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Nelson E. Ramsdell Jr.
GREENLAND - Nelson E. Ramsdell Jr., 79, of 61 September Drive, died Monday, Jan. 17, 2000, at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Born Jan. 7, 1921, in Portsmouth, he was the son of Nelson E. Ramsdell Sr. and Clarice (Hanson) Ramsdell.
A 1938 graduate of Portsmouth High School and 1941 graduate of Wentworth Institute of Boston, he served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and played trumpet in the Army band.
He was a member of the Middle Street Baptist Church in Portsmouth and was an occasional soloist on trumpet.
He was employed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from 1946 until his retirement in 1973, as administrator of the apprenticeship program. He also taught management at the University of New Hampshire. He then began his own electrical business, Ramsdell Electrical Co., which he retired from in 1989.
He received an honorary bachelor of arts degree in technology from the Wentworth Institute.
A member of Saint John's Lodge No. 1 F. & A.M., he was an organist for the lodge. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Portsmouth and Dover; the New Hampshire Cosistory 32 degree of Nashua; and a member of the Bektash Temple Shrine of Concord and its band.
He played trumpet in the original Portsmouth City Band and the Stardusters. He was a member of the Manchester Federation of Musicians Local No. 349, the Portsmouth Ham Radio Club, and NARFE.
He also loved hunting and fishing.
He was the husband of Edith Louise (Frink) Ramsdell.
In addition to his wife, survivors include one daughter, Elaine Ramsdell-Jousett and her husband, Jeffrey, of Portsmouth; one granddaughter, Sarah Louise Jousett of Portsmouth; several nieces, nephews and cousins; two sisters-in-law, Nancy Fleming and her husband, Robert, of Greenland, and Patricia Malone and her husband, Robert, of Greenland; and one brother-in-law, Charles Parker Hand of Rye.
Richard J. Owens
ELIOT - Richard J. Owens, 63, of 169 Main St., died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
Born June 23, 1936, in Biddeford, Maine, he was the son of the late James Owens and Marion (Prouty) Smith. He was a 1957 graduate of Portsmouth High School.
He was the proprietor of New England Janitorial Service.
He was a member of St. John's Lodge No. 1 F. & A.M. of Portsmouth, and the South Berwick Rod and Gun Association. He was a ham radio operator and enjoyed hunting and fishing.
He was the husband of Constance E. (Gaspar) Owens.
In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, Melissa Langford and her husband, David, of Eliot; a son, Richard "Rick" C. Owens and his wife, Wendy, of South Berwick; three grandchildren, Laura, Rhiannon and Nicholas; a stepfather, Winston A. Smith of Portsmouth; a niece, a nephew and several cousins.
Ruth M. MacKechnie
EXETER - Ruth Mildred (Edgerly) MacKechnie, 78, of Hayes Park, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at her son's home in Connecticut, surrounded by family.
Born Nov. 11, 1921, in Princeton, Maine, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Annie (McDowell) Edgerly. She had lived in Exeter for 35 years before moving to Columbia, Conn., in 1999.
She spent many years working for the Exeter Family Clinic before retiring in 1986.
She was the wife of the late John L. MacKechnie.
Survivors include a son, Lewis C. MacKechnie and his wife, Vivien C., of Columbia; two grandchildren, Kelly L. and Matthew A. MacKechnie of Columbia; two sisters, Hilda Edgerly of Princeton and Barbara Hickey and her husband, Bob, of Plymouth, Mass.; a brother-in-law, Harvey Scribner of Benton, Maine; a brother, Ivan Edgerly and his wife, Rita, of Benicia, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by two sisters, Dorothy Edgerly and Alta Scribner.
Grace M. Twomey
PORTSMOUTH - Grace M. Twomey, 90, formerly of 3 Clearwater Drive, Dover, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at the Mark H. Wentworth Nursing Home in Portsmouth.
Born Nov. 2, 1909, in Charlestown, Mass., she was the daughter of Michael and Helen (Carnell) O'Donnell. She was a 1927 graduate of Charlestown High School .
She was a longtime resident of Needham, Mass., where she was a member of St. Bartholemew Church and the church guild.
She was a communicant of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Portsmouth.
