HADLEY, Anna Newman passed away peacefully at the Fisher House, on Sunday, January 19, 2014.

Born April 25, 1922 in the Ukraine, Anna and her family moved to Moscow while Russia was under the rule of Stalin. During World War II, she met her husband, the late Morris Newman, who was the sole member of his family to survive the war and escape from Poland to Russia. After the war, Anna and her husband migrated from Russia via Poland to a refugee camp in Berlin, where their son Aisik was born. Hadassah sponsored their resettlement in the United States. Within in 30 days of their arrival, they set up a chicken farm in Jeffersonville, NY in the Catskill Mountains.

Despite having suffered extreme physical and economic danger under Stalin and the chaos of WWII, Anna was generous in spirit, often thinking about others before taking care of herself. In the early 1950s they moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Morris ran a Kosher delicatessen in BoroPark, while Anna kept a meticulous home, taking great pleasure decorating their home and cooking (her specialty was her cabbage soup). Their son, Aisik thrived under her tender loving care, studying medicine at CornellUniversity, graduating Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and specializing in Child Psychiatry in the PioneerValley.

Anna and Morris moved to the PioneerValley to be near their son and family in 2005 when Morris became ill. After he passed away the following year, Anna lived independently in Hadley until her health declined last year. Anna leaves her loving son, Aisik Newman and daughter-in-law Terry Rooney, an artist, and her grandson Alex Newman, a recent UMass graduate now working as a software engineer in Boston. Services were held at the JCA Monday, January 20th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to Fisher House of Amherst, Jewish Community of Amherst or any other charitable organization of your choice. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Beth grew up in Wakefield, Massachusetts until the age of thirteen when her family moved to Pittsfield.  In Pittsfield, at the age of 16, Beth met and began dating Frederick D. Royal.    Beth and Fred were married on September 13, 1969 and would have celebrated their 45^th wedding anniversary this year.  For the last 17 years, Beth and Fred have resided together in Bernardston.  For over two decades prior to that, they lived in Longmeadow.        

Beth is survived by Fred, the love of her life, and their two daughters, Amy of Deerfield and Meghan of Northampton.  Beth is also survived by her son-in-law, Richard, and her two grandchildren, whom she absolutely adored and doted on, Dylan and Brandon, of Deerfield.  In addition, Beth is survived by her sister, Joy Meeker, and brother-in-law, Ron Beales of Escondido, California as well as a niece and two nephews.  She was predeceased by her brother, David Passler, of Atlanta, Georgia.     

Beth loved playing the piano.  A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Beth concentrated her studies in music theory, performance and education.  As an adult, Beth transformed her love and talent for the piano into a career, performing in numerous concerts and at innumerable events and with various groups and ensembles throughout New England.  Beth was a retired music and elementary school teacher and, for many years, was also a private piano teacher. 

Beth was very active in politics, having served on a variety of local, regional and statewide committees.  For a number of years, Beth served as the Chairperson of the Democratic Town Committee in Longmeadow.  In addition to being an accomplished musician and pianist, Beth was a talented cook.  

Friends and relatives may gather with the family for calling hours on Thursday, January 23, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts.  Celebration of life services will be held on Friday, January 24, 2014 at 10 a.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church, 98 N. Maple Street, Hadley, MA.  A reception at the church will immediately follow the services.  A prayer ceremony will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at Mahar & Son Funeral Home, 628 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont, followed by a graveside service, for those who are able to travel to attend.   

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Elisabeth A. Royal may be made to the Cancer House of Hope, CHD, 332 Birnie Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts01107.  Obituary and electronic memorial guestbook can be accessed at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Amherst, Mitchell R. Dzwonkoski, 87, a long time Amherst resident, died Saturday January 18, 2014, at the Soldiers Home in Holyoke. He was born in Amherst on Sept. 15, 1926 and was the son of the late Frank and Rose {Kozacka} Dzwonkoski. Mitch leaves his wife of 57 years Helen Alice {Bielunis} Dzwonkoski.

Mitch was raised in Belchertown and attended school there. After school he entered into the Navy and served his country during WWII. After his military service Mitch returned to Belchertown and began working at the University of Massachusetts, where he was a long time employee. Mitch was also a Police Officer for the Town of Amherst. He retired as the supervisor for the Town of Amherst Public Works Highway Department. Mitch was an avid gardener and his lawn was the envy of all. Mitch loved his extended family and they loved him, most of all he loved and cherished the 57 years with his wife Helen.

