Northampton, Genevieve Mae Burnett, 70, of Northampton, died Thursday November 5, 2015 at Care One at Northampton. She was born in Northampton July 9, 1945 to the late Charles and Catharine {Johnson} Burnett.

Genny grew up in Amherst and lived in Northampton, Brattleboro and Greenfield. She was largely self-educated.

She struggled with and suffered from mental illness all her life, but was able to express her feelings and thoughts very powerfully through her art. She was recognized early on as especially talented and became accomplished and recognized in several art circles around the country for her oil paintings which expressed her unique perspective.

She busied herself with art, reading educational books and inspirational magazines, journaling her thoughts and making craft gifts right up to the week she died. She has composed a multi-hundred page autobiography which her best artist friend and agent, Michael Tillyer, of the Anchor House of Artists in Northampton, is finishing. In many ways she identified her life and struggles with those of Vincent Van Gogh.

She took solace in her pursuit of and assurance in Christian Truth. When able, she attended College Church in Northampton.

She found comfort in giving a good home to several cats over the years, especially Mike, of whom she painted many artworks.

She is survived by her brothers Robert Burnett and his wife Tawnya, of Southampton, Tad Burnett and his partner Marie Frazier of Mt. Holly, VT., and her former sister in-law Marilyn Schupp. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Burial will take place Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 9:30AM at Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst. A memorial service will be held the same day, Saturday, at 1:30 pm at College Church in Northampton.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Genevieve Burnett Fund C/O Anchor House of Artists 518 Pleasant St. Northampton, MA 01060.

Walter Scott Aldrich died Sunday, November 1, 2015 at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst. He was born April 16, 1924 to Walter Scott Sr. and Doris (Campbell) Aldrich in Pelham. He was raised in Pelham and attended Amherst regional schools and left high school to enlist in the US Navy. He proudly served aboard the submarine USS Sea Fox. In 1942, Walter married Rosetta Jacque. He and his brother Ray founded Aldrich Auto Supply in Amherst in 1959. He held many positions including second class engineer at UMass Amherst and chief engineer at Holyoke Soldiers Home. He was also a member of the Pelham Church, US Submarine Veterans, US American Legion, US Holland Club, and the Variety Club of New England.

Walter is predeceased by his wife Rosetta in 2006, his son James Aldrich in 1998, and his brother Raymond Aldrich in 2015. He is survived by his son Jeffrey Aldrich and his wife Lorraine of North Myrtle Beach, SC, his two daughters Donna Boston of Chicopee, MA and Janet Keegan and her husband Kim of Sunderland, MA, his brother Donald Aldrich and his wife Shirley of Port Charlotte, FL, his sister Joan Yorke of York, ME, nine grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be Thursday, November 5, 2015 from 9-11AM at the Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. A graveside service with military honors will follow at the Pelham Valley Cemetery in Pelham, MA.

Donations may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 516 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104.

Amherst, MA. Arthur Robert Quinton, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts, passed away early Monday, October 26, at his home on Red Gate Lane, surrounded by his family. His final day was the only time when he was not completely independent, including tending his wood stove.  He left this world entirely on his own terms, speaking with grandchildren, telling them of his pride in them, solving the New York Times crossword puzzle, and singing “My Way.” 

Arthur was born July 1^st, 1924 in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, the youngest of six children in a family of fishermen and dressmakers. He attended Queen Mary College, London University during WW2, which had been moved to Cambridge to avoid the Blitz. After graduation he became a radar operator and Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. At the end of the war he was stationed in Cornwall, where he attended a charity ball and met a bright eyed, dark haired, local girl. Arthur and Rose Maud Trebilcock were married November 11, 1946.  In 1949, the couple emigrated to Canada where Arthur earned a MS from the University of Western Ontario. 

In 1951, Arthur and Rose moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where Arthur earned a Ph.D. in Physics at Yale, and met lifelong friends Barbara and Bill Doyle, Joan and Hal Shapiro, and many others. After stints at the University of Florida, Dartmouth College, and visiting professorships at Australian National University, the Quintons settled in Amherst, where Arthur taught generations of physics students, retiring in 1994. 

Arthur was a talented cricket player in his young days, an award winning slow bowler. After he became a US citizen in 1960 and settled in Amherst, he became an avid follower of UMass and Boston sports teams. He helped coach the UMass men’s soccer team for a few years, and started the Amherst recreational soccer program in the early 1970’s. He retained encyclopedic knowledge of the details of players and games and eagerly shared his enjoyment with many. On his final day, he was glad to hear about the game as the Patriots pulled out the win over the Jets.

