College news
• The following local residents were named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Earning first honors were Roxanne Burt of Marlboro, and Solan Homestead of Putney. Earning second honors were Aurelia M. Critchfield of Bellows Falls, Josephine Maione Kazadi of Putney, and Skye M. Twining of Brattleboro.
• Ilona Shaoul of Brattleboro, Miles Ackerman-Hovis of Guilford, and Ezra Holloway of Saxtons River were named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List at Purchase (N.Y.) College.
• Jaia Caron and Emma Hillock, both of Bellows Falls, were named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York.
• Dorothy Sims of Whitingham was named to the University of Alabama’s fall 2025 Dean’s List.
• Devin Speno of Brattleboro was named to the fall 2025 President’s List at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Jake Moore of Saxtons River was named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.
• The following local students have been recognized for academic excellence at Plymouth (N.H.) State University for the fall 2025 semester. Named to the President’s List were Jupiter Isham of Brattleboro, Riley McCormack of Newfane, and Haley McAllister of Putney. Denine French of Bellows Falls was named to the Dean’s List.
• Teo Ogden of Putney was was named to the fall 2025 Dean’s List at Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute.
Military news
• Rock Georges of Brattleboro, a member of the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, was recently promoted to the rank of senior airman.
• Charles Glass of West Wardsboro, assigned to Company C, 427th Brigade Support Battalion of the New York Army National Guard, was recently promoted to the rank of first sergeant.
Obituaries
• Timothy “Tim” Butterworth, 81, of Chesterfield, New Hampshire. Died Jan. 25, 2026, during a blizzard he would have loved. He had Parkinson’s disease and CHF, complications which provoked two successive falls at Covenant Living of Keene, New Hampshire. A teacher, carpenter, writer, woodsman, and New Hampshire State Representative, Tim was born on May 18, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, the second of four siblings, all of whom considered him their biggest supporter and strongest defender. His mother, Miriam “Mims” Brooks Butterworth, was an educator and activist, and his father, Oliver “Bud” Butterworth, was a professor of English and an author. Tim’s childhood was spent largely in West Hartford, and Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, where he was known for his strength in the stern of a canoe and where he developed an abiding love of New Hampshire’s mountains, lakes, and forests. In 1966, he graduated from Dartmouth College, where he spent four years rowing crew and earning a B.A. in English literature. He married Sue Ann Hallock before receiving his M.A. in American literature from the University of North Carolina in 1967. From 1967–70, he taught at Vermont Academy and became the father of two children. In 1970, he began teaching at Leland & Gray Union Middle and High School in Townshend, where he also became the head negotiator for the teachers union and fought relentlessly for fair pay and health coverage. He and Sue purchased a 60-acre farm in Chesterfield. His marriage ended in 1976, but the farm known as Sugarbush Hill became Tim’s lifelong passion. With the help of his second wife, Kay Kloppenburg, whom he married in 1984, the farm grew to be the epicenter of a large community of students and foreign travelers who began as housemates and, as a result of Tim’s warmth, care and inclusion, became family. Visitors and residents alike remember swimming in the pond or splashing in the waterfall and stargazing in the horse pasture in summer, hearing coyotes howl amidst the incandescence of fall foliage, riding toboggans down the sloping backyard and skating in the winter, and boiling sap on steamy nights in the sugarhouse in early spring, when the innumerable plants and animals who shared the property awakened and brought life back to the hills. An enthusiastic traveler, Tim studied for an MAT in English as a Second Language at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, and spent three months traveling in South America and teaching ESL in La Paz, Bolivia. He and Kay enjoyed sabbaticals from teaching in Vermont by living abroad and teaching ESL in Granada, Spain, and San Jose, Costa Rica. They also spent a year teaching in Fairfax County, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., where