Obituaries
• Kathleen A. “Kathi” Chase, 87, of Townshend. peacefully in her home at Thompson House on Oct. 7, 2026. Born June 30, 1939, in Townshend, Kathleen, a beloved member of the Townshend community, was affectionately known as Kathi and was a gentle soul who touched the lives of many with her kindness and dedication. Kathi was the cherished daughter of the late Roland D. Greenwood and Shirley B. Greenwood. She was also predeceased by her dear sister, Patricia B. Greenwood, and husband, William H. Chase. Her educational journey began at Leland & Gray Seminary, where she graduated in 1957. Kathi briefly attended Castleton Teachers College before attending Northampton (Mass.) Commercial College and pursuing a certificate in secretarial skills. Her career flourished at Grace Cottage Hospital, where she began working in the kitchen in September 1978. Over four decades, Kathi held various roles, eventually becoming the dietary manager. Her dedication and commitment were hallmarks of her time at the hospital, where she worked until 2018. Kathi was a devoted mother to her children, Kyle Chase (Monica), Scott Chase, and Pat Pelton (Tony). Her legacy continues through her eight grandchildren —Greg Durocher (Tiffany), Eric Durocher (Amy), Kristofer Chase (Christy), Adam Chase (Bethany), Sammantha Pelton, Alek Pelton (Destiny), Madison Chase, and Sydney Chase — and her eight great-grandchildren, who brought immense joy to her life. A woman of deep faith, Kathi was an active member of the Townshend Church for many years. Her hobbies included baking, cooking, knitting, and scrapbooking her many trips she took with her best friend, Sue Clark. She took great pleasure in creating baby sweaters for numerous local children, an endearing testament to her warm and generous spirit.Her life was a testament to kindness, and her legacy will continue to inspire those she leaves behind. Memorial information: In memory of Kathi, donations may be made to the Patricia Bea Greenwood Scholarship at Leland & Gray Union High School, or to Thompson House Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Brattleboro.
• Leonard William “Len” McAuliffe Jr., 85, formerly of Bellows Falls. Died peacefully Sept. 29, 2026, at his home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Len was born on March 12, 1941, in Bellows Falls, the son of the late Geraldine (Dinan) and Leonard McAuliffe Sr. He graduated from St. Charles School in 1955 and Bellows Falls High School in 1959. Following high school, Len attended the New England Institute of Embalming and Funeral Directing in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where he lived and worked at the P.E. Murray Funeral Home. He later relocated to Keene, New Hampshire, where he completed a two-year apprenticeship at Fletcher Funeral Home. After earning his license, he remained in Keene and continued his work in funeral service. In 1963, Len joined the Army. Following basic training, he was assigned to the U.S. Mortuary System in Europe and stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he served as a funeral director and embalmer. Before receiving his honorable discharge, he was promoted to Sergeant and served as the NCO in charge of the “K-Town” Mortuary. During his time in the Army, Len returned home to marry his beloved wife of 61 years, Maggie (McGettigan) McAuliffe. They were married at Sacred Heart Church in Wilton, New Hampshire, on June 26, 1965. Following his military service, Len returned to Fletcher Funeral Home before beginning a new career as a salesman for Will Ross Inc., a national manufacturer and distributor of medical products. His territory covered northern Vermont and northern New Hampshire. Len and Maggie relocated to Barre City, where they purchased their first home. Although Len’s territory was initially the smallest in the country, his determination and natural ability quickly distinguished him. Within a few years, he consistently ranked among the top three sales representatives in the United States for both sales and gross profit. In June 1974, Len was promoted to division manager for Will Ross/GD Searle, overseeing six New England states from the company’s office and distribution center in Stoneham, Massachusetts. His career brought numerous promotions and gave Len and his young family the opportunity to live in beautiful areas of Wisconsin and Texas. In 1981, Len moved his family to Portsmouth, where he opened a home care company, Medical Market. The business grew to include several locations throughout southern New Hampshire. Len and Maggie spent the following decades in their welcoming Portsmouth home, which became a gathering place for family and friends. Their home and pool were filled with friends of Kara, Jack, Marty, and Jimmy, and later with their children’s spouses and, most importantly, their grandchildren. Len was known as an avid storyteller and historian. He had a remarkable ability to bring the past to life, and his stories were a gift to his family and friends. One of Len’s greatest joys was spending time with family and friends. He loved nothing more than having people around him, telling stories, and enjoying the simple pleasure of good company and Maggie’s cooking. Gardening gave him peace and satisfaction, and he loved sharing the beauty of his surroundings with the people he cared about. Len is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Maggie; his daughter, Kara Loch and her husband, Stephen; his sons, Jack McAuliffe, Marty McAuliffe and his wife, Steffany; and Jim McAuliffe and his wife, Amy; and grandchildren Tommy, Mikey, Ezra, Cal, Delaney, Ben, Katy, Jordan Fletcher, and Jordan Trombino. He is also survived by former son-in-law, Dan Jolly, relations in County Sligo, Ireland, and his brothers, Jim and Gerald McAuliffe. Memorial information: A funeral Mass was held Oct. 8 at Immaculate Conception Church (Corpus Christi Parish) in Portsmouth. Burial will be at a later date at the McAuliffe family lot at St. Charles Cemetery in Bellows Falls.
