THOMPSON — The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour took center stage at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park Aug. 14 for the third time in 2019 with the 30th running of the Budweiser King of Beers 150. Coming into the race three drivers were considered the ones to watch. Points leader Doug Coby looked to extend his perfect streak of top 10 finishes on the season, second place Ron Silk sought his third consecutive series victory, and third place defending champion Justin Bonsignore was looking for his seventh consecutive win at Thompson.
Coby earned the early edge by grabbing the pole in group qualifying earlier in the evening, but Bonsignore made sure to keep the five-time champion in his sights, staying within striking distance of Coby through the first half of the race. A caution on lap 83 brought the field to pit road where Jon McKennedy exited first and Justin Bonsignore beat Doug Coby back to the track giving him his best shot at the lead all night.
A poor restart for McKennedy allowed Bonsignore to storm to the lead with 90-laps to go, but an impressive power move by Craig Lutz saw Bonsignore fall back to second where Doug Coby was waiting to pounce. While Bonsignore and Coby battled it out for the runner-up spot with 50-laps to go, Lutz opened a .422 second lead seeking his first Whelen Modified Tour victory. A pair of cautions forced Lutz to fend off both Bonsignore and Coby, but a hard charging Bobby Santos III proved too much for Lutz, who was forced to relinquish the lead on lap 128 leaving Lutz, Bonsignore and Coby hoping for one more shot at the win.
They got their wish with just over ten laps to go as the fifth caution of the night led to chaos when Lutz spun his tires while Santos broke a shifter ending his day. The ensuing caution set up a clash between Doug Coby and Justin Bonsignore, but it was Coby who claimed another Thompson win and his fourth win of 2019. The victory was extra special as it came just days shy of Coby’s 40th birthday.
“This is a special place for me and my family,” Coby said on Thompson Speedway in Victory Lane. “What a great race. My last Modified Tour race in my 30s and I won it. What a great decade it was for me and I hope my 40s are even better.”
Justin Bonsignore settled for a runner up finish and saw his winning streak at Thompson come to an end. “It’s tough when you’re that close. It just didn’t work out tonight,” Bonsignore said after the race. “You’re not going to win every race. We were prepared for it to happen. I’ve probably been more prepared (to lose) as it’s gone more and more – we lost to the best car this year.”
The NEMA Midgets followed up the Whelen Modified Tour with a 25-lap feature that saw Todd Bertrand lead the early laps of the event seeking a repeat victory after winning the same race in 2018. However, a mechanical failure 14 laps into the race sidelined Bertrand handing the advantage to points leader Avery Stoehr. Stoehr went on to earn the win defeating Randy Cabral by a margin of just over a second. The win was Stoehr’s first at Thompson in the NEMA Midgets and his best finish at the Big-T since a fourth-place result in 2015.
In addition to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NEMA Midgets, Thompson’s five NASCAR Whelen All American Series divisions also took to the track with only a handful of races remaining before the season finale in October. First up were the Sunoco Modifieds where Keith Rocco looked to continue to solidify his position as the frontrunner for what would be his eighth Thompson title. Rocco carried a 38-point lead into the race over Todd Owen and it was those two drivers who battled it out for the first ten laps. While Rocco would manage to fight off his rival, it wouldn’t be the last challenge for the reigning champion in the 30-lap feature. Rocco also defended his position against a hard-charging Woody Pitkat, but it was Ronnie Williams, who defeated Rocco in May, who offered the biggest challenge making several dives for the lead right up to the final corner. It wasn’t enough to dethrone the champion however as Rocco claimed his third win of the season and extended his points lead to 44.
“(Williams) was really good. I do have to say tonight he showed me a lot of respect and that goes a long way,” Rocco said of his rival after the race. “He ran me like a gentleman tonight and that goes a long way – If we could race like that every night the two of us could put on one heck of a show.”
Next up was the SK Light Modifieds® where points leader Bryan Narducci sought his sixth win of the year, with Albert Ouellette not far behind. However, neither driver would last long in the race, as the two points leaders were caught up in a multi-car incident only six laps into the 20-lap feature opening the door for a new winner to shine in the division. That driver was Teddy Hodgdon, who outraced former Thompson Mini Stock champion Wayne Burroughs, Jr. for his first Thompson victory.
