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Renato D. Fracassi
MIDDLETOWN, N.J. - Renato D. Fracassi, 93, died at his home on Aug. 23, 2001. He was born in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, and immigrated with his family to Portsmouth, N.H., at age 5.
After graduating from M.I.T. in 1930 with a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering, he worked for AT&T's Bell Laboratories for 42 years, beginning in New York City, then in Murray Hill, N.J., and retiring in Holmdel, N.J., in 1972. During his career with Bell Labs, he was named as an inventor in nine U.S. patents. Following retirement, he worked as a consultant for Northern Bell Telephone Co. in Ottawa, Canada, and was a member of the Bell Telephone Pioneers retirement group.
An accomplished violinist, he first played at Pierce Hall in Portsmouth, and in theaters as musical background to silent films of the era.
He served as concert master with the Bell Labs Orchestra and also played in the Monmouth County Orchestra and with the Chatham Community Players.
A golfer since the age of 13, he had been a member at Bamm Hollow Country Club and Holland Orchard Golf Club and played until the age of 87.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlotte Dallmer Fracassi, in 1988 and by his grandson David Horn in 1980.
He is survived by his four daughters, Dr. Barbara Nodine of Ambler, Pa.; Jean Simpson and son-in-law Thomas of Newark, Del.; Linda Horn and son-in-law Russell of Hinsdale, Ill.; and Susan Baker and son-in-law David of Media, Pa.; 11 wonderful grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and his devoted caregiver, Marti Bloxham.
In his final years, he established a trust fund in memory of his parents, Primo and Matilda Fracassi, to assist their many descendants with college costs.
In the three years since its inception, the Fracassi Family Educational Trust Fund has made tuition grants to 12 great- and great-grandnieces and nephews.
FRACASSI - Renato D. Fracassi, 93, of Middletown, N.J., died Aug. 23, 2001. A memorial service will be held at noon on Sept. 9, 2001, at the John Day Funeral Home in Red Bank, N.J. Another memorial service will be held in the spring in Portsmouth. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to an institution of higher education or to a charity of one's choice, in memory of R.D. Fracassi, c/o Barbara Nodine, 3103 Adams Way, Ambler, PA 19002.
Nancy A. Matthews
NEWFIELDS - Nancy A. Matthews, 77, of Piscassic Road, died Saturday, Sept. 1, 2001, at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, after a period of declining health.
Born July 31, 1924, in Greenland, she was a daughter of the late Clarence H. and Bertha (Ware) Rumford. At the age of 12 she moved to Newfields.
She was a 1942 graduate of Robinson Female Seminary, Exeter.
She had been employed by Wesley Moore (MHI) in Newfields for many years.
She was a former member of the Newfields School Board and the Newfields P.T.A., the Rockingham Association for the Retarded and Great Bay Association.
She was a longtime trustee of trust funds in Newfields and treasurer of the Water and Sewer District. She was a church mother of the Christian Faith Church in Newfields, having been an original member of the fellowship since its inception in 1994.
She will be remembered as an incredibly caring mother and a dear friend to those who knew her.
She was predeceased by her husband of 40 years, Edward M. Matthews Sr., in 1988.
She is survived by her children, Edward Matthews Jr. and his wife, Joyce, of Apache Junction, Ariz., Diane Matthews of Newmarket, Neal Matthews and his wife, Michelle, of Epping, and Mary Belanger and her husband, Aaron, of Newfields; her sister, Mary Jordan of Exeter; her brother, Jared Rumford Sr. of Newfields; one grandson; seven granddaughters; and two great-granddaughters.
MATTHEWS - Nancy A. Matthews, 77, of Piscassic Road, Newfields, died Sept. 1, 2001. There are no calling hours. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday in the Locust Grove Cemetery in Newfields, with the Rev. Robert Collinge officiating. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Newfields Town Hall. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to Christian Faith Church, Attn: Building Fund, P.O. Box 358, Newfields, NH 03856. The Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home, 77 Exeter St., Newmarket, is assisting with arrangements.
Gwendolyn M. Quinn
YORK HARBOR, Maine - Gwendolyn M. Quinn, formerly of Bristol, Conn., died Sept. 4, 2001.
