Peter B. Schmitz (December 29, 1950 – August 10, 2022) offered his rigorously innovative mind and spirit to the performing arts for over five decades as a choreographer, actor, dancer, and educator. With an MFA from Smith College, Peter profoundly impacted students while serving as Theatre and Dance faculty at Middlebury and Amherst Colleges and in residency at many universities. He taught and performed internationally, inspiring and coaching countless artists along the way. As a professional dancer/choreographer, Peter worked extensively in the US and internationally in Europe, New Zealand, and Turkey. In 1972, he, along with Andrea Olsen and Katherine Sanderson, founded Dance Gallery—a modern dance repertory company—which contributed to the revitalization of Northampton, MA. He was a member of Creach/Co in NYC, toured with Ann Carlson’s doggie hamlet, and performed in works by Yanira Castro/acanarytorsi, Wendy Woodson and Present Co., Tamar Rogoff, Chavasse Dance & Performance, Richard Colton/Amy Spencer, Freedman Coleman Dance, Penny Campbell, and many others. He received the “Best Performance” award in the San Francisco Film/Video Festival for his work in the dance/film, Trout. As a theatre artist, he choreographed/performed with multiple ensembles, including the Medicine Show Theatre, New World Theatre, No Theater, and Potomac Theatre Project.

Peter was a voracious reader and lover of film, painting, theater, poetry — any work that inspired questions and vitality. Whether you engaged with Peter in the classroom, the studio, or on the porch drinking a Miller Lite, you were guaranteed to encounter and be changed by his passion, curiosity, intellect, and incisive wit.

Peter was on the Board of Directors of A.P.E. (Available Potential Enterprises) in Northampton, MA and lived at Bramble Hill Farm in Amherst, MA. Peter is survived by his husband, Joey Trazo Schmitz, older brothers Tim and Bill, a younger brother Bob, and a younger sister Susan. He was preceded in death by his parents Lois and Bill. He loved and was loved by numerous nieces, nephews, and forever friends.

Peter died peacefully at home under the tender care of his husband, Joey Trazo Schmitz. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Creative Coaching Fund through A.P.E.: http://www.apearts.org/support.html. For more about Peter, see: peterbschmitz.squarespace.com

Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Beverley “Bev” Denise Bhowmik, 73, passed away peacefully in her home on the evening of Sunday, August 7^th in Amherst, Massachusetts. Beverley was very loved by all and will be dearly missed.

She was born on August 31, 1948 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to the late James Woodward Tom & Emma Blanche. Bev grew up in Toronto while enjoying trips to the lake and cottages as well as many outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, ice skating, and golfing, with her parents and siblings Fran and Ted. Upon graduating from Burnhamthorpe High School, she attended nursing school and then graduated from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

There she met the love of her life and on December 31, 1973, Beverley married Prasanta C. Bhowmik through a Hindu ceremony in Bayenda, West Bengal, India. They had three children Kiran, Monica, and David. She was a loving and dedicated mother as well as a devoted wife who supported her family, children, and later her grandchildren, with her whole life and all of her love.

Bev was always known for her talented cooking skills. From hosting and attending gourmet groups through the University Women’s group and later with a tight group of friends, to the many potlucks and gatherings, holiday meals, and dinners with family, friends, and many visitors, she always had “highly successful events”.

Beverley was a natural caretaker who had an intuitive sense about what everyone needed. Unsurprisingly Beverley had a long career as an early childhood educator working at daycare centers such as Cushman Hill and the UMass Child Care Center. She also ran her own home daycare when her children were young and “Dida Daycare” for her grandchildren. In her second career you could find Bev planting, weeding, or even driving the large mowers as part of her work with the grounds crew at the Hickory Ridge Golf Course.

In addition to her joy of gardening, Bev was an avid and enthusiastic reader who participated in many book group discussions, and was a great keeper of knowledge and information. She was a puzzle fanatic and also had a great enjoyment of cards which was passed on from her parents and that she continued with her children and grandchildren. Beverley was an active participant and supporter of the Women’s Golf League and she played many rounds of golf with her husband and friends. Bev was a well verse traveler who always looked forward to her annual family vacation on Cape Cod. Bev was a patient and loving individual who touched many lives. A great friend to many and loved by all she will be sorely missed and well-remembered for her bright smile, keen sense of humor, kind heart, and her ability to accept and embrace all whom she met.

Beverley was preceded in death by her son David Edward Bhowmik, her father James “Jimmy” Woodward Tom, her mother Emma “Blanche” Tom, her daughter Kiran Denise Bhowmik (Henry), and her sister Frances “Fran” Bruce (Doug).