She was the wife of the late John J. Twomey, who died in 1986.
Survivors include two daughters, Ann Marie O'Rourke and her husband, Thomas, of Auburn, Mass., and Patricia A. Vanidestine and her husband, Herbert, of Dover; two grandchildren, Robert Meomartino and Amy Meomartino; and a sister, Eleanor Lawlor of Kansas City, Kan.
Anong Kelley
SOMERSWORTH - Anong Kelley, 57, of 21 Cliff St., died Friday, Jan. 14. 2000, at the home of her daughter in Eliot.
Born March 6, 1942, in Thailand, she moved here from Bangkok in 1969.
She was the owner of the Busy Beads Gift Shop in Hampton.
She was a member of the Wat Buddhachaw Buddhist Temple in Lowell, Mass.
She was the wife of Paul Kelley of Somersworth.
In addition to her husband, survivors include two daughters, Mary Kelley-Webber and her husband, Christopher, of Eliot, and Paula Kelley-Wall and her husband, Lester, of Somersworth; three sons, John Kelley and his wife, Theresa, of North Hampton, Thomas Kelley and his wife, Donna, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., and Michael Kelley and his wife, Nidia, of Natick, Mass.; four grandchildren; three brothers, Bumrumg Sukduang of California, Anunta Sukduang and his wife, Patricia, and Wanderm Sukduang and his wife, Lucie, all of Rochester; and several nieces and nephews.
Lucille L. Aikins
DURHAM - Lucille L. Aikins, 86, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at the Portsmouth Regional Hospital after a courageous effort to recover from heart surgery.
She was born in Scott County, Kan., and grew up in Pueblo, Colo. She was the daughter of Charles and Harriet (Drummond) Lamb, and she had a beloved older sister, Clarice L. Haines. As a girl, she received professional training in elocution, and in 1936 she received her bachelor's degree in English with an emphasis on drama from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In 1937 she married Harold E. Aikins, a college professor, and her career was shaped by their shared journey through life. From 1937 to 1939 she acted in productions at The Anvil, a community theater in Winona, Minn. During the 1940s, in Philadelphia, she was the producer and director of adult theater at the YWCA and participated in wartime activities. In 1949, she and her husband moved to DeKalb, Ill., where she earned the first degree to be awarded by the newly formed Northern Illinois "University" (1957), a master of science in education.
In 1960 she became a junior high school teacher of world history, English and drama in Sycamore, Ill. She retired in 1977 after many successful years of introducing her students to the joy of acting in plays she specially adapted from the literature and history of ancient Greek, Roman, Medieval and modern times. Her teaching and community programs were inspired by her wide travels with her husband and daughter in England, Europe and the Middle East.
Her greatest passion was for the theater. In 1951 she joined the Stage Coach Players, one of the oldest community theaters in the United States. At Stage Coach she performed every task, from the lowest to the highest, including acting, directing, producing, making costumes, providing props, cleaning, building, painting and serving as president, among other official roles.
She received many honors from the Stage Coach Players, including the annual Lifetime Achievement Award, which now bears her name. In 1992, she received a Northern Illinois University Foundation Humanitarian Award for Service to the Community, in recognition of her contributions to Children's Community Theater, the preservation of the Egyptian Theater and other historic buildings, the Family Service Agency, and many other groups and individuals.
In 1994 she moved to Durham, where she made new and wonderful friends.
Survivors include her daughter, Janet E. Aikins; and her son-in-law, Daniel W. Reagan.
Thomas A. Burns
SEATTLE - Thomas A. Burns, 49, formerly of Portsmouth, died suddenly on Tuesday, Jan. 4, as a result of an accident.
Born Jan. 9, 1950, in Haverhill, Mass., he was the son of James Burns of Portsmouth and the late Doris (Quintal) Burns, who died in 1985. He graduated Portsmouth High School in 1968, and later from the University of New Hampshire.
He was a well-liked, kindhearted man who acquired many friendships during the years he worked in area restaurants, including Yoken's and Week's. He moved to Seattle in 1995.