“I’ve always wanted to win here since I started last year. We’ve been very close many times, but we were able to do it tonight. The car was on rails,” the 18-year-old Hodgdon said in Victory Lane. “The car went away a little bit towards the end. (Burroughs) was coming. I knew he was better on the long run than I was, so I just had to defend, and we ended up getting a victory.”
Sporting the closest points battle of Thompson’s five divisions, the Limited Sportsman series saw Shawn Monahan step up to the plate to take full control of the points race scoring his third victory of the season in dominating fashion. Monahan made it look easy cruising to a 1.4 second lead and walking away with a trophy and an eight-point lead over Kyle Gero putting Monahan in prime position to earn his third consecutive division title.
“I’m going to take any win I can get – we can’t let go now. We’ve got a goal and there’s not even time out there to run in second place because somebody can get you when you least expect it,” Monahan said after the win.
In the Mini Stocks, the points race was shuffled after both Scott and Steve Michalski, who sat first and second in points respectively with only six points separating them, each had problems in their heat races. This opened the door for Doug Curry, who was third in points facing a 35-point deficit, to cut into their lead. He took full advantage of his opportunity leading nearly the entire race and scoring his second win of 2019 making him the first multi-race victor in the Mini Stocks this season. Despite their troubles the Michalski’s still maintained a tight grip on the top two spots with finishes inside the top ten. Scott Michalski goes into the Labor Day race with an eight-point lead over Steve Michalski.
Finally, the Late Models took to the track for a 25-lap feature with William Wall holding a 17-point advantage over Woody Pitkat for the championship. The points battle took a backseat to some division veterans however as Brian Tagg, Rick Gentes and Ryan Morgan, all virtually eliminated from the title hunt, looked to score a late-season win. Brian Tagg came away with the win while Woody Pitkat picked up minimal points over William Wall as the title contenders finished fourth and fifth respectively.
WHELEN MODIFIED TOUR 30TH ANNUAL BUD 150 FINISH TOP-10: 1. Doug Coby; 2. Justin Bonsignore; 3. Craig Lutz; 4. Jon McKennedy; 5. Timmy Solomito; 6. Jimmy Blewett; 7. Andrew Krause; 8. Patrick Emerling; 9. Matt Swanson; 10. Woody Pitkat
NEMA FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Avery Stoehr; 2. Randy Cabral; 3. Paul Scally; 4. Mike Horn; 5. Bethany Stoher; 6. Jake Trainor; 7. Sammy Swindell; 8. Andy Lunt; 9. Jeff Champagne; 10. Todd Bertrand
SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Keith Rocco (Berlin, CT); 2. Ronnie Williams (Tolland, CT); 3. Woody Pitkat (Bellingham, MA); 4. Todd Owen (Somers, CT); 5. Troy Talman (Oxford, MA); 6. Noah Korner; 7. Corey Barry (Brooklyn, CT); 8. Kyle James (Westerly, RI); 9. Adam Gada; 10. Danny Cates
SK LIGHT MODIFIEDS© FEATURE FINISH TOP-10: 1. Teddy Hodgdon (Danbury, CT); 2. Wayne Burroughs, Jr. (Oakdale, CT); 3. Nathan Pytko (Oxford, MA); 4. Wesley Prucker; 5. Anthony Marvin (Colchester, CT); 6. John O’Sullivan (Salem, CT); 7. Todd Taylor (Stonington, CT); 8. Matt MacDougall (Derby, CT); 9. Albert Ouellette (Ellington, CT); 10. Mikey Flynn (Hampden, MA)
LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE TOP-10: 1. Shawn Monahan (Waterford, CT); 2. Jason Chicolas (Sutton, MA); 3. Moose Douton (Niantic, CT); 4. Kyle Gero (Baltic, CT); 5. Brent Gleason (Griswold, CT); 6. Corey Fanning (Mapleville, RI); 7. Meghan Fuller (Auburn, MA); 8. Al Stone (Durham, CT); 9. Ryan Morgan (Franklin, CT); 10. Tommy Shea (New London, CT)
MINI STOCK FEATURE TOP-10: 1. Doug Curry (Norwich, CT); 2. Jared Roy (Sterling, CT); 3. Glen Thomas, Jr.; 4. Ian Brew (Woodriver Junction, RI); 5. Joe Bavolacco (Stratford, CT); 6. JT Suprenant (Central Village, CT); 7. Scott Michalski (Danielson, CT); 8. Steve Michalski (Brooklyn, CT); 9. Evan Bourgeois (East Haddam, CT); 10. John Ekdahl (Chepachet, RI)
LATE MODEL FEATURE TOP-10: 1. Brian Tagg (Oxford, MA); 2. Ryan Morgan (Franklin, CT); 3. Rick Gentes (Harrisville, RI); 4. William Wall (Millbury, MA); 5. Derek Gluchacki (Dartmouth, MA); 6. Matt Lowinski-Loh (Milford, MA); 7. Nick Johnson (Rehoboth, MA); 8. Mark Jenison (Warwick, RI); 9. Buddy Charette (Woodstock, CT); 10. Mike Benevides (Westerly, RI)
Kyle Souza
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
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Donald Donovan,
National Guard
N. GROSVENORDALE — Donald “Papa” Donovan, 74, went home to be with Jesus Aug. 10, 2019, in Harrington Healthcare at Webster (Hubbard Hospital), Webster.
