Obituaries
• Kathleen Marie "Katra" Faust, 75, passed away peacefully on March 30, 2025 at Covenant Living in Keene, New Hampshire, after a courageous journey with Alzheimer's disease. Born June 1, 1949, to Helen Peterson Faust and Kenneth Faust, Katra was raised in Jamestown, New York, alongside her beloved siblings: older brother Kenny Faust, younger sister Karen Holcomb, and younger brother Carrie Faust, who died in 2022. Even as she charted her own path, the roots of her early life - shaped by hard work, strength of character, and fierce determination - formed the foundation of the person she became. Katra lived with her whole heart. She found space for joy and laughter even in difficult times. She was never one to decline a party, or a dance floor, and her sense of adventure made her brave in ways both big and small. She saw the good in people, forgave freely, and held space for others to be exactly who they were. Her courage, curiosity, and refusal to play it safe shaped a life that was bold, open, and unapologetically her own. In the early 1980s, Katra met Neil Madow, moved to Brattleboro, and became a part of his family with his three children. She soon joined Silver Forest, the jewelry company now based in Rockingham. Over the next three decades, she played an integral role in building and scaling the business. As human resources director, she brought her training as a therapist into the workplace, championing honest communication, non-hierarchical teams, and putting people before profit. Her leadership helped cultivate a company culture rooted in respect and compassion. She brought warmth and wit to the stage as an actress, performing one-woman shows in New York City and Brattleboro. In Niagara Falls, New York, she led drama therapy groups for individuals living with severe mental illness-using her creative gifts to inspire healing and connection. In her 50s, Katra returned to school and earned a master's degree in marriage and family therapy from Antioch University. She opened a private practice in Westminster West, where she offered deep listening, perspective, and support to clients navigating life's hardest moments. Katra found a true partner and fellow adventurer in her second husband, Marvin Resnikoff. They married in a tent on the lawn in Westminster West, serenaded by a mariachi band. Their relationship was grounded in love, shared values, and a commitment to activism and exploration. They lived in Westminster West for 18 years before moving to Brattleboro for 6 years and more recently to Covenant Living in Keene. Together, they traveled the world by boat, train, airplane, and even camel (in India). In their 24 years together, no matter how far they roamed, her heart always brought her back to her favorite city: New Orleans. She became a member of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro later in life, drawn to its warmth, values, and sense of community. A deeply spiritual person, Katra found peace and connection there, in soul and in fellowship. It became a place where she could reflect, grow, and give back in quiet and meaningful ways. Those who knew her will carry her love, her laughter, and her legacy forward, always. She is deeply missed by Marvin; her children Ben Madow, Sarah Cota, Rachel Paranjpye, and Gena Madow; and her cherished grandchildren Sam and Max Madow, Davis and Molly Cota, Sachin and Avi Paranjpye, and Oliver and Maeve Samson. Katra's family extended far beyond blood - she built a wide and loving circle that included her daughter- and sons-in-law, her stepchildren, and her circle of close girlfriends, neighbors, and longtime friends who felt like family. Memorial information: A celebration of life will be held at a later date to honor her vibrant spirit. Donations may be made to St. Michael's Episcopal Church in her memory.
• Dallas Brenda Milliken, 82, of North Walpole, New Hampshire. Died peacefully on March 30, 2025, at the Sullivan County Health Care nursing home in Unity, New Hampshire, surrounded by her loving family. Born on May 8, 1942 in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, "Brenda" attended various public schools throughout her youth, as her stepfather was a career Air Force officer. During her youth, Brenda's family was stationed in St. John's and Stephenville, Newfoundland, Helena, Montana, and Topeka, Kansas. In 1959, while living with her family at Harmon Air Force Base in Newfoundland, Brenda met Charles William Milliken, and they were married the following year on Aug. 12, 1960, in Boston, Chuck's hometown. Brenda and Chuck were happily married for 61 years, before "Pop" died in 2021. After his discharge from the Air Force in 1962, Chuck and Brenda moved back to Boston and settled in Jamaica Plain, where they started their family when sons Charles William Jr. was born in 1963, and then Joseph Elliot in 1966. In 1970, the Millikens moved to Agawam, Massachusetts, when Chuck began his career with the F.W. Woolworth Company, and their third son, John Douglas, was born in 1970. Especially as a young mother, Brenda dedicated her entire life to taking care of her family, always making them her top priority. From taking care of her younger sisters as a teenager, to becoming a most loving and dedicated mother and wife to her "four boys," to babysitting her young grandchildren. Throughout their sons' young lives, Chuck, Joe, and John counted on their Mom the most, as their Dad worked long hours as a retail store manager to support his family. She did a tremendous amount of work not only at home, but also making sure her sons always had what they needed and were always