Arthur was an active member of the Amherst community; he was a member of Town Meeting for 12 years, a Trustee of the Jones Library, member and past president of Amherst Rotary, and docent at the Renaissance Center. For years he tended multiple plots at the Amherst Community Garden, overwhelming friends and foes alike with his garden bounty of zucchini, tomatoes, and basil.  He was an avid tennis player, playing in a variety of masters’ tournaments with his sneaky spins and drop shots. After Rose died, Arthur became quite a cook, serving family and friends feasts that included roast lamb and potatoes, and keeping the Red Gate Lane house alive as a center of warmth and love. 

Arthur had a great love of poetry and music and took great joy in rallying any group for a sing a-long.  Every year he recited “In Flanders Field” from memory, and took great pride in joining with his fellow WW2 veterans to commemorate their shared service. He was a terrific American patriot, and worked at the polls for many elections. Despite watching a fair amount of Fox News after Rose died, to his children’s great relief he recently announced that he planned to vote for Bernie in the primaries. 

Arthur found his calling in teaching; he was renowned for his creative and exciting physics demonstrations that transfixed students and colleagues, from his bed of nails to shooting falling stuffed animals with a cannon from across the classroom. For many years he taught in the UMass Summer Science Enrichment Program. In retirement, Arthur tutored local middle school students in math, and enjoyed discovering new, elegant proofs. He often included mathematical equations in his birthday cards to his grandchildren. Arthur was always interested in, and in sync with, the younger generation.  

Arthur leaves 3 children and 8 grandchildren: Hebe Quinton and David Avery (Christian and Meade) of Lyme, NH; Keith Quinton and Barbara Fildes (Sean, Casey, Jared, and Nina) of Hanover, NH; Tracy Farnham and Paul Martin (Jack and Grace) of Belchertown, MA.  He also leaves many nieces, nephews, and cousins across the globe. He was a man of great dignity, integrity, and kindness and is sorely missed.  

The family would like to express their deep appreciation to Dr. Mariana Marguglio for her dedicated care to both Rose and Arthur.  

The South Amherst Congregational Church was a supportive community for Arthur and Rose. A memorial service for the community will be held there on November 28^th at 3 PM, the community is invited. There will be singing and tea. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to the Quinton Physics Award at UMass Amherst, 134 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA  01003. The award rewards excellence in graduate student teaching.

Amherst, Suong Yim, 82, died Sunday October 25, 2015 at home. He was born June 1, 1933, in Komg Chhnang Province, Cambodia. He came to the United States with his late wife {Seng Van} in 1984. He is survived by his sons, Seong of Australia, Sophal, and Sophat of Worcester, his daughters, Thol of Seattle, WA., Thong and Chantheon of Worcester, and Mom Yim-Mao of Amherst. He is also survived by 22 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Saturday October 31, 2015 at 8:30 am at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst with cremation following at the Springfield Cemetery and Crematory.

Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Marion Angelina (Kolasinski) Leonard, former owner and proprietor of Roosters Restaurant in North Amherst, passed away Monday, October 19, after a brief illness surrounded by family. Born January 7, 1933 in Leverett to Charles and Margaret (Battistoni) Kolasinski, and a graduate of Amherst Regional High School, Mrs. Leonard was a lifelong resident of Cushman Village, North Amherst, where she and her late husband of 40 years, Perley E. Leonard owned and operated the Leonard Egg Farm from their home on Bridge Street.

She is survived by her four children and fourteen grandchildren. Scott A. and his wife Marilyn (Watroba) Leonard of Amherst and their five children, Clayton, Faith, and Mellyann of Amherst and Kyle and Jacob of Los Angeles, CA; Mark A. and his wife Trish (Powers) Leonard of Greenfield and their four children, Matthew, Colin, Ian, and Elizabeth of Greenfield; Gregg A. and his wife Cathy (Freeman) Leonard of Granby and their four children, Megan of Belchertown, Samantha of Ludlow, Jason of South Hadley, and Andrea of Enfield, CT; and Lee L. and her husband William F. Kimball III of Amherst and their two children, Dana of Belchertown and Evan of Amherst, and her six great-grandchildren.

She enjoyed cooking and baking, was an avid gardener, and after retiring from Roosters enjoyed DIY and home improvement projects and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be private, and the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations made to hospice would honor her memory.