He had a passion for classical music and a particular appreciation for one of the world's most revered pipe organ masters, Virgil Fox. He tremendously enjoyed the humor of the Three Stooges and was able to recite many of their lines by heart. His favorite "Stooge" was Moe.
In addition to his father, survivors include a brother, Tony Burns and his wife, Cathy, of Somersworth; two nieces, Tamber Burns of Sanford, Maine, and Toni Burns of South Berwick; and a great-niece, Zoe, of Sanford.
There will be no calling hours. Funeral services will be private. A memorial service for friends and acquaintances will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at Immaculate Conception Church on Summer Street, Portsmouth.
Arthur Hopley
PORTSMOUTH - Arthur Henry Percival Hopley, 87, of 1365 South St., died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at the Edgewood Centre.
Born Oct. 21, 1912, in Allston, Mass., he was the eldest son of the late Beatrice L. (Woodfin) Hopley and John W. Hopley of Portsmouth.
He was a 1930 graduate of Portsmouth High School. He later graduated from Plymouth Business School in 1932 and also attended the University of New Hampshire.
He was a veteran of the Navy, serving in World War II and Korea. He participated in the invasion of North Africa and Sicily in the European Theater, the invasion of Iwo Jima and the occupation of Japan and China in the Pacific Theater. He retired from the Naval Reserve as a chief yeoman after 24 years of service.
His career with the U.S. Postal Service spanned 35 years. Beginning in 1938 as a substitute letter carrier, he became a regular letter carrier in 1940. He was promoted to assistant postmaster in 1955, serving for 14 years. In February 1971, he was the first internally promoted postmaster under the postal services' reorganization into a nonpartisan agency. He retired from the Postal Service on June 30, 1972.
He was a member of the North Congregational Church; a 50-year member of St. John's Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M. of Portsmouth; past master councilor Portsmouth Chapter Order of DeMolay; a member of Rotary Club, Warwick Club and the National Association of Postmasters. He was a recipient of the DeMolay Legion of Honor Award by the International Supreme Council of DeMolay.
An avid golfer and a senior member of the Portsmouth Country Club, he was very proud of his 60-year membership in the Twilight Golf League.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dorothy (Foster) Hopley.
In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, Sue F. Parr and son-in-law, Daniel J., of Rye; a son, Richard A. Hopley and daughter-in-law, Carole A. of Portsmouth; four grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by three brothers, Robert, Edward and William Hopley.
Newell F. Chase
SOUTH BERWICK - Newell F. Chase, 80, of 7 Lord's Lane, died Friday, Jan. 14, 2000, at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, Dover, following a sudden illness.
Born Jan. 25, 1919, in Waterville, Maine, he was the son of the late Winfred and Mary A. (Tripp) Chase.
He served in the merchant Marines and had attended Hemphill Diesel School.
A machinist, he was employed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for many years prior to his retirement.
He moved to South Berwick from Kittery 25 years ago.
He was a member of Lemoine Baptist Church of Lemoine, Maine; an active Mason; a lifetime member of Naval Lodge No. 184 of Kittery; a member of the Shriners Kora Temple of Lewiston, York Rite, and Maine Royal Arch Chapter No. 73 of Kittery.
He was the husband of Bernice H. (Patten) Chase of South Berwick for 55 years.
In addition to his wife, survivors include two daughters, Nancy L. Bland and her husband, Roger M., of Semora, N.C., and Deborah A. O'Connor of St. Mary's, Ga.; four grandchildren, Cheryl Higgins of Raleigh, N.C., Steven P. Bland of Raleigh, Tammey J. Bland of Semora and Ashley N. LaMont of St. Mary's; five great-grandchildren, Jonathan P. Bland, Gabrielle M. Bland, Reece A. Higgins, Brad A. Solomon and Kyle H. Solomon.
He was predeceased by a sister, Winifred Chase.
William J. Souza
SOUZA - William J. Souza Jr., 66, of 52 South Road, East Kingston, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2000. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Stockbridge Funeral Home, 141 Epping Road, Exeter. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The family requests no visiting hours and flowers please be omitted. If desired, donations may be made to the Rockingham VNA Hospice, 137 Epping Road, Exeter, NH 03833. Spring burial will be in the Union Cemetery, East Kingston.