Mitch was pre-deceased by seven brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife Helen, his sister Mildred Frasier of Fl, and many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be held Tuesday January 21, from 5 -8 PM at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A liturgy of Christian burial will be Wednesday January 22, 10:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 24 Jabish St. Belchertown, with burial following in St Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley.

Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

AMHERST – Mrs. Gardelia Caceres-Lara, 82, died peacefully on the afternoon of Wednesday, Jan. 15^th, 2014, at the Hospice of the Fisher Home, with her family and friends at her bedside.

Gardelia was born August 2nd, 1931, in Lima, Peru, the home of her parents Elba Guillen and Gamaniel Velarde. She was the first daughter of seven children. Gardelia is survived by four of her seven siblings, Rosa, Augusto, Tomas and Vicente; her son Freddy Chapelliquen; daughter Elba Chapelliquen, daughter-in-law Rosa Maria Calderon, grandsons Christian and Stefan Chapelliquen, cousins Ada Curaca and Carmen Sandford and many nieces and nephews.

Gardelia retired from working as the Peruvian Post Master in 1980 after 30 years of service and then moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to live with her husband Victor Caceres-Lara. In 1994 after the passing of her husband she moved from Honduras to Amherst, MA to live with her son Freddy.

Relatives and friends may gather with his family during calling hours Monday, Jan. 20th, from 9 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Brigid’s Church, 122 N. Pleasant St., Amherst. Burial will follow Mass in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, corner of N. Maple St. and Rocky Hill Road, Hadley, MA. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

AMHERST, Alice Howell Friedman passed away peacefully on January 14, 2014 at the age of 91. Alice’s father was an enlisted man  in the US Army and Alice grew up on military bases in a number of communities—New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and, perhaps most influentially, the Panama  Canal Zone. With the support of her parents she studied and received a nursing diploma at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Alice was very proud to be a MGH graduate. Her movement to Boston engendered a life-long love of Boston and New England.  Following nursing school Alice moved to New York City, another city with which she had a long connection, and received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Teachers College. She moved back to Boston and became a Visiting Nurse serving low-income areas in the city. At a post-WWII party Alice met a young lawyer who was a recent graduate of Boston University, Harvey Friedman. They were married on the same day the Korean War began. 

Following their marriage Alice worked as a visiting nurse, then taught at Boston College, and eventually returned to school for a Master’s Degree in Public Health at Boston University while Harvey worked as a labor organizer and educator. They raised their three children, Joel, Suzanne and Elizabeth, in Newton.  Alice and Harvey were interested in exploring international relationships and became involved in an organization that brought “movers and shakers” together for cultural exchanges.  The Friedman’s hosted a number of international figures from Kenya, India, England, Australia and other countries—who went on to become prominent, and controversial, figures in their own countries.  Alice was one of the first nurses to advocate for enhancing benefits and working conditions for nurses and testified in support of collective bargaining for nurses.

In 1967 Harvey assumed a position at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the Friedman family relocated. Alice took a position at UMass teaching public health nursing and quickly became known for her vision that nurses should have a liberal arts education in addition to professional training.  Harvey and Alice spent several sabbatical years in England which they thoroughly enjoyed; but they were always happy to return to Amherst and their friendships there.  Following retirement, Alice crafted a second life around a range of activities—the Learning In Retirement Program in Amherst, her interest in nursing history, community activities including the Jewish Community of Amherst and being the proud Grandmother of five grandchildren, Marissa, Jacob, Richo, Abraham, and Caroline. Ten years after Harvey’s death in 1992 Alice moved in to the Applewood Community in South Amherst where she took delight in renewing old friendships and building new ones. At the time of her final fall, she was reading George Eliot’s Daniel Deronda in preparation for a reading group which was scheduled to begin this week.

Donations in memory of Alice can be made to the University of Massachusetts School of Nursing and to the Hospice at Fisher House.  

Funeral services will be 10:00 AM Thursday January 16^th at the Jewish Community of Amherst.  Open house in honor of Alice will be held Thursday afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 PM at Applewood, Spencer Drive, Amherst. Shiva will be observed Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 PM; the family will also welcome friends for a combined open house and Shiva on Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at Applewood. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

AMHERST, Alice Friedman, 91, died on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. Funeral services will be Thursday, Jan. 16, at 10:00 a.m. at the Jewish Community of Amherst with burial following in the Jewish Community of Amherst Cemetery in Shutesbury. Shiva will be observed Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at Applewood, 1 Spencer Dr. Amherst, and also on Saturday and Sunday at Applewood with details to follow. A full obituary will follow. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