Beverley is survived by her husband Prasanta C. Bhowmik of Amherst, MA; daughter Monica Indrani Bhowmik (Eric Driver); son-in-law Henry Wilson; her grandchildren Taikoda David, Tsukiko Tome, Sunali Rae, Raina Elizabeth; her brother James ‘Ted’ Edward Tom (Sandra ‘Sandy’); nieces Erin and Melanie; nephews James, Michael, Darren, and Corey; 13 grandnieces and grandnephews; relatives in India; her son-in-laws’ families; and many loving close friends who were very dear to her heart and like family.

Arrangements had been entrusted to Douglas Funeral Home. A memorial celebration will be held September 10th, 2022, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Amherst Women’s Club. Special thanks to the local Indian community, family, and friends, for their support with puja and food. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Robert J. Walker, 75, of Pelham Massachusetts, passed away on July 27^th, 2022, at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton Mass.

Robert was born in Northampton on March 29^th, 1947, to John and Mary Walker. He attended Pelham elementary and Amherst High schools. After graduating from high school, he joined the Army and served in Vietnam. After returning from the service, he worked for Brewster Highway Department on Cape Cod and then provided landscape services. He moved back to Pelham in his later years. He enjoyed gardening and road trips.

Robert is survived by his siblings Elizabeth Dwight, Charles Walker, Margaret MacDonald and Daniel Walker, and several nieces and nephews.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents John and Mary Walker.

A private graveside service will be held at a later date at North Valley Cemetery in Pelham.

TK (John) Janardhanan passed away at home in Amherst, MA on August 11, 2022, after a long illness due to end stage kidney failure. He was 76 years young.

Born in 1946, TK was raised in Mumbai, India.  He had fond memories of the two years he lived with his grandparents as a youngster in his ancestral village of Palamadai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, running barefoot on dirt roads behind the rare car passing through.

He attended undergraduate school at the V.J.T.I. College of Engineering in Mumbai and traveled in 1966 for graduate study at the University of Wisconsin in mechanical engineering.  He quickly traded in the tailored suits his parents insisted he take to the U.S. for bell bottomed blue jeans.

A naturalized citizen, TK embraced American culture from the start.  He would croon, sometimes croak, an appropriate Bob Dylan song throughout the day to mark every occasion.  He was an avid reader, a devoted tennis fan, a guitar player and an expert in our country’s political scene yet he would drop everything for Friday after work pool with friends.

A loving father, he was known for his steadfast insistence that all schoolwork be clean, correct and complete, what he called the “Three C’s.”  He was also infamous for his antics with his three daughters and their friends – who will cherish those memories.

The majority of TK’s career was spent at the Prolamina Corporation (formerly JenCoat) in Westfield. MA.  When he was hired, there were only 19 employees, and he became part of the leadership team that led the extrusion packaging manufacturing firm to grow to around 400 employees.

TK leaves behind his beloved partner, Terry S. Johnson, with whom he spent his last ten years celebrating life to the fullest, including taking a gondola lesson the Venice’s Grand Canal.

He also leaves behind his three daughters Neela Samia, Priya Zerai and Emma Rood, their spouses and five grandchildren, Lalana, Amara, Navi, Mason and Sydney. He will also be greatly missed by his brother, TK Raman, of Longmeadow and his three sisters Vasantha Vaikunth, Rajani Sankaran and Kamala Gopalan. 

TK’s ashes will be scattered privately by the family.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA  01002. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Roberta Claire Britt, our loving and devoted mother and friend passed away peacefully at 82 years of age on August 9, 2022, due to complications from congestive heart failure. Roberta was born on May 20, 1940, in Northampton, Massachusetts to Joseph and Alice Hebert.

Roberta loved to garden, and all were amazed by her green thumb and her ability to get every variety of plant to thrive. She enjoyed reading a good mystery novel on her patio surrounded by her plants and the birds and butterflies that were attracted to her garden. She was an avid Red Sox and Celtics fan and could often be found rooting on her teams.  In earlier times she enjoyed traveling and loved the company and comradery of playing a round of golf and the special times to be had attending UMass basketball games with her children and grandchildren.

She worked as a highly valued executive assistant at the UMass Physical Plant for more than 30 years and enjoyed meeting with her old coworkers and childhood friends for coffee at Atkins as the years went on.

A generous soul, Roberta was a dedicated mother first and foremost. She treasured her children and grandchildren and cherished every moment with them. She especially loved her role as Grammy or Grandma. She had the ability to connect with her grandchildren and the feeling was mutual. She also had a special way of making every holiday an event, and her rendition of happy birthday either in person or left as a voice mail will be greatly missed.

Roberta is survived by her husband Robert; their children Aaron and his wife Cathy, Sharon and her partner Dan, and Shawn and his wife Dawn; her grandchildren Lindsey and her husband Eric, Danielle, and Christiane; her loving brother and sisters Leonard Hebert and his wife Joanie, Dorothy Lashway, and Beverly Savage and her husband Dick. She also leaves many cherished nieces and nephews who were very special to her, and many wonderful friends and family who will sadly miss her. She was predeceased by a son, Joseph, who died in very early infancy, her brother-in-law Richard Lashway, nieces Kelly McElmon and Alison Barabe.