where they needed to be. For many years, she was the glue of the family and kept everything in order and functioning properly. In fact, whenever one of their sons got a compliment for being polite or well-behaved, Chuck always told them to "thank their Mom, because she did most of the work!" In the late 1980s, Brenda, now better known as "Nana," decided she wanted to enter the workforce. She enjoyed a nearly 20-year stay in the Fall Mountain Regional School District, working in the kitchens at the North Walpole Elementary School, Walpole Middle School, and Fall Mountain Regional High School. She loved being around all the students and her co-workers, especially her special friends, Phyllis Daley and Liz Brady, both of North Walpole. After working hard all their lives and now retired, Brenda and Chuck settled into their cozy "yellow house up on the hill" in North Walpole, where they spent most of their time visiting with and having "family time" with their son's families. Nothing on God's green earth was more important to Brenda than her family, and one couldn't ask for a more caring daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will always be remembered for her selfless dedication and love for her family and close friends, and her memory will forever be cherished. Brenda was predeceased by her parents, Douglas and Gladys Mercer Lastovica, and stepfather Joseph Lastovica. She is survived by her sons Charles William Jr. and his wife Bonnie, of Charlestown, New Hampshire, Joseph Elliot and his wife Kelly, of Bellows Falls, and John Douglas of Cary, North Carolina; daughter-in-law Dee Milliken of Charlestown, and daughter-in-law Anna Michaud of Douglas, Massachusetts. She is also survived by her four loving sisters and her entire "Texas Family," Deanna Mercer Faas, Lucille Lastovica Smith, Rose Ann Lastovica Cook, and Carol Lastovica Bartek, as well as several nieces and nephews who she loved very much. She also dearly loved her grandchildren Alyssa Milliken Hancock (and husband Alex), Craig Milliken (Jennifer), Nathan Milliken (Grace), Erin Milliken, and Justin Milliken; and great-grandchildren Claire, Emmett, and Grace. Memorial information: A private funeral service for the immediate family was held in St. Peter's Cemetery in Walpole, where Brenda was laid to rest next to her beloved husband. Donations to the Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities, 91 Maple Ave., Keene, NH 03431, cedarcrest4kids.com.
• Reginald William Arthur "Reggie" Martell III, 48, died unexpectedly on April 2, 2025. It was his grandfather's birthday. Reggie was born on Oct 4, 1976, and touched many with his intellect, wit and genuine concern for others. He was a technological marvel and mentor for scores of people, exhibiting enormous patience, and most often, donating his skill and time. Reggie accumulated skills through his M.A. in teaching with technology and established a list of accomplishments producing podcasts and countless websites for friends, school districts, the Brattleboro Historical Society, and businesses. He recorded and edited film and audio. Reggie was nocturnal, working into the wee hours of the morning. He was undaunted by even the most complex of challenges, tore into them with the full force of his talent and personality. He gave 100% to his passions. "I will get it done," he would say. He was an avid and sometimes maniacal bicyclist who chose harrowing trails, and enjoyed the serenity of a canoe ride on the Connecticut River or along the rapids of the West River. He experimented with his drones, recording nature's beauty and historical scenes. Reggie also dabbled at gardening, carpentry, and electrical work. He had already readied this spring's garden in the backyard "to make it better than last year's." He loved growing lettuce. Reg traveled whenever he could, participating in educational courses adding wisdom, humor, and insightful commentary, and always digitizing the experience. He was so interested in so many things. He was a wonderful musician and part of The Humming, a local group that went to the studio to produce a CD. The group was made of high school classmates who recognized Reggie as a "natural" musician and the group's best singer - all while playing the drums. But mostly what Reggie did was accumulate love from an army of friends. Reggie is survived by his mother, Theresa Holiday Martell, his sister, Paula & Brian Ross, aunts and uncles Bill and Lyle Holiday, Patrick and Jean Holiday, Kathy Holiday, Louis and Punkey Listo, Edward and Terri Goodell, Linda Hagg and Michael Martell, nephews Gavin and Jack Ross, and numerous cousins and dear friends. Memorial information: No services were announced at this time. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302 windhamcountyhumane.org. To offer condolences to the family, visit atamaniuk.com.
Services
• Graveside committal services for Janet C. Esden will be conducted in West Brattleboro Cemetery on Mather Road on Saturday, April 12, at 10:30 a.m. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Committal rites and burial for Heather M. Huling will be conducted Wednesday, April 16, at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph's Cemetery on Plain Road in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Graveside committal rites and burial for Alfred E. "Al" Courtemanche will be conducted Wednesday, April 16, at 11 a.m. in St. Joseph's Cemetery on Plain Road in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. To view his full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
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