Granby, Phebe Nash, 94, died peacefully Tuesday August 18, 2015. She was born July 2, 1921 in Moline, Illinois and grew up on the family farm near port Byron, Illinois. She attended the Greenwood one room schoolhouse, grades 1- 8. She then went to Port Byron High School and graduated second in her class. During childhood she contracted pneumonia and almost died. After high school she enrolled in the Moline Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing, from which she graduated in 1942. After graduation, she did a post graduate course in obstetrics at Chicago’s Lying Hospital. Upon completion, she returned to Moline Hospital and became a night supervisor after six months. In 1945 she married Carlton Nash and moved to Massachusetts where she raised a family, helped with the Nash Dinosaurland business, and did some private duty nursing. She leaves behind three sons, Charles, Carlton and Kornell; a daughter-in-law Helen; three grandchildren, Alexander, Trevor and Jeremy; and a number of nephews and nieces. Private burial will be held in West Cemetery, Granby. A memorial service will be held in the fall at the Church of Christ Congregational, Granby. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Amherst, John A. Pistel, 68, of Amherst, Massachusetts, died October 10, 2015, peacefully at home. He was born in Middletown, Connecticut, to the late Robert Frederick and Lydia Rasch Pistel. 

John graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, Class of 1965, and Amherst College, Class of 1969, with a degree in American Studies, and then earned his master’s degree from Fairfield University in Connecticut. He taught English at Grayland Country Day School, Denver, Colorado. John was then appointed Head of the Middle School at Colorado Academy in Denver, Colorado, and became Headmaster at St. Mark’s School in San Rafael, California. Wanting to return to his roots in New England, he was then appointed Headmaster of Derby Academy in Hingham, Massachusetts. Before retirement, he returned to his alma mater as Director of Leadership Giving.

Mr. Pistel is survived by his wife, Gaye Bounty Pistel, son Adam Andrew Pistel of New York City, and daughter Katherine Grace Pistel of Watertown, Connecticut. 

John will be remembered as a kind and dry-witted man who was devoted to Amherst College, the New York Yankees, personal athletic pursuits, and especially his family and friends.   

The family would like to thank the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care at Baystate Health Center, Baystate Visiting Nurse and Hospice, members of South Congregational Church, the Amherst College community, and family and friends for their love and support.  

A Celebration of John’s life will be Saturday, October 24, at 11 AM at South Congregational Church, 1066 South East Street, South Amherst.   

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in John’s name may be made to Baystate Visiting Nurse and Hospice, 50 Maple St. Springfield, MA 01102

Amherst, George T. Britt, 92, a lifelong Amherst resident, died Thursday, October 15^th, 2015 at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke. George was born in Amherst, October 21, 1922, to the late Michael and Alice {Lord} Britt. George was an Amherst High School graduate, after graduation he received his Associates degree from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. George was drafted, and served in the Army in WW II. He was a lifelong member of the Amherst VFW, and the Carpenters Union. 

George is survived by three sons, John of Florence, James and his wife April of Florence and Richard of Pelham and his daughter Beverly Ross of Washington State. He is also survived by his sister Marion and her husband John Bak of Amherst, 5 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Mary and his sons Robert and Thomas. He was also predeceased by two brothers and a sister. 

Funeral services will be held Wednesday October 21, at 10:00 am at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley. Calling hours will be Tuesday October 20, from 4 – 7 pm at the Douglass Funeral Service.

Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Lenox, Ma, Elaine Panaretos Bowditch – beloved sister, aunt, stepmother, godmother, accomplished singer, teacher, educational administrator, colleague, and neighbor – died at Kimball Farms Nursing Care Center in Lenox, MA, on October 1, 2015, of complications from pancreatic cancer. 

Born March 24, 1928, in Chicopee Falls, MA, Elaine was the first child of Georgia (Dulchinos) and Nicholas V. Panaretos, both immigrants from Greece. Elaine delighted in her Greek heritage and visited both Lagkadia and Aristomenis, the birthplaces of her parents. 

At the age of 13 one of her aunts noted that Elaine had a talent for singing and found her a voice coach, Ruth Ekberg, who kept her as a student for many years. Elaine sang in the Greek church in Chicopee Falls, First Congregational Church in Springfield, and later in Old South Church, Boston. As a teenager she became part of an elite choir under the leadership of Harry Kellogg. Her love of choral music eventually led her to a long tenure as chorister with Boston’s Chorus Pro Musica. She also sang with the Berkshire Choral Institute, and took special pleasure in living her last years near to Tanglewood.

