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Paul Joseph Lavigne,
Army vet
BALLOUVILLE — Paul Joseph Lavigne died Dec. 14, 2018, at home. Paul was born May 21, 1932, at home in Colchester, Vt., the son of Napoleon and Luciena (Oliver) Lavigne.
He married Joyce Jakubowski on July 2,1955 at St. Mary’s Church in Putnam. She died June 22, 1993.
On Aug. 8,1994, he married Jeanne Bemier at Holy Trinity Church in Pomfret. She died Oct. 22,1997, and is survived by her two children, Michael Lamoureux and Connie Lafortune.
Paul married his good friend, Kathleen Leist on Aug. 8, 2011, at St. James Church in Danielson.
Paul was a corporal in the Army 101 Airborne from Oct. 21, 1952 to Sept. 28, 1954. He served in the reserves for six years after returning home. He worked at RafTerty Plumbing, in construction in Hartford, at Lydell Industries (Jacob Rubber) in Dayville, and as a consultant for Lydell in Virginia. He returned to Woodstock in 1992.
Paul was part of a large family of two brothers and four sisters, Leah Shepherd of Florida, Arthur of Vermont, Doris and Jeannette of Connecticut; nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews; good friend Denis Gobin and his family. He is predeceased by Lucien and Irene,. Paul.
The Mass of Christian Burial is 10 a.m. Dec. 20 at St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam. Military Honors will follow. Burial will take place at a later date. Donations: Daily Bread or The Killingly Veterans Coffee House.
William F. Barylski
N. GROSVENORDALE — William F. “Billy” Barylski, 75, of Reardon Rd, died Dec. 10, 2018, at home. Born in 1943 in Putnam, he was the son of the late Anthony and Florence (Boisclair) Barylski.
Mr. Barylski retired as a foreman from the Glass Container Co. He also worked for Superior Bakery, Bates Shoe, State Lighting Co. of Florida and as a bartender for several local businesses. Billy was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Thompson Rod and Gun Club, and Valley Springs Sportsman’s Club. He enjoyed talking to people and socializing. He loved his family and often said, “As long as I have my Family and Grandkids…..I’m Good”
He leaves his children, Ken Barylski of N. Grosvenordale and Missy Desrochers (Ricky) of N. Grosvenordale; his grandchildren, Jenna Saad, Jake Desrochers and Vanessa Barylski; his great-granddaughter, Addilyn Saad and his three lifelong friends, Peanut, Bernie and Brian. He was predeceased by his brother, Richard Barylski.
The Funeral was Dec. 17 in the Valade Funeral Home and Crematory, 23 Main St., N. Grosvenordale.
David M. Howe Sr.
ABINGTON — David M. Howe Sr., 88, of Abington, died Dec. 16, 2018, at the Westview Health Care Center in Dayville after a long illness. He was the husband of Lorraine (Moreria) Howe. She died July 25, 2003. He was born Aug. 5, 1930, in Pomfret, son of the late Harvey Q. and Elsie (Bowen) Howe.
David was an engineer and worked at the Rogers Corp for more than 40 years. His interests and hobbies were Russian music, math, racing, genealogy, history, theater, his tractors and reading. David could fix anything and was the unofficial town historian. He was the lead crew on several of his grandson’s NYU student film shoots.
He leaves his son David M. Howe Jr. (Deborah) of Abington; his daughter Linda Hall and her partner Ken of Lake City, Fla.; grandchildren Lucas Howe of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Emmanuelle Howe-O’Neal of Pomfret, Maria Hall of Lake City, David Hall USAF stationed in Europe; nieces and nephews.
Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove St., Putnam. A Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 20 at the Abington Congregational Church, 542 Hampton Road, Abington. Burial will be in the spring in Abington Cemetery. Donations: Abington Social Library, PO Box 73, Pomfret Center, CT 06259.
Charles D. Egbert
PUTNAM — Charles D. Egbert, 77, of Maynard St., formerly of Florida and Texas, died Dec. 12, 2018, at home. He was the husband of Gracie Mae (Fowler) Egbert. Born in 1941 in Hubbard, Texas, he was the son of the late Henry and Vera (Thorn) Egbert.
Mr. Egbert worked as an electrical mechanics technician at various companies including the Miller Brewing Company and the Schick Razor Company.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, making custom knives, and furniture building for his family.
He leaves his wife, Gracie Mae; a son, Danny Egbert (Diana) of Old Saybrook; a daughter, Brenda Conzo (Joey) of Putnam; two sisters, Barbara Korn of Roswell, N.M., and Dorothy White of Oklahoma; four grandchildren, Mackenzie, Dalila, Izak, and Olive.
Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Joan E. Labonte
PUTNAM — Joan Elizabeth Labonte, 73, of Hawkins Road and partner of Charles L. “Chuck” Mahoney for 38 years, died Dec. 17, 2018, heeding the call to Heaven. Born in 1945 in Putnam, she was the daughter of the late Germain and Ruth (Bates) Labonte. She was a lifelong resident of Putnam.
She worked as a machine operator for Hale Manufacturing and then went on to be a popular bartender for 20 years at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1523 in Putnam. There she earned the respect as a loyal veteran advocate with all Post members, and with the display of an exceptional strong work ethic while on duty behind the bar.
Joan was proud to become a member of the Ladies Auxiliary through the sponsorship of her brother, Marine veteran Norman Labonte. She often participated as a volunteer worker for the annual Putnam VFW benefit dinners on Easter and Thanksgiving for the handicapped children and adults.
She loved her trips to Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H., at Weirs Beach to visit friends and take the annual ride on the steamship Mt. Washington. Also important to her were the happy hours at the Laconia VFW Post 1670 with the many friends made over the past 30 years.
Her love for animals had no boundaries, she adored her favorite cat “Midnight” who lived at home for 20 years, and a dog “Drefus” that she loved beyond belief. Her hobby of collecting owls was astounding, for her home is overrun with a collection of the “wise ones.” Joan was a lovely person.
In addition to her longtime partner Chuck, she leaves her siblings, Norman Labonte (Cyn) of Brookfield, Mass., Janice Keech (Jim) of Ruskin, Fla., Carol Wright of Gainsville, Tenn., and Linda Hollingworth of Dayville; nieces and nephews. Joan was predeceased by her brother, Robert Labonte.
Visitation will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 20 in Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam, followed by a Funeral Mass of Christian Burial at noon in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Providence Street. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery in Needham, Mass., in the spring.
Norma P. Langlois
N. GROSVENORDALE — Norma P. Langlois, 81, of Riverside Dr., died Dec. 17, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital. She was the wife of Joseph A. Langlois. She was born in 1937.
Mrs. Langlois worked was an office worker at the former Paul Revere Insurance Company.
She leaves her husband; a son David Langlois of Los Alamos, .N.M; two sisters, Joan Bennett of Dudley, and Eleanor Burdick of Springfield, Mass.; and a granddaughter Marie Langlois.
Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Michael R. Regis
AUBURN, Mass. — Michael R. Regis, 50, died Dec. 12, 2018, at Rhode Island Hospital. Born in 1968 in Putnam, he was the son of Robert Regis and Patricia (Renaud) Regis of Brooklyn.
Mike attended St. James and Killingly High School. Mike’s passion in school was gymnastics where he would excel in winning several State competitions in vaulting and floor exercise. His love for gymnastics after graduation would take him to Deary’s Gymnastics of Danielson where he would become instructor and coach. Mike’s passion for coaching and teaching would later take him to the Gymnastics Learning Center of Shrewsbury, Mass. He took special interest there with children with autism and the deaf in which Mike taught himself sign language to aid in helping his deaf students; he loved working with kids. Later in life he worked as an I.T. technician for Vision Appraisal as a computer software specialist.
Michael’s other loves and hobbies were being the life of the party, animal lover, cooking, skiing, and water sports with his sister and brother on Webster Lake. He enjoyed traveling, especially abroad to Greece and Turkey. He also loved the art of flight, ballooning and hang gliding.
In addition to his parents, Michael he leaves his sister, Brenda Cotnoir (Jeffrey) of Putnam; brother, Gary Regis (Bonnie) of Woodstock; godchild and niece, April Regis; godfather uncle Rick; aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Donations: Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to support small or large animals, 200 Westboro Rd. N. Grafton, MA 01536; or The Learning Center for the Deaf, 848 Central St., Framingham, MA 01701. The Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
Isidro ‘Ed’ Acenas,
Army, Navy vet
WEBSTER — Isidro S. (Ed) Acenas, 91, died Dec. 11, 2018, at Christopher Heights, Webster. He was the husband of the late Marion E. (Ryan) Acenas who died in 1990.
He was born in Mindanao, Philippines son of the late Librado Acenas and Matilda (Sabal) Acenas. Ed became a US citizen over 60 years ago. He served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. He was a long time resident of Cambridge, Mass., until retiring to W. Palm Beach, Fla., with his companion Ann Moy. He was a Boston sports enthusiast and also enjoyed ballroom dancing, tennis and bowling.
