Richard LaFontaine

Richard LaFontaine, 106, of Middlebury

Richard Louis LaFontaine, of Middlebury, Vermont, formerly of Bristol and Hartland, Vermont, left us on December 15, 2020. He passed out of this life peacefully due to natural causes at Helen Porter Rehabilitation and Nursing in Middlebury, with his daughter, Jo LaFontaine Van Buskirk, and grandson, Patrick Warn, at his side.

The second-eldest of four brothers, Richard was born by candlelight in Wilder, Vermont on August 2, 1914 to parents Flora and Ephraim LaFountain. Over the course of a generous and much-appreciated life, he witnessed bookending global pandemics, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, the space age, 18 presidents, two world wars, and the birth of radio, television, and the internet.

As he wrote in his informal 2019 memoir, “Thinking of the span of my time, I have seen probably the greatest change in human existence that has ever occurred in history. I started out in the time when horses carried us. When the family used a sleigh to go to town on a cold day we would get out the buffalo robe to keep warm. It was a real bison hide. There was running water only if there was a spring at a higher elevation than the use point. I saw Earnest English erect the poles and string the wiring for our first telephone. I saw electricity come up U.S. Route 5 in the mid-1920s. So then we got electric lighting, running water, a flush toilet, our first radio.”

Richard spent his first years in Wilder before moving to South Woodstock. Like so many in that long-ago era, his was a working childhood.

“In that time,” he wrote, “French-Canadians learned by doing, and the kids went to work early. I think it was in that tradition that when Pa took over a farm, (my older brother) Maurice and I were put to work on the farm doing as much of the farm work as we could handle. Maurice was ten, I was eight. We handled hundred-pound grain bags. I soon learned to do everything with the horses that horses do on a farm except harness them (I was too small to reach over them), and I wasn’t strong enough to plow. Pa would send me out to mow a field with the horses using a mowing machine with a five-foot cutter bar.

“I worked for the town of Windsor in the summer on the road gang, pick and shovel work in a gravel pit, doing the job that tractor bucket loaders do now. I was 13 and 14. My classmates at that age on the whole were being kids. I became a leader. I was our first class president and a class officer the whole time. I credit this to being more mature than my fellows, I believe this carried over into my working life. Whenever I saw an opportunity to grab the wheel and steer, I did.”

When the Great Depression struck, the search for work forced Richard’s family to move to North Hartland. For a time, he hitchhiked to high school in Windsor, where he was first-string left tackle. Not wanting to lose a star player on the drive for the state championship, his coach arranged for a job and lodging in town, which allowed him to remain enrolled there. (The following year, he did indeed help Windsor beat Middlebury for the state title.)

In 1935, Richard married Genevieve Andrews and took work as a florist. This work carried him to Utica, NY, where he enrolled in night school and learned to be a machinist before accepting a job at the Remington Arms Company. During WWII, the DuPont Company combed Remington’s ranks for toolmakers to work on the Manhattan Project. Richard was “drafted” and moved to Wilmington, Delaware. After a time, he became Supervisor of Mechanical Crafts for the Plastics Department at the company’s “Experimental Station,” where he helped pioneer many of the materials we now take for granted in the modern world, including Teflon and Plexiglass.

In the late 1960s, Richard started his own machine shop in his Delaware basement and became a subcontractor for NASA. Despite agency demands for nearly unfathomable precision, he successfully manufactured working parts used for the Lunar Rover. To this day, his workmanship remains on the surface of the Moon, where it will outlast us all.

Following the death of his wife, Genevieve, in 1970, Richard retired and returned to Hartland, Vermont, where he married Dorothy Crandall on New Year’s Day in 1982. In 2002, the couple moved to Bristol, Vermont. There, Richard could often be seen riding his electric cart around town and down Plank Road to visit family in New Haven. Several years after Dorothy’s death in 2005, Richard moved to the Residence in Middlebury, where he spent his final years.

These words trace the journey of Richard’s long and wholly remarkable life, yet they tell us little of the extraordinary man who led it.

