Sumner H. “Stowey” Stowe
Sumner H. (“Stowey”) Stowe, 63, a former manager of The Fly Rod Shop in Stowe, died Nov. 26 [2004] at his home in Granville.
He was born June 2, 1941, in Bridgeport, Conn., the son of Harvey and Marjorie (Hall) Stowe. He was raised and schooled in Trumbull, Conn., and was married to Betsy MacDonald in Stratford, Conn., on Sept. 24, 1960. Stowey had lived in Shelton, Conn., from 1961 until moving to Granville in 1989.
Sumner was past owner of the Sportsmen’s Den in Bridgeport, was the manager of The Fly Rod Shop and had worked for Halloran Hardware in Waitsfield and Waterbury. Past president of the Lamoille River Anglers Association, Stowey loved fly fishing and was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.
Survivors include his wife, Betsy Stowe, of Granville; daughters Faith Argraves and her husband, Mark, of Shelton, and Wendi Roy of Milford, Conn.; brother, Harvey Stowe, of Shelton; and grandchildren, Melissa and Anthony Argraves.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Dec. 4 at the Community Church of Hancock-Granville in Hancock, with the Rev. Wayne Holsman officiating. There are no calling hours. Burial will be at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Cancer Center at the University of Vermont, 111 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401. Arrangements are under the care of the Day Funeral Home in Randolph.
Lynda Lee Field
Lynda Lee Field, 69, of Stowe, passed away after a battle with lung cancer on Tuesday, Nov. 30, [2004] with her family at her side. She was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Aug. 19, 1935, the daughter of Murray and Mattie Mae (Lowrey) Corbin.
Lynda married A.R. “Ray” Field on June 7, 1957, in Tishomingo, Okla. They lived together in several states while her husband was working for Continental Oil Co. While living in Westport, Conn., Lynda owned and operated a “Bathtique” shop. In 1975 Lynda and Ray and their family moved to Stowe where they designed, built and managed the Stoneybrook Condos until 1995.
Lynda loved Stowe and all that it had to offer. She especially enjoyed skiing and was very active in gardening and landscaping. Her greatest love and joy was her family.
Lynda leaves behind her loving husband Ray; her two daughters, Deborah Kay Martin and her husband Mike of Stowe, and Rebecca Lynn Field of Bocca Raton, Fla.; her grandchildren, Dana Martin, a senior at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shelly Martin, a freshman at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. and Dustin Martin in middle school in Stowe; a sister, Cathy Hughes of Madill, Okla., a brother; William “Bill” Corbin of Connorville, Okla.; and her 93-year-old mother, Mattie Mae Corbin of Tishomingo, Okla. Lynda was predeceased by her father, Murray Corbin.
The family will hold a private service in Tishomingo, on Dec. 8. There will be a private service at a later date for the immediate family conducted by Reverend Bruce Comiskey at the Chapel at Mount Mansfield to honor Lynda’s love for “The Mountain.” Arrangements are in the care of the Stafford Funeral Home in Stowe.
Richard Gillis Whitman
Richard Gillis Whitman, 68, of Stowe, passed away on Nov. 27 [2004] at the Vermont Respite House in Williston, following a brief illness.
Born in Boston on Feb. 11, 1936, he was the son of the late Chester G. and Margaret (Badger) Whit-man. In 1962 he married the former Susan Lenz in Newport, R.I.
Richard was a 1954 graduate of Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree, Mass., and continued his education at Holy Cross, graduating with a degree in business administration in 1960. He served in the U.S. Army. Following his discharge, he worked for IBM as a hardware salesman.
An avid skier, Richard moved to the ski capital of the East, making his home in Stowe for the past 18 years, where he pursued his passion and worked as a bookkeeper at the Stowehof Inn. He has been an active speaker and sponsor for Alcoholics Anonymous throughout central Vermont. A lifelong Red Sox and Chicago Bears fan, Richard also enjoyed playing cribbage.
