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Richard K. Holbrook
HINSDALE, N.H. - Richard K. R.K. Holbrook, 88, of 928 Northfield Road died peacefully at home on Sunday (8-13-06).
He was born in Greenfield, Mass., on May 21, 1918, the son of Selah H. and Bertha A. (Rice) Holbrook. He graduated from Turners Falls (Mass.) High School and attended Bentley School of Accounting in Boston.
He worked as general manager of the Packard Garage and as an inspector for the Greenfield Tap & Die Corp. before entering the U.S. Navy in 1944.
He served as a fire controller in the Pacific aboard the battleship, US Arkansas, and witnessed the original flag raising at Iwo Jima. Following his discharge from the navy in 1946, he moved his family to Hinsdale, where he worked as a carpenter for Edward Bolton before establishing his own contracting business, R.K. Holbrook Contractor.
He and his wife of 66 years, the former Dorothy Bolton, resided at Pauchaug Farm for 60 years where they enjoyed farming, living off the land and raising beef cows. He especially loved horses and shared this passion with his family.
He was a member of the Masons and Eastern Star and the American Legion.
He was also a member of the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Northfield, where he served on both the building committee and board of trustees.
In addition to his deep interest in railroads, trains and history, he also enjoyed boating, camping and woodworking. His activities centered on his family and he was a proud patron of many family gatherings.
He is survived by his wife and four children: Judy Hurlburt and her husband Alan of Lancaster, Pa., Donna Holbrook of Cassville, Mo., Sandra Holbrook of Richmond, N.H., and Richard and his wife Ginny of Sausalito, Calif.; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, Northfield, on Aug. 23, 2006, at 1 p.m. The Rev. Lloyd Parrill, pastor, will officiate. Burial will follow in South Parish Cemetery, Winchester, with full military honors.
There are no calling hours.
Donations in his memory may be made to the Trinitarian Congregational Church Memorial Fund, 147 Main St., Northfield, MA 01360 or Hospice of HCS, Attention: Patient Care Needs, P.O. Box 564, Keene, NH 03431.
Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave., Northfield, is in charge of arrangements.
Marguerite A. Spencer
GREENFIELD - Marguerite Ann (Dent) Spencer, 91, of 54 High St., Weldon Apartments, died peacefully Thursday (8-17-06) at Poets Seat Health Care Center.
Born July 27, 1915 in Turners Falls, she was the daughter of Michael J. and Anne (Barrett) Dent. She graduated from Turners Falls High School in 1932. In 1934, she graduated from Bay Path College and taught business skills there the following year. She was a lifetime member of its alumni association.
Secretary to the late Judge Abner McLeod of Greenfield, she later worked as executive secretary in the offices of the late Massachusetts Gov. Charles Hurley at the State House in Boston.
After her late husbands retirement as professor of economics from Hillyer College, now the University of Hartford, they returned to live in Greenfield. Marguerite then worked in the offices of Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, where she was affectionately known as Ma to a generation of alumnae.
Ms. Spencer loved music, especially Irish ballads, played piano and had a lovely voice. She was an avid reader.
She had been a communicant of Sacred Heart Church in Greenfield.
She was married
to Andrew H. Spencer of Greenfield at St. Marys Church in Turners Falls on Jan. 22, 1938. He died in 1992.
The couple had five children, Ann Menousek Austin, who predeceased her in 2001, William D. of Burlington, Vt., John D. of Northampton, Charles of New Britain, Conn., and Christine Angelico of New Britain. Other survivors include seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren, and her nephew, Richard A. Le Maire of Palm Springs, Calif.
A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of Peace Church, Turners Falls, with the Rev. Stanley Aksamit, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in St. Marys Cemetery, Turners Falls.
Donations may be made in her memory to Brightside for Families and Children, 2112 Riverdale St., West Springfield, MA 01089.
Walker Funeral Home, Greenfield, is in charge of arrangements.
Gary A. Coffin
DEERFIELD - Gary A. Woody Coffin, 54, of 7 Pleasant Ave. died Thursday (8-17-06) at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield after a long courageous battle with leukemia.
Born in Montague on Feb. 22, 1952, he was the son of Lawrence L. and Rose P. (Pregony) Coffin. He attended local schools in Greenfield and was a graduate of Greenfield High School, Class of 1970.
Woody worked in the Greenfield School system for 29 years.
He was a loving husband and devoted father whose prized possessions were his children.
Woody was an avid golfer and past president of Powertown Golf League at the Meadows. He was a big fan of all the Boston professional sports teams. He enjoyed playing Keno and lottery scratch tickets.
He was a member of the Army National Guard in Greenfield and the Greenfield Lodge of Elks.
Among his survivors, he leaves his wife of 29 years, the former Susan K. Wolejko; a son, Nathan J. Coffin, and a daughter, Marcella H. Coffin, both at home; two brothers, Thomas Coffin of Greenfield and Peter Coffin of South Deerfield, and many aunts, uncles and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Tuesday (8-22-06) at 9 a.m. at the Kostanski Funeral Home, 220 Federal St., Greenfield, followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 in St. Stanislaus Church in South Deerfield with the Rev. Philippe Roux, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
Calling hours will be Monday (8-21-06) from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Mass. Chapter, 495 Old Connecticut Path, Suite 220, Framingham, MA 01701-4567.