The wife of John K. (Jack) Quinn and the daughter of the late Dr. Harold and Ina Eames, she was born in Wilmington, Mass., on Jan. 22, 1923. She and her husband were married in 1945 after she attended Mary Washington College and graduated from Forsyth School for Dental Hygiene. She was a dedicated volunteer at the Bristol Hospital, the town's thrift shop and the Bristol Public Library. Her greatest love was for her husband and her six children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.
She will be deeply missed by her husband; her children, Carol Anne Kallenbach and husband William of Burlington, Conn., Peter Quinn and wife Marianne of York, Maine, David Quinn and wife Margaret of Yarmouth, Maine, Edward Quinn and wife Ginny of Littleton, Colo., Florence Quinn and husband Eric Evans of Green Brook, N.J., and Patricia Ludwig and husband Scott of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; and brothers Dr. Edward Eames of South Freeport, Maine, and Sun City, Ariz., and Harold Eames of North Hampton, N.H. She was predeceased by her brother, Dr. Leonard Eames, of Newington, N.H.
QUINN - Gwendolyn M. Quinn, of York Harbor, Maine, died Sept. 4, 2001. A memorial Mass will be held at noon on Friday, Sept. 7, 2001, at Saint Christopher's Church, Route 1A, York Harbor, Maine. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Children's Lung Association, c/o Dr. Robert C. Stern, 2300 Overlook Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106, to benefit cystic fibrosis research, a charity close to her heart.
Irene Dionne
KITTERY, Maine - Funeral services for Irene Dionne, who died Aug. 29, 2001, were held Tuesday afternoon at St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Kittery. The Rev. Real Nadeau, parish priest, celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial. Alfred "Butch" LaPointe was organist, and the altar attendant was Phillip Sousa. The St. Raphael's church choir provided music for the Mass.
A graveside committal service and burial followed in Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth, N.H., with the Rev. Nadeau reciting committal prayers. Pallbearers were Steven Whitney, Christopher Dionne, Timothy Dionne, Dana Dionne, Michael Brown and Edward Brown Jr.
A time of fellowship was held at Yoken's Restaurant after the services. Arrangements were under the direction of the Wilson-Cooper Funeral Home of Kittery.
Peter Safchuk
DOVER - Peter Safchuk, 82, of Morin Street, died Monday, Sept. 3, 2001, at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.
Born in Boston, Mass., on Aug. 27, 1919, he was a son of Alek and Rose (Boskrupp) Safchuk. He grew up in Peabody, Mass., where he graduated from high school. He was a former resident of Long Island, N.Y., and Portsmouth, N.H., prior to moving to Dover 30 years ago. He was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed Notre Dame football.
He served in the United States Navy for 20 years and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. He then worked as a rigger at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for eight years. He was a member of the Fleet Reserve.
He is survived by his wife, Mary (Flynn) Safchuk, of Dover; a son, Peter M. Safchuk, of Long Island, N.Y.; a brother, William Safchuk, of Peabody, Mass.; a sister, Ann Ciman, of Peabody, Mass.; and several nieces and nephews.
SAFCHUK - Peter Safchuk, 82, of Morin Street, Dover, died Monday, Sept. 3, 2001. Relatives and friends are invited to call from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Tasker Funeral Home, 621 Central Ave., Dover. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Tasker Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover. It is requested that there be family flowers only, and those who wish are invited to make memorials to the charity of one's choice. For more information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.taskerfuneralhome.com.
Weldon A. Steeves
SUN CITY, Ariz. - Weldon A. Steeves, 77, formerly of Eliot, Maine, died Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001, in Sun City. Born May 22, 1924, in Wade, Maine, he was a son of Archibald and Ethel (Maskell) Steeves Dunn.
He was a veteran of the Army during World War II. He worked as an auto mechanic for the former Brooks Motor Sales and Brady Ford Garage. He retired from Simplex Wire and Cable as a boiler operator in 1985 and moved to Arizona.
He was a past Master of the John F. Hill Grange in Eliot. He taught Sunday school at the First Congregational Church in Eliot. He was appointed a Maine State humane agent by former Governor Clinton Clauson and was also the animal control officer and a part-time police officer for the town of Eliot. He was a member of the Kittery F&AM Masonic Lodge.