Her other passion was education. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University, where she made a lasting commitment to the ideals and the women of the Harriet E. Richards Cooperative House, which provides a home for women who could not otherwise afford the cost of university studies. With a Master’s in Education from Springfield College, Elaine took her first teaching job in Newton, MA. She particularly relished her work with 4^th, 5^th and 6^th graders, many of whom remembered her dedication and creativity long after leaving her classroom. In addition to classroom work, she had a distinguished career as a school principal. After retirement she volunteered at the Hampshire College child care center in Amherst, MA where she shared her love of reading and quilting with young children.

In 1970 she married Benson Alvord Bowditch; they made homes in Weston, Conway, and Amherst, Massachusetts, and often spent time with the Bowditch family at their summer home in Maine. After Ben’s death in 2009, Elaine became increasingly active in the caring circle of neighbors on Amherst’s Blue Hills Road. 

Elaine was raised in a family with strong community values. Those carried into her teaching and her commitments as an active citizen. After a frightening incident when she was assaulted in her home, Elaine was determined that her assailant should both confront his crime and have an opportunity for reconciliation. She dedicated herself to restorative justice, and in 2013 the State Senate named her as one of the Unsung Heroines of Massachusetts, citing that she was “Officer to the Amherst League of Women Voters; helped to start the Hampshire County Restorative Probation program with the District Attorney to help people on probation turn their lives around and recognize the harm their crimes caused victims; and served on a Kitchen Cabinet to offer advice and counsel to her state representative Ellen Storey.” She also “adopted” students of Amherst College for weekly visits.

Elaine had a creative bent, especially evident in her needlework. Her sensitive eye for color and her agile fingers created beautiful quilts which she delighted in presenting to her family and friends. Delicate embroidery decorated pillows and scarves, further testimonies to her passion for beauty. 

Elaine was predeceased by her parents and her beloved husband, Ben. She is survived by her sister Dorothea Panaretos Nelson of Jamesville, NY, her niece Sara Nelson (Cyrus Raffii) of Everett, WA, and nephews David Nelson of Niantic, CT, John Nelson (Angela Lomanto) of Niantic, CT and Housatonic, MA, and Tim Nelson of New York, NY; by her stepchildren Thomas (Shari) Bowditch of Fairfax, VA; Ben (Sue) Bowditch of Sebago, ME, and Judy (Tom) Walker of Phoenix, AZ; and by step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and godchildren. She is mourned by a host of choristers, colleagues, neighbors, and friends.

A memorial service to celebrate Elaine’s life will be held on Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 pm at First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, UCC. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Elaine’s memory to Chorus Pro Musica (645 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116) or to First Congregational Church of Stockbridge, UCC (4 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA 01262).

James F. Walker Jr., died peacefully at the Rose Monahan Hospice on Oct. 9th in Worcester, MA at the age of 78.

Jim was born on July 22^nd, 1937 in Minneapolis MN to James Sr. and Margaret (Glimsdale) Walker. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in physics from the University of Minnesota. He was married to his loving wife, Elaine (Paulson) for 56 years.  After moving to Amherst in 1968, Jim began working at the University of Massachusetts as a Professor of Physics. Jim dedicated himself to raising his family, and to teaching, research and mentoring. During his last years at the University, Jim served as acting Dean of the Graduate School.

Jim is survived by his wife; Elaine, and two children; Steve and his wife Jaime (Stein) of Chapel Hill, NC and Anita Smith and her husband Robert of Fort Collins, CO. He also leaves six grandchildren; Maggie, Jessie, Meghan, Brandon, Alex and Tommy. He is preceded in death by his son Ted.

Jim was an accomplished and dedicated musician and performer. He played the trombone in the Heritage Pops Orchestra, the Horse Mountain Jazz Band and the Amherst Community Band which he also helped found.  He sang tenor in the Newman Center church choir and in the Valley Light Opera (VLO). Jim was a mainstay of the VLO since 1980. He played many roles, from business manager, producer, actor and orchestra member, to set crew.

Jim was a unique soul. He was always willing to serve others ahead of himself and treasured the many meaningful relationships he formed in the Amherst community. The family would like to thank the cardiologists at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital for their extraordinary care and dedication.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10AM on Saturday October 17th at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, at The Newman Center, UMass. Visiting hours will be Friday October 16^th from 4-7 PM, also at the Newman Center Chapel. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jim’s life.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation at www.myotonic.org/donate, or the Valley Light Opera at www.VLO.org.