Tim taught literacy to foreign-born children while working at the Institute for Policy Studies, participating in the Occupy D.C. movement, and registering people to vote. Wherever he left tracks, Tim’s path always led home to New Hampshire and the countryside he loved. He was an ardent Democrat, campaigning door-to-door for candidates across New England and relishing the opportunities for healthy debate and communication. From 1996-2002 he served the town of Chesterfield as Selectman and Chairman of the Board of Selectmen. In these positions, he worked tirelessly to promote environmental conservation and marriage equality. He continued this work during a four-year term as a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2006–2010. His friend and colleague Tim Kipp commented, “Tim always lived a life larger than his personal happiness. His world was truly of sisters and brothers; their trials were his trials. Calmness was his strength. His anger over injustice was expressed in understanding, wisdom, a well-aimed wry comment and, above all, action. We can rest assured that soon the angels will be unionized and have universal healthcare.” Tim is survived by his wife Kay and their son Lateef Jackson (Melissa); children Brook (Benjamin Newland) and Ben (Diane Arabian); siblings Mike, Dan, and Kate; grandchildren Isabelle, Miranda, Benjamin, Abel, and Amelie; six nieces and nephews; and the dozens of people who lived or stayed at his farm and became part of his chosen family. Memorial information: A celebration of Tim’s life will be held in Chesterfield in the spring. Donations to the Women’s Advancement Initiative at University of Hartford (hartford.edu/womensadvancement, select “Make a Gift,” and type “Butterworth Family Fund” in the “Comments” section); or to Southern New Hampshire Indivisible at southernnhindivisible.org.
• Patricia Edna (Stephens) Doolittle, 92, died Jan. 31, 2026. She was born Oct. 20, 1933, in Brattleboro. She graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1951. She is survived by her husband George, and her sons, Robert and his wife Maureen, Craig and his wife Karen, and John and his wife Penny. She has several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her son David died in 2001. Memorial information: At her request, there will be no calling hours and no funeral services.
• Robert George “Bob” Johnson, 83, of Bryans Road, Maryland, formerly of Wilmington. Died Jan. 11, 2026, at the Restore Health Rehabilitation Center in White Plains. Born in Wilmington on March 8, 1942, he was the son of the late Robert H. Johnson and Janice G. Johnson. Bob served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged at the rank of Airman First Class. He then joined Local 10 of the International Union of Elevator Constructors as an elevator mechanic. Bob was a member of the Perseverance Masonic Lodge Number 208 in Indian Head where he was a Master Mason. He also belonged to the VFW and the Moose Lodge. Bob enjoyed doing yard work and was an avid Washington Commanders and Washington Nationals fan. He always loved “going home” to his beloved Vermont twice a year. In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his first wife, Cathy L. Johnson, and his second wife, Mary K. Johnson. Bob is survived by his son, Jeffrey Johnson (Jennifer) of Suffolk, Virginia; grandchildren Max Johnson (Shannon) of Castle Rock, Colorado and Ashlee Tibbetts (Izak) of Chesapeake, Virginia; a great-granddaughter, Magnolia; a sister, Patricia Payne of Brattleboro; brothers Albert Johnson (Sharon) of Hinsdale, New Hampshire and Bill Johnson (Stephanie) of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Memorial information: A private service and interment will take place at a later date. Donations to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Rama Davis Lynch, 91, formerly of Brattleboro. Died Feb. 1, 2026, at her home at Valley Village in Townshend, following an extended period of declining health. Rama was born at home July 7, 1934, in West Dummerston, the daughter of Raymon and Mary (Phillips) Davis. She was raised and educated in West Dummerston and graduated from Brattleboro High School with the Class of 1952. She worked at Georgia-Pacific in Brattleboro for 20 years, and previously worked for the Dunham Shoe Company and Holstein-Friesian Association. Rama also worked as a sales associate for Baker’s Hallmark, O.K. Fairbanks grocery store, and The Vermont Shop. Rama enjoyed reading (mostly mysteries), her daily crossword puzzles, and time