Richard is survived by his children, Jennifer Whitman of Somerville, Mass., and Matthew Whitman of Winooski; his sisters, Joan Sullivan of Virginia Beach, Va., Nancy Blutt of Melrose, Mass., and Susan Hutton of Weymouth, Mass.; his brothers, Peter Whitman of Cohasset, Mass., and Robert Whitman of Randolph, Mass.; as well as nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, David Whitman.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, 109 South Main Street, Waterbury, on Saturday at 10 a.m. Friends may call at the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home, 46 South Main Street, Waterbury, on Friday (5-8 p.m.) To send on-line condolences or for directions, visit www.perkinsparker.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Vermont Respite House, 99 Allen Brook Lane, Williston, VT 05495.
Mary Kathryn Gearhart
Mary Kathryn Gearhart, 84, a former resident of Stowe, recently of Annapolis, Md., died on Nov. 19, [2004] following a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mary was born Dec. 2, 1919, in Freeport, Pa. She was predeceased by her husband, William F. Gearhart, in 1994. Mary enjoyed living in Copley Woodlands in Stowe prior to moving to Annapolis.
Along with three other children, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren in various parts of the country, Mary is survived by her daughter, Janice Gearhart, and her husband, Peter Farr, of Johnson; and two granddaughters, Blair Marvin of Elmore and Jessica Marvin of Seattle. Also surviving are a sister and many nieces and nephews.
Mary was buried in her family plot in Freeport on Nov. 23.
Alice J. Hayden
Alice J. (“Toots”) Hayden, 93, was laid to rest on Nov. 26 [2004]. Alice lived in New York City, but spent summers and the holidays with her family in Stowe.
Her family will always remember: aprons, ribbons, tea cups, New York City, eyes in the back of her head, love of world travel, solitaire, cards at every holiday, linzer cookies, decorating the tree, handknit slippers and blankets, hycumflucus, Christmas, Scrabble, shortbread, summers, iced tea and jigsaw puzzles.
We, her family, want to acknowledge some special people for their unique contributions to our small family service. Bob Stafford and family, Frank Springer, Mort Butler and family, and the Rev. Bruce Comiskey. For taking time away from your own families on Thanksgiving weekend, for your gift of music, for your guidance, and for making our difficult day a little easier, we thank you all.
Thanks, God Bless, and Shalom,
Pam and Toni Flory
Warren Warner
Katrine, David, Taylor and Josh Wolfgang
Etienne, Paul, Margaux and Jack Morris
Alicia Flory, Chelsea Jorgensen, Joe and Joey Plechy
Elaine Schuster Dresser
Elaine Schuster Dresser, 81, passed away on Sept. 26 [2004] at Copley Manor Nursing Home in Morrisville, after a 22-year struggle with diabetes.
She was born in Woonsocket, R.I., the daughter of the late Adele (Jarret) and Raymond H. Schuster.
Elaine is survived by her husband, H. Peter Dresser of Stowe; her four daughters, Cheryl Lewis Herndon and her husband Paul of Seattle, Wash., Karen Lewis Ramsey of Seattle, Wash., Kristin Stouffer of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Susan A. Coulis of Bradenton, Fla.; her three sons, Willard Lewis III and Peter F. Lewis, both of Stowe, and Stephen P. Dresser of Myrtle Beach; her brother, Raymond Schuster of North Augusta, S.C.; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be held at the Stafford Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 1. A graveside service will be held at the Riverbank Cemetery in Stowe at 11 a.m. on Oct. 2. Donations in Elaine’s name may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, OH 44720. Arrangements are in the care of the Stafford Funeral Home in Stowe.
Justin Harrison
Justin Harrison, 34, an employee of Shaw’s Supermarket in Stowe, died Sept. 21 [2004] from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
He was born Nov. 11, 1969, in Springfield, the son of Robert Adams Harrison and Ellen Devine Harrison. He was predeceased by his mother in 1992.
Justin was a graduate of Springfield High School. He was a member of the All-State Jazz Band as a trombonist while in high school. Justin was the bass player for “Beggar’s Tomb.” He enjoyed hunting and fishing, was an avid reader, and loved to cook.
He is survived by his father, Robert Adams Harrison, and wife Leslie, of Brant Lake, N.Y.; sister Jennifer Devine Harrison of Berkeley, Calif.; aunt Alison Devine Nordstrom of Rochester, N.Y.; aunt and uncle Mike and Lucy Harrison of Corona Del Mar, Calif.; and five cousins, Anya Nordstrom, and Mark, Chet, Linda, and Anne Harrison.