He enjoyed bowling and playing his guitar.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Wilma E. (Thompson) Steeves; a son, William A. Steeves; his second wife, Abbie J. (Armstrong) Steeves; and his brother, Clifford W. Steeves.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Field and her husband, Richard, of Eliot; three stepdaughters, Mary Ruble and her husband, Jerry, of Maryland, Roberta Jenkins and her husband, Dave, of Peoria, Ariz., and Beth Smith and her husband, Dave, of Aledo, Texas; grandchildren Eric and Edward Ruble, Tina Baum, and Zachary, Amanda and Sarah Field of Eliot; and several nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations may be made in his memory to the Sun Health Hospice, 12740 N. Plaza del Rio Blvd., Peoria, AZ 85381.
CROMPTON - Margaret A. Crompton, 96, formerly of Austin Street, Portsmouth, died Aug. 10, 2001, in Florida. A memorial Funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Portsmouth, at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Friends are invited. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Florida Home Health Care Inc., P.O. Box 350215, Palm Coast, FL 32135. Farrell Funeral Home, 684 State St., Portsmouth, is in charge of arrangements.
PARNHAM - Robert V. Parnham, 55, of Ocala, Fla., died July 23, 2001. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8, at the First Methodist Church, Miller Avenue, Portsmouth. All family and friends are invited to attend.
Jane L. Maynard Ward
RYE - Jane L. Maynard Ward, the only child of Ralph ("Duke") Maynard and Florence Marion Merrill Maynard, died at age 74 at the Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester on Aug. 20, 2001.
She was an educator, a writer and a tireless advocate for the rights of women, minorities and the deaf.
She was born July 10, 1927, in Nashua, N.H. Brought up by her maternal grandmother, Alice Jane Philbrick Merrill, she lived in Nashua until she was 14 years old. Her grandmother influenced her life toward religion and education.
She graduated from Portsmouth High School, Class of 1945. In 1950, she received her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. She majored in English and minored in history.
In 1957 she was elected to Pi Lambda Theta, the national women's honorary and professional society for academic excellence, leadership and promise in the field of education, whose membership included Shirley Chisholm, a leading advocate for civil rights for both African Americans and for women. That year she also received her master's degree with high honors from Boston University in English education. Her field of specialization was linguistics. Her teaching area was the language arts - reading, writing, speaking and listening. Her thesis was a workbook to teach critical listening, reading and thinking.
During the subsequent 23 years, she taught in Massachusetts, in the towns of Gloucester, Beverly, Worcester and Lexington. She was a dedicated teacher, working 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and serving on curriculum committees and with school boards. Her life was one of giving and of service.
After her two children were born, she was active in Girl Scouts, teaching swimming at Girl Scout camp in the summers; she was also a Brownie Troop leader. She taught Sunday School in Billerica and Andover, Mass., and was vice president and publicity director of the P.T.A. Her church activities included serving as chairman of the Free (Congregational) Church fair every year, belonging to three women's groups, and visiting nursing homes. She was a substitute teacher in the towns around Andover.
In December 1974, the drugs and high fevers of a severe case of pneumonia rendered her deaf. At 47 she went totally deaf; doctors said she'd never teach or work again. In 1976 she returned to Portsmouth and worked as a clerk-typist at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. She was awarded an Outstanding Achievement award for service above and beyond her regular duties. While there, she did personality sketches of the workers.
Her loss of nine family members during the following 10 years only reinforced her will to overcome total deafness. In June 1986, she became the second person in the state of New Hampshire to have a then-experimental cochlear implant operation. She spent a year rehabilitating her speech and hearing. In the meantime, her articles on deafness were being snatched up by magazines and newspapers. Two years later, Quota International, District 29, chose her as Deaf Woman of the Year. She pioneered the Deaf Services Program for police departments, the first of its kind in the country. Her videotapes on the problems and the world of the deaf are used by the N.H. State Police for training officers. She gave talks on the problems of deafness and advocated for the rights of the deaf.