shared with her family, especially her grandchildren. On Dec. 27, 1953, at First Baptist Church in Brattleboro, she married Albert E. Lynch, who predeceased her on June 6, 2006. Survivors include her four sons: Matthew and wife, Kristin, of Natick, Massachusetts; Christopher and his wife, Guangming, of Potsdam, New York; Timothy of Delhi, Iowa; and Peter and his wife, Julie, of Dummerston; one brother, Robert Davis of Keene, New Hampshire; a sister, Elizabeth Davis of Dummerston; and four grandchildren. Additionally, she leaves many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Alice Juscen, and three brothers, Richard, Phillip, and Edwin Davis who died during infancy. Memorial information: In keeping with her final wishes, there are no formal funeral services scheduled. Donations to Valley Village Assisted Living, 461 Grafton Rd., Townshend, VT 05353. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Mickey Rentas Sr., 58, died Jan. 28, 2026. A beloved father, grandfather and friend, he was taken far too soon and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Mickey was a passionate worker, a provider, and a fighter. He was the kind of man who worked hard every single day — not because he had to, but because that was simply who he was. Above all else, he cherished his family. He loved taking them on adventures which he spent months researching. Those family vacations gave them memories that will last a lifetime. Mickey was an avid sports fan. He was a loyal New York Jets fan, never losing his enthusiasm or hope for a better year ahead. He spent years coaching in Bellows Falls and Westminster. He instilled hope, teamwork, and having fun for the kids he coached. Mickey lives on through his children, Mickey Jr., Savana, and Maya; his daughter-in-law, Brigitte; grandchildren, Ella and Theodore (who affectionately called him Abuelo, grandfather), siblings, parents, family and friends. All of them will carry on his memory with love. Memorial information: A service and celebration was held Feb. 7 at First Baptist Church of Bellows Falls. A GoFundMe page has been created to help with his medical and funeral costs at gofund.me/543405a4d.
• Mary Corbeil Rivers, 86, died peacefully Jan. 27, 2026. She was born March 27, 1939, in Brattleboro, the daughter of Anna and Ulrich Corbeil. She attended St. Michael’s School. On June 10, 1961, she married Allen Peter Dearborn and had five children: Jacqueline, Christopher, Alison, Melissa and Jonathan. Mary will be remembered for her exuberant, fun-loving spirit. An artisan at heart, she was a devoted wife and dedicated mother. With tireless energy and remarkable attention to detail, she created beautiful sewn pieces — from custom draperies to pageant gowns. She generously shared her talents with her community, sewing an entire wardrobe for a grade-school play, uniforms for a junior high cheerleading squad, and countless costumes for town skating-club ice shows, among many other projects. She also taught sewing all along the way. After graduating from high school, she worked in New York City designing women’s ready-to-wear. Back home, she taught workshops and later managed the fabric departments at JCPenney and Walmart, where her support of crafters continued. An avid gardener, Mary’s skills were known throughout her neighborhood and brought joy to many. She participated in the Brattleboro Garden Club as member, president and treasurer. Mary continued serving her community, helping to provide hot meals at Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry for her neighbors in need. She was predeceased by her first husband, Allen Peter Dearborn, and second husband, William Rivers. In addition to her husbands, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Bob, Wayne and Jean; and two sisters, Marlene and Francis. Mary’s legacy of service and creativity will be carried forward by those who had the privilege of knowing her. She is survived by her children Jacqueline, Christopher, Alison, Melissa and Jonathan; her stepchildren, Marie, Marcy, Elizabeth and Mark; her brothers, Mike and Tom; her grandchildren, McKenzie, Anna, Isabella, Jasper and Kelsey; her great-grandchildren, Gambol, Winona, Aubrey, Merritt and Ryder, and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, friends and neighbors. Memorial information: A celebration of Mary’s life is tentatively set for spring, details to be determined. Donations to St. Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry, 38 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.