He was born in 1945 in Quinebaug to Mary (Donovan) Broughton and attended Quinebaug/Thompson schools. Donald worked at LaFramboise Well Drilling and Water Service for 35 years and retired from Pump Connection in 2008.
Donald served his country in the National Guard. He was a member of the Nipmuc Indian tribe. He was an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment and a member of the National Rifle Association.
He leaves memories behind in all of his favorite places, especially LB’s, Zip’s, Our Father’s Table, Webster Lake (The Dugout) and every hunting ground and fishing hole where he enjoyed his favorite pastimes. Donald was also known as “The Family Uber Driver.”
He leaves his wife of 54 years, Jaucqueta “Jackie” L. (Knight) Donovan; his daughters, Charlene J. Langlois (Frank) and Kelly L. Belanger (Scott); grandchildren Meagan E. Lapierre (Bernard “BJ”), Ryan Langlois (Lauryn (Williams) Langlois), Brian F. Langlois and his significant other Kim and Tre’ and Madyson Belanger; seven great-grandchildren: Diezel, Demo and Dozer Lapierre, Quinn, Mason, Gracelynn and Landen Langlois; twin brother, Ronald Donovan (Alice); sisters-in-law Norma Donovan and Jean Donovan. He was predeceased by his brothers Edward and Joseph Donovan Sr.; sisters, Constance Charette and Beverly McDonald.
In 2014, a few months after his sister Beverly’s passing, he received a letter that would change his life. Donald learned of his father and that he had a second family. He met his sisters, Leslie A. and her husband, Doug Malloy. Mallory E. Flagg and her partner Chris, Sheridan A. and her husband, Bob Parker; his brother, Ross E. Flagg and his partner, Marsha. There was an instant bond with each family member through whom he learned something about his father, Robert V. Flagg. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Sr. Thérèse Morneau, DHS
WINDHAM — Sr. Thérèse Morneau, 97, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, died Aug. 13, 2019, at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham.
Born on Dec. 6, 1921, in Fitchburg, Mass., the daughter of the late Auguste and Diane (Fournier) Morneau. Sr. Thérèse entered religious life in 1941 and made her religious profession Aug. 20, 1945, at the Holy Spirit Provincial House in Putnam. She was then known as Sr. Marie Thérèse Augustin.
She earned a bachelor’s in French from Annhurst College in S. Woodstock and a master’s from the Catholic University of America with a major in French literature. She served in education as teacher or principal at St. Mary School in Putnam, Sacred Heart School in Wauregan, Assumption School in Chicopee, Mass., St. Mary School in Jewett City, and St. Rita School in Fairfax, Calif. In 1965 she became Mistress of Novices at St. Joseph Manor in Fairfax, and in 1970 she was appointed Vice Provincial for California. In 1993 she was named assistant coordinator of the Provincial House in Putnam, a position she held until 2000. She also served as organist in the Provincial House Chapel. Sr. Thérèse retired to the Holy Spirit Healthcare Center in 2014 and was one of the first DHS to move to St. Joseph Living Center in Windham in 2016.