Richard was not just a father to his own brood, but to many in his extended family for whom paternal vacuums existed, and he filled this role with distinction and affection. He was always there with a helping hand no matter what was needed. Many in our family thank him for these profound gifts, for without them, we would not have the lives we have today.

Richard was a man with no use for frippery or ostentation. If an object lacked essential purpose, it had no place in his spartan home. What was broken was not replaced if it could be repaired, and that which was repaired remained in service until all hope of further resurrection was lost. He was a great believer in doing things safely and properly, and in doing them oneself if at all possible. He built homes and campers. He grew his own food and roasted his own coffee, and to the very end baked his own bread.

Though from a bygone era, Richard was nevertheless a thoroughly modern man, and while advancing years took a physical toll, his mind never faltered. He read widely and constantly—his final book was Barack Obama’s recent memoir—and could discuss everything from the day’s politics to cutting edge science. He was as well a great lover of technology and always equipped himself with the very latest, whether it was the first handheld calculator or the newest iThing.

Richard loved ice cream, football, cold beer, fresh apples, jokes about the passing of gas, and dogs of all kinds (but especially Great Danes) with equal zeal. He could and would tell you incredible tales but was equally content to sit back and listen to yours. He always smiled when he saw you and was always sorry when you left.

Indeed, those who knew him were forever blessed with the calm and quiet company of an exceptionally kind and generous man, one whose knowledge ran wide and whose wisdom ran deep, but whose love for friends and family surpassed all else. He lived his long and productive life with the patience, humility, and dignity that define grace and indeed greatness itself. In this, the world has lost a true and irreplaceable treasure. He leaves behind several lifetimes worth of memories to sustain us.

Richard was predeceased by his first wife, Genevieve; his later wife, Dorothy; and his special friend, Alice Wright; his daughter Sidnee; his grandson Nathaniel and brothers Maurice and Mant and sister Sylvia. He is survived by his brother Wallace of Winslow, Maine; his daughter, Jo LaFontaine Van Buskirk and her husband, Emmett of Bristol, Vermont; his son, Jerome, and his wife, Christina of Warwick, New York; his nephew, John LaFountain of Rutland, Vermont; grandson Patrick Warn and his wife, Jeannette of Georgia, Vermont; granddaughter Sandra Warn of  Coctati, California; grandson Geoff Davis, his wife, LuAnn, and great-granddaughter, Genevieve, of New Haven, Vermont and grandson Chris LaFontaine, his wife, Dawn and great-grandchildren, Ethan and Sarah of Ashland, Massachusetts.

Gerald P. Kalanges

PERKINSVILLE

Gerald P. Kalanges 92, passed away on Monday, January 11, 2021, at the VA Medical Center in White River Jct., Vermont after a brief illness.  He was born July 16, 1928, in Springfield, Vermont the son of Charles and Mary (Paquin) Kalanges.  He attended Perkinsville Schools.

Prior to entering the service, he worked at the Perkinsville and Springfield Telephone and Electric Companies as an electrical lineman.  Then served in the United States Army during the Korean War Era from 1950 – 1952 as an electrical lineman. He served in the Army Reserves from 1952 – 1957 and was honorably discharged with the rank of Master Sergeant.

Gerald was employed for 37 years in assembly at the Jones & Lamson Machine Tool Company in Springfield, VT from 1956 – 1993.

He was married in 1956 – 1987 to Marilyn E. (Martin) Kalanges (divorced), where he lived in Woodstock, VT and then moved back to Perkinsville, VT until his death.

 He is survived by Deborah L. Kalanges, daughter, Woodstock, VT; Dawna L. (Kalanges) Renshaw, daughter; Sean Renshaw, son in law; Gabrielle Renshaw, grand-daughter, all of Naperville, IL.  Also, Andrew Curtis Cook, nephew of Perkinsville, VT; Andrea (Cook) Bushaw, niece of Amsden; and April (Cook) Todt, niece of North Springfield.

Previously deceased are; Mary (Paquin) Colston, mother; Ralph F. Colston, stepfather; Charles Costas Kalanges, biological father; Marjorie (Kalanges) Cook, sister; and Andrew Clarence Cook, brother-in-law.