HADLEY, Deborah Laue Richardson, age 91, from Hadley, passed away on Jan 12.  She was born June 5, 1922 in Brooklyn, daughter of Adelaide Tredwell Laue and John Harrison Laue.  She is predeceased by her husband, Edwin Lawrence Richardson and sister Geraldine Hurd.  She is survived by her brother Peter Laue, daughters Susan Sanders of Hanson and Ann Koski of Hadley, 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.  A memorial service will be held Sat, Jan. 18, at 2pm, First Cong. Church, Hadley.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the  Trustees of the U of PA, c/o Med. Ctr. Dev., 3535 Market St., Ste. 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309, Attn:  Ian Cali Fund rep. Memo line must state: Ian Cali FOP Res Fund; or donate to Alzheimer’s Assoc, Mass Chapter, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

HADLEY, Pamela J. (Sadowski) Sampson, 32, died unexpectedly on Dec. 30, 2013 at Massachusetts General Hospital. Born in Northampton on Feb. 22, 1981 she was the daughter of Lois (Bristol) Sadowski and the late David Sadowski. Pamela graduated from Hopkins Academy in 1999 and from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with her BA in Sports Management. She loved to read and travel. In addition to her mother, Pamela is survived by her husband, Daryn Sampson, her son Jayden David Sampson, her stepdaughter Morgan, her sister Jessica and many aunts, uncles and cousins. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her. Calling hours will be Sunday, Jan. 5, from 2-5 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial donations in Pam’s honor may be made to the Jayden David Sampson Memorial Trust Fund, c/o Easthampton Savings Bank, PO Box 81, Hadley, MA 01035. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

SHUTESBURY, Dr. Yusef Abdul Lateef of Shutesbury, Massachusetts, passed away Monday, December 23, 2013 late morning. He passed peacefully at home with loved ones at the age of 93.

Dr. Lateef was a five college professor of music and music education from 1987-2002 and well known for his support and mentorship of up and coming artists. Dr. Lateef was a 2010 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Award. This Grammy award-winning composer and musician’s career began in the 1940s and has continued with touring and performing worldwide until summer 2013.

His biography, The Gentle Giant, by Herb Boyd, aptly describes his patient, soft-spoken demeanor and compassionate heart. Dr. Yusef Lateef was a devout member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community since 1948 and had performed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) on two occasions.

He was predeceased by his wife Tahira Lateef, a daughter and a son. He is survived by his second son Yusef Lateef, current wife Ayesha Lateef, granddaughter Iqbal, as well a host of great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, Dec. 26, from 3-5:15 p.m. with Janaza prayers at 5:15 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 N Pleasant Street Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

AMHERST, Janice Elaine Stevens, maiden name Heald, born in Falmouth, ME, on April 16, 1933, died on Dec 18th, 2013, in Northampton, MA at the age of 80 from lymphatic cancer. She is survived by her daughters, Laurie Diana Stevens, in Northampton, MA, Pamela Ann Stevens, in Ellington, CT, granddaughter Aly Stosz, and grandson, Dylan Stosz, in Boston, MA and her brother Norman Heald, in Casco, ME.

She is widowed from Richard Emery Stevens, who made transition in 2000, and Michael de Sherbinin, who passed in 2009.

Janice graduated from Nashua High School in 1951 and from UNH in 1955 with a BA in Sociology.  She went on for her Masters at Simmons College, School of Social Work and then obtained her LICSW.  She began her lifelong career as a social worker at East Penna Psychiatric Institute in Philadelphia, PA from ’57-’61, then moved on to UMass Psych Services of Amherst from ’64-’66. She then landed for 28 years at Children’s Aid and Family Services in Northampton, 1970-1998.

Janice was beloved by many.  She had strong involvement in the Unitarian Universalist Society in Amherst, and social clubs such as CAFs Alumni, Learning in Retirement, and Hampshire Athletic Club.  She volunteered often.  Among some of the many agencies she gave of her time, most notable were Meals on Wheels (’90-’96) Dakin Animal Shelter (’03-’06), Interfaith Cot Shelter, and the Fisher Home of Amherst.

At the time of her death, Janice’s home was Applewood of Amherst, where she had many friends amidst a strong and vibrant community.

Janice-in her end of life wishes wanted herself to be described as “A kitchen person, trying new recipes and sharing a pot of soup with someone who needed comfort and cheering up”. Family, friends, and clients alike, knew her to be so much more, but humble she was.

Memorial gifts may be given to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst and VNA Hospice.

Memorial Services will be held at the First Congregational Church, at 165 Main St., Amherst, Saturday January 4^th, at 12 noon, with a reception to follow at the same location.

Cards can be sent to Pamela Stevens, PO Box 61231, Longmeadow, MA 01116. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.