Memorial services were held Sept. 25 in the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Springfield. Arrangements are under the care of the White-Fiess Funeral Home of Morrisville.
Justin’s family gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the local emergency agencies and would appreciate memorials to Morristown Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 424, Morrisville, VT 05661 or Morrisville Fire Department Association, P.O. Box 911, Morrisville, VT 05661.
Bayla Gomberg
Bayla Gomberg (née Rosen), a resident of Stowe and Montreal, passed away on Sept. 2 [2004] in Vermont, a place she loved, surrounded by her loving family.
Dearly cherished wife of 53 years of Dr. Charles L. Gomberg. Adored mother of Frank, Ben, Avi, and the late Tooker. Dearly loved Bubbie of Noah and Jessie. Daughter of the late Abe and the late Bertha Rosen. Dear sister and sister-in-law of Neysa and David Sigler, Laz and Shilly Rosen, Marcia and Leon Friedman.
A woman of great warmth, honesty, decency, integrity, and compassion. Bayla was a social worker who treated all with respect and dignity.
Funeral services were held at Paperman and Sons, Montreal, Quebec, on Sept. 5. Burial took place at the Congregation Beth Ora Section, Kehal Israel Cem-etery, Sources Road, Dol-lard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec.
In honor of the exceptional care by Dr. David Bercovitch, contributions in her memory may be made to the “Bayla Rosen Gomberg Memorial Fund for Nephrology,” c/o Jewish General Hospital Foundation; (514) 340-8251.
Herbert Jacobs
Herbert Jacobs, 61, of Stowe passed away at Copley Hospital on May 20 [2004].
The son of Lillian and Elton Jacobs, Herbie grew up in Morrisville and worked on several local farms, as well as a dairy farm in Middlebury. He spent many years as a dishwasher at the Golden Eagle Resort until his retirement for health reasons in 2001.
He quietly enjoyed his final years in his retirement home at the Partridge Inn. He is survived by a cousin, Terry Patch, of Morrisville, and all his friends at the Golden Eagle.
Lucy Bagley Tinker
Lucy Bagley Tinker, 81, of Hyde Park, a former Stowe resident, died on April 23 [2004] following a short illness. During her youth, Lucy spent her summers at her family’s camp in Johnson. She settled in Lamoille County in the 1940s, working for the Extension Services as a 4-H County Agent. She and her husband, Charles W. Tinker, were dairy farmers, first in Stowe and later in Bruston, N.Y. Following her husband’s death, Lucy returned to Hyde Park to be back among the mountains where she had spent her youth and greatly enjoyed a final “Indian Summer” of life.
Lucy is survived by her three daughters, Claire Tinker, and husband, Curt Shulman, of northern Westchester County in New York; Laura Sexton, and husband, Frank, of Westford, Mass.; and Phebe Tinker of Evanston, Ill. Also surviving are her dog, Dixie, and her cats, Mr. Cat and Jasper.
A memorial service with Holy Eucharist was celebrated on April 26 at St. John’s-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church in Stowe. Interment with a committal service followed in Pleasant View Cemetery in Morrisville. Arrangements were in the care of White-Fiess Funeral Home of Morrisville.
Contributions in Lucy’s memory would be appreciated to the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05408.
Evelyn Slayton Ayers
STOWE Evelyn Slayton Ayers, age 86, passed away at her daughter's home in Craftsbury on May 19 [2003], after a brief illness.
She was born in Moscow, on Oct. 12, 1916, on the family's farm, the daughter of Harry and Carrie (Robinson) Slayton.
A memorial service will be held at the Grace Bible Church in Moscow on June 14 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the memory of Evelyn Ayers to Hospice, Inc., 46 Lakemont Road, Newport, VT 05855. Arrangements are under the care of the Stafford Funeral Home in Stowe.
Bernhard K. Kuehn
Bernhard Kingsley Kuehn died in his sleep Sept. 27 [2003]. He was a partner in Sleeper House Gallery in Stowe and was active until his death.