He enjoyed reading books on anything having to do with the Civil War, restoring old John Deere tractors, coin collecting, always kept all of his small engine mowers serviced, and took excellent care of his tools.  He loved to mow his own lawn and did that through the Summer of 2020.   He really enjoyed the bi-annual J & L get-togethers with all of the surviving retired employees of his tenure at J & L.  He loved his neighbors that lived on his street and always tried to help out in any way that he could if needed.  His neighbors were like family to him as he lived alone in the house that his mother and step-father had previously owned on Maple Street.

A graveside committal with military honors will be held at the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph Center, Vt. in the Spring.

Davis Memorial Chapel is assisting with arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, we would prefer that people make donations to the Disabled American Veterans and/or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Marilyn “Lynn” Davis Huntley

Marilyn “Lynn” Davis Huntley, 93, of Middletown, CT, died from complications of COVID-19 on January 3, 2021, surrounded by the caring staff of Middlesex Hospital. Lynn was born September 27, 1927, in Bridgewater, Vermont to Olivia (Stuart) and Earl Davis, the last of four children. She attended nearby Woodstock High School, where she played basketball and served as class vice president, then the University of Vermont, where she acted in theatrical productions and was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, graduating in 1949 with a degree in secondary education and a love of mathematics.

After graduation, Lynn worked for the educational publisher Scott Foresman in New York City, then for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA where, in those pre-computer days, she performed calculations for astrophysics research. She married Richard Huntley in 1952 and eventually settled in Canton, CT, where Lynn raised six children and worked as a substitute teacher in area schools. Later, she enjoyed a long career in the actuarial department of CIGNA Insurance. Lynn was a dedicated member of the Congregational Church throughout her life and served as a deacon of the First Congregational of Granby, CT for many years.  An avid outdoorsperson, Lynn was most at peace in nature and delighted in her experiences hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and cross-country skiing with friends in Vermont.

Lynn was most proud of her family and adored her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. She is survived by her children, Dr. Richard Huntley, Jr. and wife Joanne of Westport, CT, Rebecca Huntley of East Hartland, CT, Kristen Huntley of New York City, David Huntley and wife Laura McGrath of Southfield, MA, Jack Huntley of Durham, NC, and Mark Huntley of New York City, by her grandchildren, Matthew Huntley and wife Ashley, Brett Tetro, Peter Huntley and partner Megan Chawner, Ryan Tetro, Megan Kupper and husband Tyler, Olivia Huntley, Sadie Huntley, and Noah Huntley, and by her great-grandson, Jack Huntley. Lynn was preceded in death by her former husband Richard Huntley and by her grandson Henry Huntley. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lynn’s memory may be made to the Appalachian Mountain Club, 10 City Square, Boston, MA 02129, or via their website, www.outdoors.org/honor-memorial-gift.

Timothy Bartholomew Reilly

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Timothy Bartholomew Reilly, who died on Tuesday in Scottsdale, Arizona after a brief illness.

Born and raised in New York City, Tim also spent time during his childhood in Southern Florida and Chicago.  A skilled athlete, he fell in love with sports at an early age, including baseball and tennis, and later squash and golf.   After graduating from Culver Military Academy in Indiana, he enrolled and completed his degree at Washington and Jefferson College, in Pennsylvania. He then proudly served his country as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army on a Hawk Missile base in Korea, and then in Detroit.

Completing his service, he returned to New York City where he started his career at Ted Bates advertising agency. It was around this time that he met his loving wife, June, and their 53-year marriage began.  Eventually, he transitioned his career into the world of finance and many years later gleefully retired from Morgan Stanley to enjoy time on the golf course in Vermont and Arizona.

Very much a product of New York City, he was known for his wisecracks and quick wit. He will always be remembered for his sense of humor, his outgoing personality, and his mischievous smile.  He had a great “joie de vivre,” and his passions in life included, his wife and best friend, June, friends, good food, and Vodka Martinis.