• Hendrik Willem van Loon, 92, of South Newfane. Died Sept. 21, 2026. Born Nov. 3, 1933, to Henry B. and Janet (Hall) van Loon, he was born in Manhattan and split his childhood between Connecticut and Dorset. Nicknamed “Piet” by his namesake grandfather, he lived a long life filled with family, curiosity, creativity, dedication, and generosity. While he had fond memories of Wilton and Old Greenwich, it was Dorset – the quarries, the orchard, the Hollow, the general stores, and the two houses his father designed and built — that came up in most of his stories. His birthday, November 3, was shared by brother Dirk, five years his junior, and their brother, Jan, who was born on November 1, 1935. Their sister Jane was born in March 1945 and the four were affectionately known as “Piet, Repeat, Complete, and Afterthought.” Piet graduated from Deerfield Academy and joined the Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of Lieutenant. Two unhappy years at Brown followed his discharge from the Marines. Following his sophomore year, a family friend recommended he look into transferring to Marlboro College. His following up on this offhand suggestion proved to be the most consequential decision of his life. Graduating in 1963 with a degree in forestry, it was there that he met his wife Hilly (neé Helen Gillespie), a 1962 graduate. They married Sept. 5, 1962, and eventually settled in Clinton, New York, where Piet managed the grounds of Hamilton and Kirkland Colleges and the Root Glen. He also taught forestry at Kirkland. In 1971, they began building their dream house and right about the time that the final coat of paint went on the house in 1973, a call came from Marlboro offering Piet the job of Business Manager at the College. The allure of being a part of the college they both loved was so compelling that they picked up their three children – Deborah, Pieter, and Hannah – and moved to a run-down 100-plus year old colonial and former stagecoach stop in South Newfane, dubbed Hoot Owl Hollow by Piet. He devoted most of his waking hours over the next 26 years to ensuring that the College remained solvent. Described as a “curmudgeon with a heart of gold,” his growling at students, faculty and staff was countered by a playful scowl and the understanding that he just wanted the best for them and for the College. His passion for the place never waned and when Marlboro closed six years ago, he was deeply disappointed that it would not be there for future generations of students. Beyond the college, Piet was active in his local community serving as town meeting moderator, zoning administrator, and chair of the Selectboard and the Planning Commission for the town of Newfane. He also served on the Development Review Board, the Windham Regional Commission, and the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies. His retirement job was as a volunteer at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. He served in many roles, but his favorite was as a cuddler in the Newborn Nursery. On one occasion after getting a call to come sit with a baby, he hung up the phone, grabbed his keys and his hospital ID, and was out the door almost before anyone knew why he was leaving. It was the day after Christmas. Piet’s barn was his sanctuary. On the main level were multiples of all the hand tools one can imagine, a few power tools, and items that most would have sent to the landfill but “might come in handy someday.” The loft held old lumber and many, many broken items that he intended to fix. The bottom of the barn housed one of his most treasured possessions, a well-loved six-decade old Cub Cadet 10 lawn tractor. Bought new, it was used to teach his kids to mow the lawn, transport yard waste to a special spot on the property, and blow snow off the driveway and a rabbit warren of paths. The switch between the lawn mower attachment and the snowblower inevitably resulted in Piet working in the freezing cold, cursing as he labored with bare hands to accomplish this task. He tinkered out in the barn nearly every day and did fix countless objects – replacement lids for crocks, handles for forks and knives – all made of wood and in use to this day. He fashioned a towel rack out of branches from trees, a drawer designed to hold teabags, cabinets in spaces that others would have deemed unusable, and a shelter that converted the back stoop into a place to store birdseed and keep firewood closer to the two wood burning stoves in the house. He named his little enterprise “Drafty Crafts.” He also spent hours in the brook behind their home, moving rocks around to create deeper pools for cooling off after a