Kuehn was born April 5, 1923, in Scotch Plains, N.J., and lived in New Jersey for most of his life until he settled in Stowe. He was very active in the compressed gas and anesthetic equipment business starting in the medical division of Thomas A. Edison Industries in West Orange, N.J., ending up, after mergers with Chemetron Corporation in Chicago, Ill., as general sales manager of the National Cylinder Gas Division. He was appointed president of Compressed Gas Association and organized its relocation from New York City to Washington, D.C., in the 1980s.
His tenure as president of Crossroads of Sport, an art gallery in New York City, provided the expertise necessary to co-found Sleeper House Gallery in 1995.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ruth, and his daughter, Loryl Cathcart of Charlottesville, Va., and two grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bernie Kuehn Memorial Fund at The Vermont Ski Museum, P.O. Box 1511, Stowe, VT 05672.
Brenda Ross Winter
A Memorial Service for Brenda Ross Winter, in her 70th year, was held at the Stowe Community Church on Oct. 11.
Brenda died peacefully at her home in Stowe in the early hours of the morning of Oct. 9 [2003], surrounded by her four children.
Born in Bermuda, the daughter of the late Captain W.V Ross and Mrs. Grace Winter, Brenda is survived by her children: Timothy Lancaster and his wife, Sasha Shepperd, of Oxford, England; Christa Lancaster Otter and her husband, Johannes, of Montpelier; Guy Lancaster and his wife, Kate Mailer, of New York City; and Bettina Lancaster of Santa Fe, N.M.
Also surviving Brenda are her former husband, Jack Lancaster of Stowe and the Turks and Caicos Islands; her brothers, Keith Winter of Bermuda and Richard Winter of Canada; her cousin, Pierce Baugh of New Hampshire; her eight grandchildren, Rory Parks, Ross, Adam, and Nicholas Lancaster, Acadia and Ryder Brooks, Gabriel Otter, and Natasha Lancaster; as well as nieces and nephews in Bermuda and Canada.
Brenda will be dearly missed in her long-time community of Stowe; her recently-found haven of Todos Santo, Baja California, Mexico; her childhood home of Bermuda; and by her many old friends around the world.
A memorial service for Brenda in Bermuda will be held in the coming year. Donations in Brenda's name may be made to the Bermuda National Trust, P.O. Box HM61, Hamilton HMAX, Bermuda, of which she was an early and ardent supporter.
Samuel Rogers Jr.
Samuel Rogers Jr., 45, of Monument, Colo., son of Dottie Rogers of Stowe, beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend, passed away Jan. 13 [2004] after a 22-month battle with brain cancer.
Sam was born Nov. 1, 1958, in Burlington, the son of the late Sam Rogers Sr., M.D., and Dorothy Wassel Rogers. He was raised in Stowe, excelling in alpine skiing and team sports, and nurturing a love of hunting, fishing, and hiking. His successful Boy Scout Eagle project restored Stowe's overgrown "Palisades Park" along Little River.
After graduating from Stowe High School, Sam studied conservation law enforcement and Army ROTC at NW Oklahoma State University at Alva, entering the Army as a 2nd Lt. During active duty he served as an intelligence analyst, attaining the rank of major. Following an honorable discharge from the Army, he continued to work as an intelligence specialist in the reserves and as a civilian.
Sam also attended law school at Denver University, graduating with a specialty in environmental law and passing the Colorado Bar in 1991.
Sam was known for his great kindness, unselfish attitude, disarming humor, and a willingness to help those around him, even while facing his own difficult battles. He is survived by his beloved wife, Evelyn (Lt. Col., USAF), his 2-1/2-year-old son Gabriel, his mother Dottie of Stowe, brothers Jeff of Seattle and Paul of Waterbury Center, and numerous close friends and colleagues.
Funeral services and burial with military honors were held at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Jan. 17.
An informal gathering to celebrate Sam's life will be held in Stowe at the Green Mountain Inn on Feb. 7 from 3-5 p.m. Friends are welcome to bring photos and stories to share. Call 244-1785 for more information.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Sam Rogers Memorial Fund, American Legion, c/o Gaylord Gale, 48 Tansey Hill Road, Stowe, VT 05672, or to the Gabriel Rogers Education Fund, c/o Maj. Stephanie Johnson, 198 Mountain View, Monument, CO 80132.