He leaves two sons, Richard Bofill of Winthrop, Mass., and Keith Acenas of Watertown, Mass.; four daughters, Donna Dunnell (Jeff) of Port Orange, Fla., Ronda Chipman (Bob) of Attleboro, Mass., Charlene Maniates (Nick) of Pomfret Center, and Kim Stewart (John) of Upton, Mass.; 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by two brothers and three sisters.
Services will be private. Donations: Salvation Army. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Joseph ‘Red’ Gadbois,
WWII vet
WEBSTER — Joseph (Red) A. Gadbois, 89, died Dec. 10, 2018, at the Sandelwood in Oxford, Mass..
He was born in Webster, son of the late Joseph J. Gadbois and Amelia (Gravelin) Gadbois and lived there all his life. He was a WWII Army veteran. Joe was a member of the Webster Police Dept. for 12 years. He also worked for Anchor Glass in Dayville. Joe enjoyed gathering with his friends for coffee at Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds. He was a collector of old things.
He leaves his wife of 64 years, Carolyn F. (Cimichowski) Gadbois; four sons, Dennis Gadbois of Webster, William Gadbois (Laurie) of Brooklyn, Thomas Gadbois (Donna) of Oxford and Joseph Gadbois of Webster; nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his grandson Jeremy.
A Graveside Service with military honors was Dec. 19 at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Webster. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home, Webster.
Lorraine T. Waugh
MECHANICSBURG, Penn. — Lorraine T. Waugh, 85, of Bethany Village, and formerly of Milton, Penn., died Dec. 6, 2018.
Born on Nov. 8, 1933, in Laconia, N.H., she was the daughter of the late Armand and Dora (Bernier) Valade. She was the widow of Phillip R. Waugh. Lorraine was a retired teacher from the Milton Area School District, where she taught 5th grade. Along with her late husband, she was a member of the Milton Historical Society and a former volunteer for Meals on Wheels, the United Way and the Red Cross. She will be remembered by many for her contagious smile, sense of humor and kindness.
She leaves two sons and their wives, Jim and Diane Waugh of Ewing, N.J., and Jon and Melissa Waugh of Norcross, Ga.; two daughters and their husbands, Janet Waugh and Ronald Pluto of Turnersville, N.J., and Julie and Thomas Samuel of Enola, Penn.; four grandchildren, Griffin and Parker Waugh of Georgia and Lance and Leah Samuel of Pennsylvania; and numerous friends in northeastern Connecticut. A Celebration of Life services honoring both Lorraine and her late husband, Phillip, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 26 at SpringFields, located in Bethany Village (enter door #1), 5225 Wilson Lane, Mechanicsburg. Visitation with family will follow the memorial service. Donations: Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org/donate). Parthemore Funeral Home, Pennsylvania.
David L. Ramsdell
POMFRET — David L. Ramsdell, 52, died Nov. 29, 2018, in Alma, Georgia.
He was born Oct. 11, 1966, in Worcester, son of Joseph P. Ramsdell Sr. and Marie (Mayo) Ramsdell of Putnam. He grew up in Pomfret and graduated in 1985 from Harvard Ellis Technical School in Danielson. He worked as a plumber’s helper. He moved to Georgia in 1989 and worked as a cook and a meat slicer at a grocery store.
In addition to his mother, he leaves his brothers, Joseph P. Ramsdell Jr. of Carson, Miss., Carl Ramsdell (Carla) of Westbrook, Stewart Ramsdell (Jackie) of Nicholls, Ga.; sisters Becky Wilson (Greg) of Templeton, Calif, and Donna Miller (Ted) of Alma, Ga.; nieces and nephews and his dog Abby. He was predeceased by his father; brother Scott Ramsdell and sister Lisa Ramsdell. A Memorial Service and burial will be held in the spring at the convenience of the family.
Hazel Mendillo
WEBSTER — Hazel A. (Piette) Mendillo, 98, died Dec. 13, 2018, at the Lanessa Extended Care, Webster. She was the wife of the late Frank P. Mendillo. She was born in Woodstock, daughter of the late Arthur Piette and Pauline (Stoll) Piette and lived here most of her life. She was retired from the American Optical Company. She leaves her son Francis (Frank) M. Mendillo (Patricia) of Webster; three grandchildren, Gina, Julie and Nicolas; two great-grandsons Nathyn and Xander. Hazel was predeceased by two brothers Arthur and Louis and three sisters, Louise, Elaine and Esther. The Funeral was Dec. 19 with a graveside service at Mt. Zion Cemetery, Webster. Donations: St. Louis Endowment Fund, Lake St., Webster, MA. 01570. Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home.
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