hard day of work, and selecting large flat stones from the stream bank for building retaining walls and stone patios. He almost always returned from the brook with a new interesting rock to add to his collection. As important as these contributions to the world around him were, nothing was more important to Piet than his family. He was predeceased by Jan and Jane and so his desire to spend more time with Dirk, who lives in Nova Scotia, included scouring real estate listings for one-story duplexes where they could live out their days under one roof. He supported his kids through thick and thin, and welcomed new members of the family openly, considering Pieter’s wife Rachel much more than a daughter-in-law. He adored his three grandchildren – Roland, Amy and Lily – attending as many milestone events as he could. Whether transforming an old garden shed into a playhouse (aptly named “Bumpity House”), giving blocks of maple sugar to his grandchildren every year for Christmas, or building clever little boats –including a submarine that has delighted three generations of kids of all ages, his legacy will live on through all of his family, by the lessons he taught, the gifts he leaves behind, and the memories made over a well-lived 92 years. Piet was fueled by black coffee, usually leftover from the day before, beginning and ending his day with a cup in his favorite diner mug. So, if you knew Piet, drink a toast to him with a cup of Joe, black and strong (or prepared to your liking), fresh or saved from a previous brew, and thank him for his impact on your life. Memorial information: The family is planning a memorial celebration to be held at a later date. If you wish to send condolences or reminiscences, address them to P.O. Box 326, Marlboro, VT 05344.
• Anthony Michael Wright, 49, of East Dover. Died unexpectedly Sept. 30, 2026, after being stricken ill at his business in Townshend. A lifelong resident of the area, Anthony was born in Brattleboro on July 12, 1977, the son of E. David and Barbara (Sherman) Wright. He was raised and educated in Dover, Delaware, later moving to Brattleboro with his family. Anthony graduated from Brattleboro Union High School with the Class of 1995. At the time of his death, he owned and operated Wright’s Auto on Route 30 in Townshend. Established 10 years ago, he sold used cars and trucks. Previously, he worked as a salesman at Auto Mall in Brattleboro. He was a dedicated and hard worker who built a reputation of honesty and integrity in his business dealings, leaving many satisfied customers in the West River Valley. Anthony was a devoted family man whose life centered around his family. He was married to Joanna Thomas. The marriage later ended in divorce, but the couple remained good friends. Survivors include his parents, of Brattleboro; his companion of many years, Stephanie Jacobs of East Dover; his three children, Joseph Wright of Brattleboro, Cecilia Brunner of White River Junction, and Chelsea Wright of East Dover; one brother, David Wright of Spofford, New Hampshire; and his six grandchildren: Willow, Iris, Elijah, Ryder, and twins, Octavia and Phoenix. Additionally, he leaves two aunts, Viola Landry and Polly Humphrey; an uncle, Ernie Parsons; and a large host of friends. Memorial information: Graveside committal services will be conducted Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. in Meeting House Hill Cemetery in Brattleboro. A memorial gathering in celebration of his life will follow at VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 in Brattleboro. Donations to NewBrook Fire & Rescue, P.O. Box 77, Newfane, VT, 05345. To offer condolences, visit atamaniuk.com.
Services
• Graveside committal services for James “JT” Tirrell will be conducted Sunday, Oct. 18, at noon at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Putney. A memorial gathering will follow the committal service, to be held at his home on Laurel Street. James, a lifelong resident of the area, died unexpectedly Sept. 21, 2026, after being stricken ill at work. To view his full obituary or offer condolences to the family, visit atamaniuk.com.
• Graveside committal rites with military honors for John V. Buraczynski will be conducted in the family lot in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, Saturday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. A gathering will follow at the Hinsdale VFW. John, 94, a lifelong resident of Hinsdale, died Aug. 31, 2026, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. To view his full obituary or offer condolences to the family, visit atamaniuk.com.
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