She leaves the Daughters of the Holy Spirit spiritual family, her sisters in community, the Consecrated Seculars and the Associates; nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her brother, Adrien Morneau and her sisters, Leonie Francoeur, Juliette Trainque, Claire Gray and Sr. Jeanne Morneau, DHS.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 19 at St. Joseph Church, Willimantic, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery in Putnam. Donations: DHS Retirement Fund, P. O. Box 497, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Richard Breton
BROOKLYN — Richard “Dick” Breton, 64, died peacefully at home on Aug. 12, 2019. He was born in September of 1954 in Putnam, son of Shirley Breton and the late Reginald Breton.
Richard grew up in Dayville and attended Killingly schools. He was a welder and pipefitter. He worked at Electric Boat and traveled to different states not only for job purposes, but also to explore. Richard was a Union worker for many years before retiring. He made lots of good friends along the way.
He loved stream and brook trout fishing, fishing Alexander’s Lake in a canoe, fishing for cod on a boat, fishing off the rocks at Point Jerouslin and Point Judith, ice fishing at Alexander’s Lake and other places, hunting for quail, pheasant and deer, camping in a tent and “roughing it.” He enjoyed canoeing the rivers for fishing and the scenery as well. Richard enjoyed hilarious times with family and friends. He also enjoyed listening to his favorite band, the Beatles. He was known to have a great time with friends no matter where his life would take him. Richard enjoyed all the great times at the lake at the family’s place. He especially loved playing horseshoes there with the guys as they were “doing their thing!” Richard was a New England Patriots fan who loved and got very excited watching the games, especially when they made it to and won the Super Bowls.
In addition to his mother Shirley Breton, he leaves his wife, Jackie (Parker) Breton; his children Christopher Aubin (Sabrina) of Thompson; and his daughter, Shannon Bretton of Brooklyn; his brother Gary Bretton (Debra) of E. Killingly; his grandchildren, Adrianna, CJ and Mason; mother in-law Irene Parker; brother and sisters in-law. He will now have a chance to meet and “catch up” with his family and friends who predeceased him, his father, Reginald Breton; paternal grandparents, Reginald and Magdalena Breton Sr.; and his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Mildred Weaver.
A graveside service in St. Joseph Cemetery in Dayville is being planned. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Jane M. Daigle
DANIELSON — Jane M. Daigle of Maple Ct., died Aug. 13, 2019, at Day Kimball Hospital. She was born in 1932, the daughter of the late Armand and Elizabeth (Maloney) Daigle.
Jane received a calling from the Lord at the early age of 14 when she joined the contemplative order of the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary in New York and New Jersey. She was a religious for many decades. Jane was released of her vows in order to care for her parents; however, she continued to remain true to her vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
Jane worked for 20 years as a certified nurse’s aide in two convalescent homes in New Hampshire. Jane played an integral role in opening the Northeast CT Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel where she served as coordinator for 15 years. Jane touched the lives of many people with her quiet strength and devotion to God. She always had a kind word of encouragement for all she met. Jane truly lived her faith.
Jane leaves her two sisters: Gertrude (Trudy) Carr of Brooklyn and Celina Bonin of Woodstock; nieces and nephews; dear friends along with her hospice nurses. She was predeceased by her brother George Daigle, sister Joann Benoit, brother-in-law Brian Bonin and sister-in-law Laurette Daigle.
A Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 19 in St. James Church, Danielson, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery, Putnam. Donations: St. James School, 120 Water St., Danielson, CT 06239. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Carol A. Deary
PUTNAM — Carol A. (Jacob) Deary, 69, of Olney St., died Aug. 17, 2019, at home.
She was the wife of Dennis Deary. Born in 1949 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Leo R. Jacob and June M. (Allen) Beausoleil.
Mrs. Deary worked at Shaw’s Stationary for 15 years. She also was the choir director at St. Mary Church of the Visitation in Putnam for 20 years and was the bookkeeper for Deary Electric.
In addition to her husband Dennis, she leaves her sons, Dennis Deary Jr. and Shawn Deary (Jessica); her daughter, Dawn Hinckley (John); her sister, Deborah S. Jacob-Brotherton (Dale); five grandchildren, Devin, Emma, Rebecca, Jessica and Samantha.
Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 23 in Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 in St. Mary Church of the Visitation (Please meet directly at church), Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284.