He is survived by his wife, June Reilly, and daughter and son in law, Courtney and Owen DeHoff, two adoring grandchildren, his sisters, Kathy and Charlene, and his standard Poodle, Reegan. We look forward to gathering to celebrate Tim’s life later in the year. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Culver Academies: https://www.culver.org/give or  Hospice of the Valley https://hov.org/donate/

Elizabeth C. Woodbury

Elizabeth C. Woodbury, 98, passed quietly on 3, Jan. 2021. She died as she lived, at home, surrounded by family.

She was the daughter of Fred Coombs and Myrtle Place Coombs in Brattleboro, VT. She was predeceased by her husband Harry, daughter Marcia, 3 older brothers and a younger sister.

A memorial will be held in spring/summer for immediate family only.

Alice Riehl

Alice Riehl, died on January 2, 2021, surrounded by her devoted husband, loving children, and caring medical staff. Raised in Greensburg, PA, Alice is a graduate of The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA and Bradford Junior College in Bradford, MA (class of 1952).

Alice met her beloved husband, Frederic A. Riehl, through her brother, Greb, who attended Princeton University with Fred.  They married in 1953 at the family home in Greensburg, PA.  After marrying, they established their first home in Bergenfield, NJ and Alice worked at Yardley of London in New York City and Fred at Union Carbide. Shortly thereafter, Fred was drafted into the Army and left for basic training. Subsequently, Fred was assigned to the Army Chemical Center in Edgewood, MD, where Alice joined him and worked as a civilian employee. Following their service with the Army, they moved to Wellesley, MA, and Alice worked in the Wellesley library, beginning a lifelong love of literature. Alice was never without a book to read and wherever she lived, she was a frequent visitor and volunteer at the local library.

Alice and Fred eventually settled in Delmar, NY with their three children, Virginia, Brenan, and Carolyn. They lived in Delmar for nine years, where Alice was active in the community as a choir member of the United Methodist Church, an employee of the local library, and a volunteer for children with special needs. Alice and her best friend started a ski hat business, after learning how to make hats on a knitting machine. In addition to ski hats, Alice hand-knitted beautiful fair isle sweaters for her children. She then turned to needlework and taught herself how to needlepoint and cross-stitch, the latter being her most favorite and prolific hobby. Alice stitched numerous museum-quality samplers which she gifted to her family and friends.

In the early 1980s, Fred’s career in plastics brought them to Woodstock, VT where he organized a buyout of GW Plastics, Inc.  Alice and Fred then moved to Quechee, VT in 1983 and built their cherished homestead in the Quechee Lakes community. With an immense love of the beautiful Vermont countryside, Alice spent much of her time tending to her gardens and apple orchard and developed a fondness for birdwatching.  Alice always loved a good snowstorm and enjoyed stitching by the fireplace with Fred and their dachshunds, Ouzo and Minnie.  Inspired by the farmers markets in Vermont, King Arthur Flour, and her collection of Junior League cookbooks, Alice became an accomplished cook and baker. Her family dinners were legendary, and she passed this love of cooking to her adored children and grandchildren. In 2015, Alice and Fred moved to the Woodlands in Lebanon, NH where Alice made wonderful new friends and continued to stitch and work in the library.

Alice’s greatest joy was her husband and children.  She took great pride in her three children, and she was a dedicated “Grammie” to her five grandchildren.  She and Fred were always a presence at school and athletic events, and Alice’s cookies were a favorite on the athletic fields, earning her a Woodstock High School Varsity letter as “Team Nutritionist”! To Alice’s joy, she recently became a great grandmother with the birth of Libby in November 2020.

Despite her many gifts, Alice’s greatest gift was her love of life and her ability to find laughter in every situation. Her wit and infectious laughter lit up the room and made the world around her brighter.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Frederic Riehl, of Lebanon, NH, and her three children:  Virginia Bennert and husband, Arthur, of San Antonio, TX; Brenan Riehl and wife, Shari, of West Lebanon, NH; and Carolyn Kimbell and husband, Charlie, of Woodstock, VT.  She is also survived by her grandchildren, Abigail, Katherine, C.J., Christopher, and Andrew. She was predeceased by her brother Greb of Boca Raton, FL.

