the daughter of Bela Lund Jr. and Isabel Bushway, she attended schools in Bellows Falls and worked at Sonnax. Anne loved animals, gossiping, making people laugh, donating blood and, most of all, she loved her grandchildren. She is survived by her fiance, Warren Hayes of Westminster; her daughters Katie Searles of Holland, Vt., and Karen Stoodley of Bellows Falls; her brothers Mark and Doug Lund, both of Westminster, and Bradley Lund of Oregon; her sister Beverly DeCamp of Westminster; and her grandchildren Bentley Hawley, Isabella, Delaney, and McKenna Stoodley. She was predeceased by her parents and her sister Mary Beth Lund. Memorial information: A celebration of Anne's life took place on Jan. 19 at the Westminster Fire Department. Burial will take place at a later date in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls. Arrangements were in the care of Fenton & Hennessey Funeral Home of Bellows Falls.
• Dawson J. Lyon Sr., 74, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 12, 2019 in Lebanon, N.H. He was born on March 16, 1944 in Island Pond, to the late Arthur and Eva (Elliott) Lyon. He worked as a stores clerk at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Vernon for 35 years until retirement. During that time, he met and fell in love with Sylvia Powell, who survives him, and they married in 1978. He served in the Air Force as a military policeman during the Vietnam War. He enjoyed playing the guitar, hunting and fishing, and spending time with his friends and family. He loved to be at his camp in Island Pond, especially with his favorite hunting beagle, Tiger. Dawson was a 32nd Degree Mason of the Brattleboro Masonic Lodge and a member of the Valley of Southern Vermont Scottish Rite. He was also a member of the Cairo Shriners of Rutland snowmobile unit as well as a member of the Brattleboro Elks Lodge. Always ready to help others and share a great story, Dawson was a legendary friend and neighbor, and will be sorely missed. He is survived by his sons Dawson Lyon Jr. of Brattleboro and Shane Lyon of Canada; his daughters Tiffany Fifer and her husband Jeremy, of San Diego, Calif., and Alaina Lyon of South Deerfield, Mass. He is also survived by two step-grandchildren, as well as his sisters Sharon Crowe and her husband Bradley of Newport, Marlene Dawson and her husband. Richard, of Caanan, and a large extended family. He was predeceased by siblings William and Duane Lyon, Lorraine Dubois, and Patricia Osborne. Memorial information: A funeral service is planned for July 13, 2019, at 11 a.m., at St. James Catholic Church in Island Pond, with a reception to follow. An internment service will be held privately at a later date. Donations to New England Donor Services (neds.org/give) or the Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104.
• Veronica “Ronnie” T. (Karnacewicz) Simonds, 89, of Bellows Falls. Died Jan. 13, 2019 at the Springside Rehab Center in Pittsfield, Mass. Over the past two winters, she lived at the Holton Home in Brattleboro. Veronica was born in Bellows Falls on July 1, 1929, the daughter of John and Mary (Tolka) Karnacewicz. She grew up and attended schools in North Walpole, and was a graduate of Bellows Falls High School in 1948. She was employed at the First National Store in Bellows Falls for 24 years. After it closed, she worked at Readex in Chester for many years until her retirement. Following her retirement, she volunteered at Parks Place Community Resource Center in Bellows Falls, where she made many friends. Her greatest joy was her family. She was a Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan, and enjoyed taking her grandchildren to Red Sox games. In addition, she loved animals, especially her children's “fur kids.” Veronica was predeceased by her husband, Richard Simonds, who died in 1960. She was also predeceased by her many brothers and sisters. Veronica leaves a daughter, Nancy Ruderman and her husband, Philip, of Pittsfield, Mass.; a son, Gary Simonds of Claremont, N.H., and four grandchildren and one great-grandson. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Jan. 17 at St. Charles Church in Bellows Falls, with burial in Oak Hill Cemetery in Bellows Falls. Donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Springfield Humane Society, or the Windham County Humane Society.
