Obituaries
• Carol A. Brown, 80, formerly of Jamaica. Died April 7, 2026, at Vernon Green Nursing Home, where she had resided since 2011. Carol was born Dec. 22, 1945, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the daughter of Arthur and Janet May (McFarlane) Jacques. Carol grew up at her childhood home in West Townshend and attended Townshend Elementary School. She graduated from Leland and Gray Seminary in 1964. Following her graduation, Carol worked at Vermont National Bank in Jamaica. In later years, Carol cleaned condominiums and second homes on Stratton Mountain, as well as homes and businesses around town. Carol met the love of her life, Robert “Bomber” Brown at a square dance at the Newfane Barn, and the two were married on Sept. 3, 1965. Carol, along with her husband, shared a love of Bingo and traveled the state of Vermont, delivering supplies for the Interstate Bingo business her husband owned. They attended Bingo games throughout the state where they made longtime friends. Carol loved spending time with family and friends, especially by the pool every year. Carol and her husband also loved the beach and made it a point to go often to Hampton Beach with their beloved dog. Carol loved her pets and owned several dogs, cats and rabbits over the years. In later years, Carol was a big fan of the Boston Red Sox and loved watching the games. Carol leaves one daughter, Sally Hescock and her husband, Richard, of Wardsboro; two sons, Carl Brown and partner Claire, and David Brown and wife Alison of Wardsboro; one sister, Shirley Chase of Vernon; nine grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert; one sister, Jackie Brissette; and a brother, Danny Jacques. Memorial information: A service will be held at a later date at the discretion of the family. If you would like to make memorial gifts in memory of Carol, these can be made to Grace Cottage Hospital, either online or sent to Grace Cottage Foundation, P.O. Box 1, Townshend, VT 05353; or to Vernon Green Nursing Home, 61 Greenway Drive, Vernon,VT 05354. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Florence Elizabeth Parmenter, 89, of Brattleboro. Died peacefully April 12, 2026, at Covenant Living of Keene (N.H.), following by a period of declining health. Florence was born at home in Grafton March 29, 1937, the daughter of Howard and Shirley (Unwin) Eddy. She later moved to Brattleboro with her family, where she was raised and educated, attending Academy School and graduating from Brattleboro High School with the Class of 1955. Florence went on to attend a local business/secretarial school. She assisted her husband serving as bookkeeper for their business, Bolster Movers, on Birge Street. Previously, she had been employed at the former American Optical Company, and Chromerics on Cotton Mill Hill. Of her leisure time activities, Florence was a member with her husband of the Eastern Draft Horse Association, where they enjoyed attending local and regional horse competitions. She also enjoyed dining out with family and friends and time shared with her family. On July 12, 1958, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, she was married to Thomas N. Parmenter. Her faithful and devoted husband of 58 years predeceased her on April 1, 2015. Survivors include her daughter, Kelly Kruse, and husband, Paul, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire; one sister, Lucy Stacey, of Hinsdale; two grandchildren, Seth Thomas Kruse (Megan) of Winthrop, Maine and Emma Jean Thomas (Michael) of Ellington, Connecticut; one great-granddaughter, Hadley Jean; and many nieces and nephews. Frances also leaves a special friend, Sue Hiner, of Brattleboro, who the family would like to thank for her friendship and the care she gave. Besides her husband, she was predeceased by a sister, Bernice Eddy, who died in childhood; and a brother, Howard Eddy. Memorial information: Graveside committal services in Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro will be conducted Saturday, June 20,at noon. Donations to the Windham County Humane Society, P.O. Box 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302; or to the Eastern Draft Horse Association, in care of Jenn Roy, 738 East Side River Rd., Milan, NH 03588. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Norman Edward “Norm” Wright, 88, of Westminster West. Died at home Feb. 15, 2026, in the care of family. Norm was born at home over the family’s store in Sheffield March 1, 1937. He grew up on a dairy farm, learning to hunt, fish, and farm with draft horses and tractors. In 1953, after boarding for a year at Lyndon Institute, his family moved to Westminster. He graduated from Bellows Falls High School in 1956. On a blind date arranged by high school friend Fred Waryas, Norm met his future wife and partner in life, Marie Longe of Brattleboro. They were married at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Brattleboro July 17, 1957. In 1963, they moved from Westminster to Westminster West, where they offered a warm and welcoming home to the friends of their seven children, building lifelong friendships and becoming part of the “West West” community. From 1958 to 1962, Norm served in the Army Reserve and, in his 20s and 30s, he experimented with career choices that ranged from farm manager at Kurn Hattin, owning a garage in Westminster, starting a home construction business, and assistant to the business manager at the Experiment in International Living, before he began a two-year apprenticeship in Connecticut to become a licensed real estate appraiser. On Dec. 31, 1969, he took the appraiser’s oath for the state of Vermont and was officially appointed as an appraiser in Windham County, opening Norman E. Wright Appraisal Associates, a business he ran with Marie for over 10 years. During that time, the business grew to be the largest independent real estate appraisal firm in Vermont. In the early 1970s, he also served as Director of Inspections for the town of Brattleboro. This position and his real estate business led to many professional relationships and lifelong friendships with those he met in the Brattleboro community. In 1976, against the advice of his father because he had seven young children, Norm ran for and was elected to the Vermont House, winning by 50 votes. He served proudly as a Vermont-style Republican — fiscally conservative and supportive of social programs that helped the underserved — until 1983. After leaving the Legislature, he often told stories of those years and was proud of the work he did with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, serving his first two years on the Ways and Means Committee and going on to chair the House Appropriations Committee from 1980 to 1983. In 1978, Norm received the Fred Westphal