Mary Ann DeParasis
THOMPSON — Mary Ann (Askey) DeParasis, 84, died peacefully Aug. 8, 2019, at Hartford Hospital. Born in 1934 in Dixonville, Penn., she was the daughter of the late Jess and Madeline (Maruschak) Askey.
She cherished her family, hosting memorable holiday and family celebrations. She wrote beautiful handwritten letters and she never allowed a birthday, an anniversary, or special event to pass without sending a greeting card, mailed at just the right time to arrive on the exact date (always with a letter enclosed.)
She was an avid Boston Red Sox fan. During the off season, she watched the Hallmark Channel while she completed her many crossword puzzles (in ink.)
She worked for many years as a bookkeeper, receptionist, and office worker for Williamsport Furniture, WT Grant, and Palmer Food Distributors.
She leaves two sons, David “Barry” DeParasis of Dayville, and Brian DeParasis of Plainfield; two daughters, Michele DeParasis (Al Chin), of Billerica, Mass., and Melanie Manzoli; nine grandchildren, Stacey, Heather, Holly and Brian DeParasis, Maddie Chin, Michael, Christopher and Shawn (Sandra) Hamilton, and Matthew Smart; three great-grandchildren, Grant DeParasis, Alexander and Ethan Hamilton; brothers, Ronald of Grassflat, Pennsylvania; Arthur of State College, Penn., and Steve of York, Penn. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, and her brothers, Paul, Edgar, and Eugene.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at The Westfield Church of Christ, Killingly. Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Erica Lynn Hebert
BROOKLYN — Erica Lynn Hebert, 36, died Aug. 12, 2019, in her childhood home after a short battle with cancer.
Erica was born June 8, 1983, in Putnam, to parents Rene and Jayne Hebert. She was a 2001 Killingly High School graduate, and continued her education at UConn, receiving a bachelor’s degree in English. At an early age, Erica discovered her love for writing whether it was creating imaginative stories from her childhood adventures at Grandma Main’s house or her trips to Cape Cod to visit with grandma and grandpa Tetreault. Later on, her writing continued, but this time about her experiences with cancer.
While in college, Erica found her passion for style by starting her life long career with H&M Company. Starting as a seasonal employee, she advanced within the H&M Company by assisting the opening of new stores within the U.S., eventually taking a position as a department manager, she moved to Boston to work in the Newbury Street store. In 2013, Erica accepted a position as store manager for the new H&M Global Flagship in New York City. Erica’s final role was as District Human Resources manager at Corporate, where she was responsible for the hiring, training and development of more than 500 employees. Erica’s “philosophy” was to live up to the company values and expectations every day. Even while she was battling cancer, getting back to work was always one of her main goals.
Erica will be remembered for her infectious laugh, her quick wit and infamous tight hugs. There was nothing Erica liked better than an interesting conversation with a (good) or (new) friend. She could have an engaging conversation with anyone.
She leaves her husband Jeremy Oliver of Brooklyn, N.Y.; pets, Cubby and Bug Oliver; parents, Rene and Jayne Hebert of Brooklyn, Connecticut; and her sister and brother-in-law, Megan and Matthew Werner of New Milford; aunts, uncles and cousins.
A Celebration of Life was Aug. 16 at Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam. Donations: New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine, Office of External Affairs, 1300 York Ave., Box 314, New York, NY 10065.
Frances L. Sharpe
DAYVILLE — Frances L. (Aldrich) Sharpe, 88, formerly of Pomfret and Brooklyn, died Aug. 15, 2019, at Westview Healthcare Center where she had been a resident since March of 2015.
She was born Jan. 25, 1931, in Woonsocket, R.I., daughter of the late A. Wendell and Alice (Lovell) Aldrich.
She was a direct descendant of Roger Williams, founder of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations 1636 and was also a direct descendant of Alexander Lovell, patriot of the American Revolution.
She was married on Dec. 9, 1950, to Edwin J. Sharpe Sr., who died in 1990.
She worked tirelessly as a farm wife, and later in life was employed at Shaw Stationers in Putnam and Dayville, and at the Craft Menagerie in Dayville.
She was a member of the Congregational Church of Putnam and enjoyed singing in the choir.
She was the leader of a Brownie (Girl Scout) Troop, and a member of the Pomfret “Home Ec” Club and the Putnam Women’s Club. She enjoyed traveling with family and had been to New Mexico, Mississippi, Florida and on a Caribbean cruise.