• Adam J. Stradecki, 76, of Whitingham. Died Jan. 16, 2019 at his home. Adam was born in Poland on Jan. 1, 1943 the son of the late George and Josephine Dubicka Stradecki and attended schools in England. Adam was a man of many talents. He worked as a hairdresser, bus driver, tool and die maker, and a machinist for Sturm-Ruger Firearms. Upon moving to Vermont, he became a pig farmer and did carpentry and maintenance work for both Greenspring in West Dover and the Crafts Inn in Wilmington. He enjoyed gardening, fishing, and cutting fire wood. He was a drummer in a band in his youth, an avid Miami Dolphin football fan, and a Manchester United soccer fan. He enjoyed his home and times spent with his family. Adam is survived by his wife Susan Malstrom Stradecki of Whitingham whom he married in 1976, his son Alex Stradecki of Charlestown, N.H., his daughter Holly Cohan and her husband Charles of Miami, Fla., sister Barbara Winkler and her husband Mark of Milford, Conn., his granddaughter Charlotte Cohan and nieces, nephews, and cousins. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Jan. 22 at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington. Interment will be private. Donations to the American Lung Association, in care of Covey-Allen & Shea Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.
• Donald Lawrence “Don” Tyler, 89, of Brattleboro. Died Jan. 19, 2019 at his home, following a period of declining health. A well-known area electrical contractor, he was born in Northfield, Mass. on Oct. 5, 1929, the son of Albert and Doris (Ware) Tyler. He was raised and educated in Brattleboro and was a graduate of Brattleboro High School, Class of 1949. He went on to proudly serve his country in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Freemont in the Mediterranean. Following his honorable discharge from active service, he returned home and joined his father in the family business, Lawrence A. Tyler, Electrician. In 1951, he married Virginia “Jean” Urko. His loving wife of 64 years predeceased him in 2016. Upon the death of his father, he assumed ownership of the business and became co-owner with his brother Frederick operating the business (A. L. Tyler & Son) until his retirement in 1992. He was a member of the B.P.O. Elks, Brattleboro Lodge #1499, the Brattleboro Lodge #102 Free & Accepted Masons, and held membership in the Brattleboro Shrine Club. An avid golfer, with his wife he was a longtime member of the Brattleboro Country Club. An ardent outdoorsman, he also enjoyed cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and taking long walks. Of his other pastimes and interests, he liked fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family at their camp in Wilmington and their cottage on Spofford Lake. The Tylers also enjoyed wintering in Naples, Fla., where they owned a second home. Don was a faithful and devoted husband and loving father, grandfather, great grandfather and a friend to many. Survivors include one son, Kelly Tyler of Brattleboro, his daughter, Brenda LaRock and her husband, Rocky, of Guilford; and seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a son, Gregory Tyler, and his brother, Frederick Tyler. Memorial information: A funeral service was conducted on Jan. 23 at Atamaniuk Funeral Home. Burial with full military honors will follow in the family lot in West Brattleboro Cemetery. Donations to Living Memorial Snow Sports, Inc., P.O. Box 1945, Brattleboro, VT 05302-1945. To sign an online register book or send messages of condolence, visit www.atamaniuk.com.
• Stephen S. “Steve” Weiss, 72, of Wilmington. Died Jan. 8, 2019 after suffering a stroke while hospitalized at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington. Husband to the late Frances A. Weiss, and father to Kimberly Weiss Shrank and Samantha Weiss Critchell, he had lived full-time in Wilmington for five years and had been a “weekender” for the 40 years before that. Born as a first-year Baby Boomer on May 18, 1946 in Queens, N.Y., Steve grew up in Long Beach, N.Y., with his late parents George and Matilda, and his surviving sister Sandra. As a teenager, Steve enjoyed judo and life-guarding. In college, he studied business at New York University. It was on an NYU ski trip to Mount Snow that Steve met Fran, the great love of his life. They were married in 1968. As a young couple, Steve and Fran enjoyed living in New York City, where Steve worked with his father in the family garment-manufacturing business called Matson Shirts. There was a showroom in the hub of the Garment District, and a full factory near Union Square. Later, Fran would be the designer there. Steve, his wife and then two young daughters moved to Westport, Conn., and, later, nearby Waccabuc, N.Y. Steve's family business evolved during that time to become an international manufacturing business, producing products for some of the biggest apparel brands. Steve enjoyed the extensive travel, especially to China, where he went several times a year. Steve's younger daughter Kim and Samantha's husband Seth both joined the business and would often accompany Steve on these trips. During most of this time, however, Steve maintained a house in Wilmington, and large gatherings with family and friends at the “ski house” were among his happiest times. Steve was an early adopter of new technologies, and gadgetry remained one of his interests into his retirement. He loved to Face Time his two youngest grandchildren, who live in London. His other interests included politics and cooking. Memorial information: Funeral services are private. To send the family personal condolences, visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.