• Perrin Elizabeth Scott, 56, died Jan. 31, 2026. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer Oct. 12, 2024. Her courage was astounding. In 1991, as a 22 year old single woman, she got on a Greyhound bus, leaving Albany, New York. Sixty-seven dollars gave her six months of unlimited on-off privileges on that bus. She traveled the country on her own, visiting extended family and having adventures. She recounted the trip as formative – wonderful, thrilling, intense, sometimes quite scary and occasionally downright dangerous. Her intention was to permanently relocate to the West Coast. She landed in Eugene, Oregon, and found a room in a house with three other women. She treasured these women for the safe place to learn life skills – directness, honesty, compassion, respect, commitment, and consistency. She could make mistakes with them – and they with her – and together they would do the work to recover and learn and “move on to the next mistakes to learn from.” She credits her time on the bus and then with these women with starting her toward becoming the gracious, compassionate communicator so many knew and admired. She spent 23 years in Eugene, working with adults with disabilities. She helped them live in homes in the community and work in supported employment opportunities. For several years, she had a pattern of working for a while, saving and quitting to do extended travel around the West, most often in her 1974 Toyota truck, to go hiking and rock climbing in the Oregon Cascades, the Coast Range, and the Wind River Range of Wyoming on National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) trips. Notably, this included living in a snow hut in winter, at 8,000+ feet of elevation for a few weeks. When the NOLS instructors had to escort a student off the mountain due to unsafe behavior, she was selected to be a co-leader of the remaining group. She and a new-found friend co-led approximately 20 fellow students miles out of the wilderness — no trails, just topo maps, a compass, limited water, and a fairly aggressive black bear. She built her career in Special Education on this foundation of experience, communication, empathy and unflappable-ness. Her abilities as a teacher were, with no hint of hyperbole, legendary. Perrin, across all aspects of her life, was a force of nature, but to experience her in a classroom or running a meeting could be astounding. A quote from a Bethel, Oregon, Special Ed Director’s letter of reference in 2013 sums it up: “Perrin is in the top 5% of Special Educators that I have known over the past 30 years.” Her ability to perceive what students, families, and teaching colleagues needed had her husband Tom speculating as to the possibility she was clairvoyant. But really, she was just that smart, articulate, empathetic and perceptive. Her first job was in a classroom that multiple school districts could use as a placement for their highest needs students. She had eight students and 12 teaching assistants. There were students from six different districts. At the end of the year, she had job offers from every one of those districts. She landed in Bethel, where she reinvented a moderate needs program for students with cognitive and adaptive needs.When she and Tom decided to start a family, Tom had the incredible good fortune to share not only parenthood, but that teaching job. Starting in 2005, they each taught every other day; one of them would teach, while the other stayed home with sons, David and Sander. Tom and Perrin shared that schedule for eight years. It was challenging and amazing. They held to what Perrin learned when she first moved to Eugene – the foundation of a strong family and classroom was a classroom as a safe place to make mistakes. Of course, mistakes happened, but as she often said, “Show me someone not making some mistakes and I’ll show you someone not making anything at all.” Perrin and Tom had a place on the banks of the Willamette River and did plenty of swimming and kayaking. There was yearly “wet suit day” for the growing boys. There was a 30-mile bike path just off the driveway. They had 3,500 square feet of garden, a sauna, a hot tub, a swing set and a large sandbox. In 2013, Perrin led her family away from Eugene to Brattleboro. The goals were a more solid school system and “more singing.” And there was more and deeper beauty to be found. She taught at Brattleboro Union High School and Twin Valley Elementary, where she continued to grow her professional skills, earning deep respect from colleagues, families, and students. Before arriving in Vermont, Perrin didn’t know there would be singing in Brattleboro, but she was wishing for it. She found it. Pub Sing, Women’s Chorus, River Singers, Concert Choir, Hallowell and the Guilford Community Church — including her creation, the Visiting Voices Choir — which was a manifestation of her vision to assemble groups of singers to go to people’s homes and sing together. She got her singing in, much to the delight of all who were lucky enough to have heard and harmonized with her. Perrin had so much fun being a mother —singing and baking and imaginary play, camping, biking, hours and hours on the beaches of the Oregon Coast, endlessly reading books and traveling and camping for tens of thousands of miles around the West and across the country. She loved her boys “to the moon and back,” as she frequently said. She and Tom had 30 years together. They raised their sons. They traveled and biked and kayaked and sailed and hiked and played cards and juggled and loved their books and shows and movies and stories of all kinds. Perrin tried scuba diving; Tom was never quite so happy as when she announced, after about 20 dives, that she hated it and was never going to do it again. Through Perrin, Tom discovered the joy of “singing on purpose.” They had memorable trips to Mexico, Canada, Thailand, and all around the Pacific Northwest, notably to Lopez Island, where there was a juggling festival they attended with dear friends for many years. Together, they grew into a couple who had the faith and confidence in each other and themselves to love this life and make many of their dreams reality. She was glorious. Her friends, family, colleagues and the students and families she has nurtured have expressed their gratitude for the time she was here, as well as frustration and sadness that it ended so soon. She is survived by her husband Tom Yahner, sons David and Sander Scott, her brother Sam Scott (Christine Scott) and sister Sarah Scott (Thad Gemski) and parents Keith and Mary Scott. Memorial information: A memorial service will be held at West Brattleboro Congregational Church Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m., followed by a reception at Guilford Community Church. Perrin would be delighted by donations in her memory to the Guilford Community Church.