Francis M. Casey
GREENFIELD - Francis Michael 'Mike' Casey, 80, former headmaster of Wilbraham-Monson Academy and a resident of Greenfield, died Sunday, April 9, 2006, at Sunbridge Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hadley.
Mr. Casey was born in Turners Falls on Feb. 5, 1926. He was the son of Richard and Louise (Sebold) Casey. His early years were spent with his sister, Marilyn, and his parents in a three-room apartment on Third Street, overlooking the mills. He attended Turners Falls schools and Turners Falls High School, receiving his diploma with the Class of 1943.
In 1942, at the age of 16, and in his junior year of high school, he was admitted to Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind., in a program for advanced high school students.
In 1944, when Mr. Casey turned 18, at the height of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He enrolled in Officer Candidate School and then, because of his aptitude for foreign languages, he was sent to Japanese language school in Stillwater, Okla., to prepare to be a translator in the expected U.S. invasion of Japan.
Following the end of the war, he enrolled in Williams College, from which he received a bachelor's degree. He received his master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Mr. Casey was the recipient of one of the first Fulbright Scholarships awarded in 1947. He traveled to London, England, to study stage directing at the Old Vic Theatre, and later became the assistant to the theatre's director, Tyrone Guthrie.
Returning to the U.S. in the early 1950s, Mr. Casey began his career in education, in which he would find his greatest success. He taught speech and drama and taught in the Great Books program at Notre Dame. He was an instructor in English at Williams College, Bennington College, the Solebury School and the Dalton School in Manhattan, where he was also the dean of the middle school.
In 1972, Mr. Casey was appointed a teacher of English and the director of studies at Wilbraham-Monson Academy in Wilbraham. Two years later, he was appointed headmaster, a position he held for the next 14 years. He was known as a tireless fundraiser and advocate for his school, a competent administrator and a teacher whose students were often taken by the scope of his knowledge and who were delighted when he drew from his thespian skills for emphasis or to enlighten and engage them.
Although Mr. Casey never married, he leaves a large and devoted family including his nephew, Jack Davey and his wife Cheryl of West Deerfield; his nephew Michael Davey of Deerfield; his nephew, Christopher Davey and his wife Kirsta of Groton; his nephew, Matthew Davey and his wife Julie of Groton; a niece, Mary Davey-Brooks of Breckenridge, CO; a cousin, Mary Boeh-Hynes and her husband Tom of Nashua, NH, and his friend and caregiver, Vicki Davey of Shutesbury, and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.
Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Kostanski Funeral Home, 220 Federal St. Burial will follow in Howland cemetery in Conway.
Calling hours at the funeral home will be Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Wilbraham-Monson Academy, c/o Scholarship Fund, 423 Main St., Wilbraham, MA 01095.
Marion E. Yankowski
GREENFIELD - Marion E. (Wright) Yankowski, 88, of 101 Harrison Ave., died Saturday (4-8-06) at the Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.
She was born in Hartford, Ct. on June 4, 1917 the daughter of Albert and Marion (Rommell) Wright. She attended Greenfield High School and had been a resident of Greenfield most of her life.
She was a member of the Second Congregational Church.
Marion was an avid reader.
Her husband, Chester B. Yankowski, predeceased her on June 10, 1981.
Survivors include a son, David B. Yankowski of St. Petersburg, Fla., a daughter Karen E. Wlostoski and her husband Greg of Greenfield, 4 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services at the Kostanski Funeral Home, 220 Federal St., will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Armand Proulx, pastor of Second Congregational Church, officiating.
Burial will follow in Green River Cemetery.
A calling hour will be Wednesday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association of Western Massachusetts, 393 Maple St., Springfield MA 01106 or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Ruth P. Arabia
TURNERS FALLS - Ruth P. (Geddis) Arabia, 68, of 25 Fourth St., died Saturday (4-8-06) at the Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield.
She was born in Athol on March 17, 1938 the daughter of Joseph and Kathrine (Wade) Geddis. She graduated from Athol High School in 1957 and had been a resident of Athol prior to moving to Turners Falls in 1987.
Ruth was a homemaker and enjoyed arts and crafts.
She was a member of the Shutesbury Community Church.
Survivors include her husband Donald D. Arabia, 2 sons, James McNeil of Greenfield and Edward McNeil of Athol, a daughter, Sharon McNeil of Albany, N.Y., a brother, Leonard Geddis of Agawam, a stepdaughter Donna Grant of Milton, N.H., 3 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Highland cemetery in Millers Falls with the Rev. Daniel Johnson, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Turners Falls, officiating.
There are no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, OH 44720 or to Baystate Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, 101 Munson St., Suite 201, P.O. Box 1558, Greenfield MA 01301.
Kostanski Funeral Home of Turners Falls is in charge of arrangements.