Her interest in education never diminished, however. She managed to find time to tutor hard-of-hearing and disadvantaged adults in the Adult Tutorial Program and on her own. She also tutored college freshmen who needed extra help to keep up with their college peers. Additionally, she counseled and tutored college seniors and recent graduates in careers in writing and helped them polish their work to prepare it for publication.
Her passion for writing also remained strong. In the late 1950s, her master's thesis caught the attention of editors at Houghton Mifflin. She worked there as an editor and writer. Her nonfiction appeared in several newspapers and magazines, including the now defunct New Hampshire Profiles. She wrote for the Red Cross and Theater-By-The-Sea. At the time of her death, she was working on a novel about deafness.
Several articles were written about her and published in newspapers and trade journals, contributing to her stature as a community advocate. Her fight to keep her cat, Agatha, set a precedent in Portsmouth elderly housing. UNH rallied behind her, and she and Agatha made the radio as well as the AP news all over the country.
She was a participant in the N.H. State Council on the Arts, a member of Pi Lambda Theta, Senior Friends, AARP, Self-Help for the Hard-of-Hearing, the N.H. Writers and Publishers Project, the Seacoast Writers Association, Boston University Women's Club, the North Church of Portsmouth, and the Unitarian-Universalist Church.
She leaves close friends Brenda Malloy, Karen Alexander, Robert Dunn and Darrell Fife; and two children, John H. Ward Jr. and Amy H. Ward.
WARD - Jane L. (Maynard) Ward, 74, of 795 Washington Road, Rye, died Aug. 20, 2001. Memorial visitation will be held at J. Verne Wood Funeral Home-Buckminster Chapel, 84 Broad St., Portsmouth on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., with a memorial service following at 11 a.m. Friends are invited. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Parkinson's Disease Association Inc., 1250 Hylan Blvd., Suite 4B, Staten Island, NY 10305-1946; or to the University of New Hampshire Jane Maynard Ward Senior prize in Linguistics and Ethics. Contact John Elliott Center, Dick Brouilliard, Durham, N.H.
Louis E. Hitchings
WESTBOROUGH, Mass. - Louis E. Hitchings, 73, of 44 Church St., died unexpectedly Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2001, in Exeter Hospital in Exeter, N.H.
He was born in Westborough and was a lifelong resident, son of the late Ira and Grace (Tomlin) Hitchings. He was a veteran of the Korean War, with the rank of sergeant serving in Korea. He was also a 1946 graduate of Worcester Trade School, and an avid golfer.
He was a self-employed carpenter in the Westborough-Metro West areas before working as a carpenter for Northboro Lumber Co. He did both for many years.
He was the husband for 48 years of Kathryn L. (MacDonald) Hitchings.
In addition to his wife, survivors include six daughters, Susan L. Walcott and her husband Stephen F., Priscilla G. Lovejoy and her husband Bradford L., Christine L. Erb and her husband Thomas E., all of Westborough, Jennifer M. Witruke and her husband James W. of Leicester, Sarah B. Palladini and her husband Frederick D. of Blackstone, and Amy M. Carlson and her husband William of Millbury; 18 grandchildren, Jessica Walcott of Philadelphia, Amanda Walcott, Michael and Jason Lovejoy, Neil and Emily Hutt and Hailey Erb, all of Westborough, Daniel D'Errico of Chicago, Katie and Melissa D'Errico, Angus and Ian Witruke and Stephanie Perez, all of Leicester, Josilyn and Nicholas Goodall and Christopher Carlson, all of Millbury, Allison and Ben Palladini of Blackstone; six nephews and one niece.
He was predeceased by his son, James Neil Hitchings of Westborough, who died in 1959, and his brother Clement E. Hitchings.
He leaves many friends in the Hampton Beach area, who knew him for many years.
HITCHINGS - Louis E. Hitchings, 73, of 44 Church St., Westborough, Mass., died on Sept. 4, 2001, in Exeter Hospital. His funeral service will be held on Friday, Sept. 7, at 11 a.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 120 West Main St. (Route 30), Westborough, Mass. Senior Pastor Ned Watts will officiate. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in Westborough. Visiting hours will be at the Britton-Summers Funeral Home, 4 Church St., Westborough, today from 5 to 8 p.m.