Due to quarantine restrictions, there is no service scheduled at this time.  In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to the Good Neighbor Health Clinic or the Upper Valley Haven, both in White River Junction, VT.

An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com

Victor “Vic” Carl McCuaig, Jr.

VICTOR CARL McCUAIG, Jr. 1928-2021

Victor “Vic” Carl McCuaig, Jr., 92, died peacefully at his home in Brownsville, Vermont on Friday, January 1, 2021 after living a full and eventful life.

Vic was born October 26, 1928 in New York City to his mother Louine Brown and his father Dr. Victor Carl McCuaig, Sr. His father moved to New York from Ontario to complete his medical residency and met Vic’s mother at St. Luke’s Hospital where she attended nursing school.

Vic was raised in Glen Cove, Long Island with his two sisters, Natalie and Marcia, before attending boarding school at Exeter, graduating in 1947. He then attended Princeton University, class of 1951, where he studied History and Economics and played defense on the Princeton ice hockey team. He loved to recount the moment during a Winter Carnival game against Dartmouth, when his lucky “slow-motion” shot hit the back of the net.

After graduation, Vic joined the Air Force, where he served during the early post-WWII years as an intelligence officer in East and West Germany. While in Europe he met his future wife, Elizabeth “Tina” Watt from Boston, MA, who was studying abroad. They married upon returning to New York City in 1955, where Tina worked as an elementary school teacher while Vic attended Columbia Law School.

Vic and Tina then moved to the North Shore of Long Island where they raised their four children. Vic spent his entire career as a lawyer at the firm Payne, Wood, & Littlejohn in nearby Glen Cove.  Vic enjoyed serving on the boards of the Cold Spring Harbor High School and the Nature Conservancy, as well as on the Vestry of Christ Church, Oyster Bay. He loved to take his small boat on sunset fishing trips in the harbors off Long Island Sound and would often stay out long after dark. Tina passed away in 1981 after 26 years of marriage.

Vic married Cordelia “Cordy” Reid in 1984. After Vic retired in 2002, Vic and Cordy moved from Long Island to Brownsville, Vermont. For many years they wintered in Vero Beach, Florida, or in southern Arizona, where Vic loved the Southwestern scenery.

He spent much of the last part of his life, however, in Vermont, where he and Cordy planted big flower gardens, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees, and also raised chickens, pigs and kept bees. This allowed Vic to live out a dream he’d had since working on a farm in Cornish, NH when he was a boy. He loved their fabulous view of Mount Ascutney, situating his chair so he could see the beauty of the mountain as the sun, clouds, and seasons played upon it. He had an active role in the Brownsville community, relishing driving his antique tractor in the annual Fourth of July parade. He had a wonderful group of neighbors and friends.

Vic was a lover of languages, fluent in German and French, and a life-long learner, studying history, poetry, and the Classics until his final days. He led classes for the ILEAD program at Dartmouth.  He embraced his Scottish and Canadian heritage and loved attending large McCuaig family reunions in Ontario where he could keep in touch with his nearly 30 Canadian cousins. Ever the sportsman, he enjoyed ice hockey and golf, as well as hunting and fishing. He attended St James Episcopal Church in Woodstock VT and was an acolyte there for several years.

He also absolutely loved to travel, but rarely went on vacation – when he wasn’t on a bird hunting trip with his favorite dog, he was studying Homer’s Odyssey in Greece or researching family history in Scotland, making each trip into a quest to learn something new. Dogs were a big part of Vic’s life and he was never without at least one faithful lab or springer spaniel by his side. His last dog, Dandy, a Yorkshire terrier, kept him company in his final days and died just a few days before Vic.

But nothing was more important to him than his family and friends. He was a wonderful grandfather, father, and husband to a family who will never forget his gentle, warm, inquisitive personality and his sharp wit, which he loved to serve with a round (or two) of drinks in front of a roaring fire in his living room, right until the end.