Most recently, she was the president of the Residents’ Association at Westview.
She leaves her daughters, Wendy Harrington (DeWitt) and Roberta Sharpe (partner Alan Useforge); son, Edwin J. Sharpe, Jr. (partner Ann Bonnette); grandchildren: Laura Flournoy of Sacramento, Calif., Nicholas Sharpe of Sterling, Amanda Harrington of Putnam, Jennifer Thereau of St. Albans, Maine, and Benjamin Alden of Brooklyn; six great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Marjorie Aldrich of Ocean Springs, Miss., nephews Kevin (her godson), Eric and Scott Aldrich, all of Mississippi; cousins Alice Homer of Newport, R.I., and Shirley Monroe of Scituate, R.I.; three dear friends, Norma Wolfe, Ethel Parker, and Lynn Almquist. She was predeceased by her daughter, Nancy Loving and her brother, Charles Aldrich.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Westfield Congregational Church Main Street, Danielson. Frances made the choice for her body to be donated to science out of her love of helping others.
Donations: Recreation Fund at Westview Healthcare, P.O. Box 428 Dayville, CT 06241. Smith & Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam.
Brian P. Hackett,
Navy vet
WORCESTER — Brian P. Hackett, 60, died Aug. 14, 2019.
He was born in Worcester, son of Brian Hackett and the late Nancy A. (Johnson) Hackett and lived in Worcester all his life.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran. Brian worked as a painter all his life.
Brian leaves his partner, Kim Paulin of Worcester; two brothers, William Hackett of Worcester and John McDonnell of Truro, Mass.; four sisters, Laura Hackett of N. Grosvenordale, Pauline Riordan of Rhode Island, Carrie McDonnell of Auburn, Mass., and Jenny McDonnell of Worcester; his stepfather Wayne B. McDonnell of Worcester and his father Brian Hackett of Maine.
A Celebration of Life will be held later. Donations: Your local veteran organization. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
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Takes part
WORCESTER— Michaela Johnson of Quinebaug, a member of the class of 2020 majoring in chemical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research through the WPI project center in Thessaloniki, Greece. The project was titled “The Current Mediterranean Diet:”
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caption:
Celebrates
Mary “Lou” Rousseau with her 100th birthday cake and a state citation honoring her birthday. Courtesy photo.
Rousseau
turns 100
DAYVILLE — It is often said that it is not the years in your life that count, but rather the life in your years. Mary “Lou” Rousseau celebrated her 100th birthday Aug. 6.
Besides best wishes from family and friends, she received from State Senator Mae Flexer a citation of accomplishment on behalf of the Connecticut State Assembly. Born on Aug. 6, 1919, in Bennington, Vt., Lou has lived in New England for the greater portion of her life. She is a direct descendent of French painter Henri Rousseau, and is the older sister to Connie and Francis “Red” Rousseau, an active member of the Putnam Fire Department. Around the time of WWII her father and brother arrived in Putnam to join the labor force. During the war she worked at Pratt & Whitney herself, and then, in the peacetime tworked at American Optical as a press operator. She retired in 1979.
Lou and her lifelong companion Steve lived in Putnam together. They shared an apartment above a place known as “Henry’s Variety” and in one of life’s unfortunate turns, the store below was destroyed in a fire and along with it most of their personal belongings. In finding a silver lining, Lou has joked that this helped to eliminate a lot of things she had collected in excess. She and Steve were socially active in dance groups at local clubs, and the two enjoyed travelling frequently to Vermont and Massachusetts to spend time among family and to Germany to spend time among friends. According to her family she loved social occasions and relished every opportunity to bake a big, fancy cake for special celebrations. Her niece, Dale, recalled her aunt Lou went through extra efforts to secure enough gasoline to transport her wedding cake up to Vermont amidst the austere chapter of American wartime rationing. She added Lou represents the best of blue-collar America.” Her nieces and nephews returned the favor when they presented her with a birthday cake.
Administrator David T. Panteleakos said: “Mary Rousseau is such an inspiration to all of us here at Westview. The average age of our residents is 84 and we are always so excited every time we host a centennial celebration. Actually, if you add up all of the years of every resident here today, Westview residents make up 8,460 years of life. Happy 100th Birthday to Mary Rousseau!”
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