• Paula Whiting, 74, of Eastham, Massachusetts, formerly of Whitingham and Brattleboro. Died peacefully Jan. 25, 2026, in the company of her loving children, after a mercifully brief battle with metastatic carcinoma. Born March 11, 1951, in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Paula was the daughter of the late Francis Whiting and Winifred (Zilinski) Wiersma, and was raised on Cape Cod. As a young adult, Paula moved to southern Vermont before embarking on many sailing adventures throughout the Caribbean during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979, she put down roots in Whitingham, purchasing a former sugarhouse where she gave birth to her first child in 1983. Shortly thereafter, Paula moved her family to Brattleboro, where her second child was born in 1988. For more than 20 years, she built a life on Spruce Street grounded in creativity, nurturing, and dedication. In 2008, Paula moved back to her childhood home in Eastham, built by her late father, where she continued to surround herself there with animals, gardens, and friends. Paula wore many hats over the years, guided by her strong will, sharp intelligence, and independent spirit that shaped everything she did. She was a chef and a sailor, a postal worker, and crafter. She worked for years as the secretary for the United Methodist Church in Brattleboro. In 2003, she received her B.A. in writing and literature from the Adult Degree Program at Union Institute and University. An avid reader and gifted writer, she was intensely proud of completing her degree, and worked for years afterward as an admissions counselor for the same program, promoting its benefits to other adults and helping them reach their goals. Paula was also an expert knitter and an incredible gardener, known to spend her summers tending her gardens and her winters knitting creations for her loved ones. Taught by her mother and grandmother, she spent decades cultivating both skills, finding comfort in processes that had remained unchanged for hundreds of years. In 2019, her skill led to her selection as one of a small group of knitters from around the world chosen to create an authentic sweater (or, “gansey”) for the Williams Gansey Project, a historic effort to recreate sailors’ sweaters for a commemorative Antarctic voyage retracing the first journey south from England. It was a perfect expression of who she was: skilled, generous, quietly proud of her work, and happiest when creating something useful, beautiful, and meaningful. A lifelong lover of animals big and small, Paula bred Bernese Mountain Dogs and Golden Retrievers, and rarely lived without a full menagerie. The truest joys of Paula’s life, however, were her children, grandchildren, and friends. She loved fiercely and loyally, with sharp wit, dry humor, a quick mind, and unwavering devotion. Paula is survived by her son, Trevor Rogas and Alana Steinsiek of Auburn, California; her daughter, Chelsea Rogas and Christopher Iaquinto of Medfield, Massachusetts, and her grandchildren Makenna, Stella, Corinna, and Miles. She is also survived by her sister, Jeanne Kinney and her husband Richard, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Memorial information: Friends and family are invited to join a celebration of Paula’s life on Saturday, April 4, at 1 p.m. at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro. In lieu of flowers, please hug a dog, nurture a plant, or watch a sunset in her honor.
Services
• All are invited to share memories and celebrate the life of Bruce Cole on April 19, 2026. The celebration will be held in the Dining Hall of Potash Hill, 2582 South Road, Marlboro (the old Marlboro College campus) from 1 to 4 p.m. Mr. Cole, 92, of Marlboro, died peacefully on Dec. 24, 2025.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.