Paul M. Gagne
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. - Paul M. Gagne, 66, passed away at his summer residence on Juniper Point, West Boothbay, Maine, on Monday, Sept. 3, 2001, following a long, courageous battle cancer.
He was born April 24, 1935, in Exeter, N.H., to Malcolm and Yvonne (Desloges) Gagne. He graduated from St. Michael's Catholic School in 1949 and Exeter High School in 1953. As a junior in high school, he represented Boys State; his senior year, he was a United Nations contest winner. He served in the United States Army in El Paso, Texas, from November 1954 to 1956. He married Barbara (Bunny) M. Taylor, also of Exeter, on Oct. 15, 1955.
After completing his military service, he and his wife returned to New Hampshire and raised three children: Patricia, Michelle, and David. He received a degree in accounting from McIntosh College in 1953. That same year he went to work for the Internal Revenue Service. During his 36-year career, he worked as tax auditor, supervising tax auditor, and IRS agent in the Portsmouth, N.H., district.
In the early 1970s, he represented the IRS in a multi-government agency task force, working against organized crime. In 1974, he accepted another promotion and relocated with his family to Essex Center. He held the position of examinant on Division Group Manager until his retirement in 1994.
He was a member and past president of Toastmasters International, Portsmouth, N.H., Chapter, helping to establish the Strawbery Banke restoration in Portsmouth. He served as a board member on the Vermont Federal Credit Union for seven years, three of those years as board chairman. He has been an active member in various Catholic church parishes. Over the years, he was a CCD instructor, lector, eucharistic minister, and a member of the parish council.
He was predeceased by his father in 1969, his daughter Patricia in 1982, and his mother in 1983.
He is survived by Bunny, his loving wife of 46 years; his daughter, Michelle, a longtime Pratt & Whitney employee, residing in Nutter Fort, W.Va.; his son, David, owner and operator of Tony's Barber Shop in Winchester, Mass., his wife Cynthia and their daughter Faith, of Everett, Mass.; his daughter Patricia's three children, Heather Lynn Greene of Melrose, Mass., John Paul Greene and his wife, Heather Joy, of Weare, N.H., and Peter Brian Greene and his fiancee, Chauntey, of Concord, N.H.; his siblings, Roland Gagne and his wife, Donna, of Sanford, Maine, Anita Forbes and George Gagne of Exeter, N.H.; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, and his aunt Georgianna Gagne, of Phoenix, Ariz.
GAGNE - Paul M. Gagne, 66, of Essex Junction, Vt., and Juniper Point, West Boothbay, Maine, died Sept. 3, 2001. A Mass of Christen burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m. in St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Essex, Vt. Interment will take place at a later date in Exeter Cemetery, in New Hampshire. In lieu of flowers, contributions would be appreciated to either DMR/Burnt Island Lighthouse Restoration Project, P.O. Box 8, West Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575; or to the Miles Home Health Hospice, RR2 Box 4500, Damariscotta, ME 04543. Visiting hours will be held on Friday, Sept. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ready Funeral Home Mountain View Chapel, 68 Pinecrest Drive, Essex Junction.
Ruth A. Abbott
EPSOM - Ruth A. Abbott, 70, of Route 28, died Sunday, Sept. 2, 2001, at the Epsom Manor Inc.
Born Dec. 4, 1930, in Littleton, the daughter of Irwin and Dessie (Lane) Abbott.
She moved from Albany, N.Y., and had lived in this area since 1998. She retired from her job with the state of New York where she worked as an administrator.
She is survived by two brothers, Benjamin Abbott of Pittsfield, and Roy Abbot of Maine; three sisters, Carol Davies of West Newbury, Mass., Dessie Bolen of Boulder City, Nev., and Avis Selzer of Portsmouth; and several nieces and nephews.
ABBOTT - Ruth A. Abbott, 70, of Route 28, Epsom, died Sept. 2, 2001. There are no calling hours. A funeral service will be held in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Chapel in Eliot, Maine, on Monday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. The Rev. David Avery will officiate. The Perkins Funeral Home Inc., 60 Main St., Pittsfield, is in charge of the arrangements.