Vic is survived by his four children, Carl (Mary) McCuaig, Margaret (Andre) Bouffard, Wendy Sardanis, and  Duncan (Nancy) McCuaig, his three stepchildren, Ren (Jill) Robb, Cordelia Robb, and Linda (Michael) Boardman, and by his 16 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Christy, Elizabeth, Alex, Dylan, Morgan, Taylor, Andre Jr., Olivia, Michael, Elliott, Phoebe, Lulu, Gabriel, Halley, Colby and Reece.

Vic was predeceased by his first wife Elizabeth ‘Tina” (Watt) McCuaig (1932-1981), his second wife Cordelia (Reid) McCuaig (1934-2020), his sisters Natalie McCuaig May (1931-1990) and Marcia McCuaig Geer (1935-2020), and stepson Michael Robb (1958-2005).

A graveside service will be planned for the spring when the weather permits.

Memorial Contributions can be made to the West Windsor Fast Squad, Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society, or The St. James Episcopal Church, Woodstock VT.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com

Ralph Joseph Michael

Ralph Joseph Michael, 81, died Monday, December 28, 2020 at the Rutland Regional Medical Center.

Ralph was born on September 13, 1939 at home in Plymouth, Vermont, the son of Arnold Joseph and Violette M. (Derby) Michael.  He attended the one-room school in Plymouth Notch and Black River High School, where he graduated in 1956.

Following high school, Ralph attended Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont to study engineering.  He graduated from Norwich in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and received an officer’s commission in the United States Army.  Ralph served in the Army Corps of  Engineers at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri from 1960-1963, and upon returning home to Vermont continued service with the Army Reserves until 1968.

In 1967, Ralph met and married Judy, the love of his life.  They would share 53 wonderful years of marriage.

After the Army, Ralph worked for the Vermont Highway Department for five years as a project engineer during the construction of the Interstate highways.  In 1969, Ralph founded his engineering firm, Michael Engineering Company which he operated for over 50 years.  During this time, he worked as an engineer and professional land surveyor on projects large and small throughout Vermont.

Ralph was a member of the Vermont Society of Land Surveyors and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was a gentle man with a hard-working, detail-oriented spirit, and he enjoyed woodworking, gardening, landscaping, stone walls, and Judy’s home cooking.

Ralph is survived by his wife Judith (Balestra) Michael, his daughter Michelle, son Jeremy, his 5 grandchildren; Juliette Michael, Elliot Michael, Caleb Spraque, Alexa Dailey and Eva Dailey, his brother Rudolph, and sisters Mary Ann Underhill and Marilyn Seward. In addition to his parents, he is predeceased by a brother, Rodney, and a sister Marguerita Hutt.

A celebration of Ralph’s life is being planned for a later date. Those wishing may make memorial donations to the VT Society of Land Surveyors Educational Fund or the Rutland County Humane Society.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com

Joan Emily Doten Staples

Joan Emily Doten Staples, 83, passed away Friday morning December 25, 2020 at her home in Pomfret.

Joan was born on April 9, 1937 in Pomfret, VT the daughter of John, Sr. and Beatrice (Roy) Doten.

A graduate of Woodstock High School, Joan married Frederick Staples on August 18, 1957, and together they raised their family in Pomfret. Joan was a Register for the Hartford District Probate Court for 24 years. She also belonged to and sang with the Sweet Adelines, helped with Cub Scouts and Brownies locally, and volunteered at the Edwin Thompson Center in Woodstock. Joan enjoyed knitting, her flowers, going on cruises, and most of all spending time with family.

Joan is survived by her husband Frederick Staples, her son Gary Staples, her daughter Amy Staples and partner Mary Ahl, her son in law Chris Bennetti, her two grandchildren Kate and Dan Benetti and spouse Pooja, her two great-grandchildren Rhys and Sai, her two brothers Fred Doten, Sr. and John Doten, Jr., a number of nieces and nephews and extended family. She is predeceased by a daughter Lynn Benetti.

Services are being planned for a later date.

Those wishing may make memorial donations to the Edwin Thompson Senior Center, 99 Senior Lane, Woodstock, VT 05091

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An online guest book can be found at cabotfh.com