Legislative Service Award and, in 1979, Legislator of the Year, both awarded by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. During his time in the Legislature, he was member and vice-chair of the Joint Fiscal Committee, member of the executive committee, Council of State Government, and member of Fiscal Affairs Committee, National Conference of State Legislatures. Closer to home, he welcomed invitations to speak to many local clubs and organizations. In 1983, he left the Legislature when he was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Fish & Game, now the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, by Gov. Richard Snelling. He was well-suited to the job, as a lifetime hunter. This position allowed him to support policies that provided for safe hunting management and practices while allowing for the enjoyment of a sport that grew out of an age-old tradition in a changing rural landscape. In March 1985, Norm became the president of the Vermont Hospital Association (VHA, now the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems). He held this position until his retirement in late 2001. During this time, Norm attended conferences on health policy in countries as diverse as Denmark, New Zealand, and Russia. He was a national speaker on healthcare policy changes in Vermont, attending gatherings of the American Hospital Association annually, testifying on Capitol Hill with U.S, Sen. Patrick Leahy at the 1987 Human Services Forum on social policy issues, and attending meetings in Washington to discuss health care reform and the unique challenges faced by Vermont in its efforts to meet community health care needs. Other accomplishments included that of trustee for the University of Vermont from 1979 to 1985, serving on the State Police Advisory Commission from 1980 to 1984, and serving on the board of Vermont ETV (now Vermont Public) from 1981 to 1983, chairing the board during part of that period. In the early 1990s, he was chair of the Fish and Wildlife Funding Commission. Locally he was involved in the local community in a variety of capacities. He served on the Westminster Board of Listers in the mid-1970s, the Windham Regional Planning and Development Board, and the Connecticut River Watershed Advisory Committee from 2003 to 2011, and the Windham Regional Commission from 2007 to 2017. In Westminster, he served on the Planning Board and the Board of Civil Authority and was town moderator for 19 years, was a sexton for the Westminster West cemetery for 15 years, and a justice of the peace for 16 years. He was part of the Brattleboro Rotary Club for nearly 30 years, and served as president from 1974 to 1975. Always community minded, in 2007 Norm and Marie deeded part of their property on Wright Way to Westminster for the creation of a fire department substation. While he was with the VHA, Marie retired. Norm and she spent many summer weekends on their boat in South Hero, boating with friends, the family dog, and grandchildren. Long-distance adventures included navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec and down the New York Canal and Hudson River to the ocean, and the Potomac River in Virginia. In 2002, Norm launched an unsuccessful bid for state Senate. Marie immediately set in motion a plan to travel the southern U.S. in their RV, becoming part of a large RV community where they met people from all over the U.S. and Canada, visited many national parks and went on Mexico’s Copper Canyon Train tour. Eventually, they settled for many winters in Thonotosassa, Florida. During his “retirement,” Norm was appointed a State Appraiser for Vermont, serving as an appraiser and expert witness for about 10 years, timing it so he enjoyed time off while in Florida and working for the state for the eight or nine months he was back in Vermont. Marie died in 2010, and he continued to winter in Florida, sharing his friends, hobbies, and events like the annual strawberry festival with his companion of nearly 13 years, Claudia Richardson, who shared his home in Westminster West and now resides in Keene, New Hampshire. He was also predeceased in 2016 by his youngest daughter Chrissy Wright. Norm is survived by his children: Ann Wright of Brattleboro (Ben Bussiere); Mary “MJ” Bentley of Westminster West, Debra Demuzio (Richard) of Bellows Falls, Michael Wright (Lisa) of Milton. Cheryl Gould (Joe Ruggiero) of Saxtons River, and Jonathan Wright of Bellows Falls. He is also survived by grandchildren Zachary Cobb, Megan Cobb, Kyle Bentley, Jesse Bentley, Carter Wright, Chelsey Eno, Tucker Long, Cooper Long, Sawyer Deen, and Grayson Hugill; and 10 (soon-to-be 11) great grandchildren. Memorial information: A celebration of life will be held at Westminster West Congregational Church Saturday, June 6, at 1 p.m. A brief graveside commitment and light luncheon at the church will follow. Friends and the community are welcome. Donations to Westminster Cares, P.O. Box 312, Westminster, VT 05158 or the Westminster Fire Department, P.O. Box 98, Westminster, VT 05158.
• Marshall Michael Wheelock, 83, of Brattleboro. Died April 21, 2026, at Vernon Green Nursing Home. A full obituary will be published in a future edition of The Commons. Arrangements are under the direction of Atamaniuk Funeral Home.
Services
• Graveside committal services for Ruth H. Chickering will be conducted Friday, May 1, at 10:00 a.m. in Chesterfield West Cemetery. Mrs. Chickering, formerly of Putney Meadows and a lifelong resident of the area, died Jan. 28, 2026 at Vernon Green Nursing Home. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• A funeral Mass for Martha “Frannie” Whipple will be held Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m. at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church in Brattleboro. A reception will follow the Mass at the Elks Home on Putney Road. Burial in the family lot in Christ Church Cemetery in Algiers will be private, held later in the afternoon. Mrs. Whipple, 87, of Guilford, died peacefully at home on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Graveside committal services for Frances Nicholas will be held at Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro Wednesday, May 6, at 1 p.m. Mrs. Nicholas, 88, of Brattleboro, died peacefully on Jan. 1, 2026. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
• A funeral service for Roberta “Bert” Jane Jenna will be held at West Brattleboro Baptist Church Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m., followed by a celebration of her life at the Brattleboro Eagles at noon. Mrs. Jenna, 83, of Guilford, died peacefully on Jan. 9, 2026, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, after a short illness. To view her full obituary or offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.