Friends and family are invited to join us in celebrating her life by attending visiting hours on Thursday, August 18^th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Douglass Funeral Home 87 N Pleasant St. Amherst MA, followed by a Liturgy of Christian burial will be Friday August 19^th at 10 a.m. at Saint Brigid’s Church 122 N Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial gifts may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute danafarber.jimmyfund.org whose providers, along with Dr. Grim at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, helped her to live a long life in which she saw her children and grandchildren grow up, got to play many rounds of golf with friends, and was able to send countless holiday cards to her loved ones.

Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Peter B. Schmitz (December 29, 1950 – August 10, 2022) offered his rigorously innovative mind and spirit to the performing arts for over five decades as a choreographer, actor, dancer, and educator. With an MFA from Smith College, Peter profoundly impacted students while serving as Theatre and Dance faculty at Middlebury and Amherst Colleges and in residency at many universities. He taught and performed internationally, inspiring and coaching countless artists along the way. As a professional dancer/choreographer, Peter worked extensively in the US and internationally in Europe, New Zealand, and Turkey. In 1972, he, along with Andrea Olsen and Katherine Sanderson, founded Dance Gallery—a modern dance repertory company—which contributed to the revitalization of Northampton, MA. He was a member of Creach/Co in NYC, toured with Ann Carlson’s doggie hamlet, and performed in works by Yanira Castro/acanarytorsi, Wendy Woodson and Present Co., Tamar Rogoff, Chavasse Dance & Performance, Richard Colton/Amy Spencer, Freedman Coleman Dance, Penny Campbell, and many others. He received the “Best Performance” award in the San Francisco Film/Video Festival for his work in the dance/film, Trout. As a theatre artist, he choreographed/performed with multiple ensembles, including the Medicine Show Theatre, New World Theatre, No Theater, and Potomac Theatre Project.

Peter was a voracious reader and lover of film, painting, theater, poetry — any work that inspired questions and vitality. Whether you engaged with Peter in the classroom, the studio, or on the porch drinking a Miller Lite, you were guaranteed to encounter and be changed by his passion, curiosity, intellect, and incisive wit.

Peter was on the Board of Directors of A.P.E. (Available Potential Enterprises) in Northampton, MA and lived at Bramble Hill Farm in Amherst, MA. Peter is survived by his husband, Joey Trazo Schmitz, older brothers Tim and Bill, a younger brother Bob, and a younger sister Susan. He was preceded in death by his parents Lois and Bill. He loved and was loved by numerous nieces, nephews, and forever friends.

Peter died peacefully at home under the tender care of his husband, Joey Trazo Schmitz. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Creative Coaching Fund through A.P.E.: http://www.apearts.org/support.html. For more about Peter, see: peterbschmitz.squarespace.com

Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Aida Luz Caraballo, better known as Cherry, passed away peacefully at home in Amherst on Saturday July 16th. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend. Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on May 7, 1936, Cherry spent her childhood between Puerto Rico and New York. As the oldest of four, she helped care for her younger sisters Blanca, Mercedes and Zoraida, and was a maternal figure to many throughout her life. 

Cherry moved her family to Puerto Rico in 1968. Prior to the move she was the quintessential stay at home mom for her children, Bobby, Debbie and Frank.  Upon arriving to Puerto Rico, she joined the workforce to ensure that her children could attend the best of schools.  She often worked two jobs.  Her strong work ethic, warm personality and natural leadership led to a variety of jobs and business endeavors in which she was warmly regarded and excelled.   

Her favorite job came in 1992, after retiring from her position as office manager for Black Hawk Shipping.  She relocated to MA to be close to her children Frank and Debbie and help care for her grandchildren.  She alternated her time helping to care for Laura, Miguel, Carlos and Armando during the week and Carol Anne and Bobby during weekends and summers.  

Cherry will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, fiercely independent spirit, delicious home-cooked meals, sense of humor, and penchant for keeping a spotless home. But most of all, she’ll be remembered for her unconditional love and support of her entire family, her friends and neighbors and the joy she brought to their lives.

A Celebration of Cherry’s life will be held on August 12, 2022 at 3 PM at the First Baptist Church of Amherst,

434 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Aida Luz Caraballo, better known as Cherry, passed away peacefully at home in Amherst on Saturday July 16th. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend. Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on May 7, 1936, Cherry spent her childhood between Puerto Rico and New York. As the oldest of four, she helped care for her younger sisters Blanca, Mercedes and Zoraida, and was a maternal figure to many throughout her life. 

Cherry moved her family to Puerto Rico in 1968. Prior to the move she was the quintessential stay at home mom for her children, Bobby, Debbie and Frank.  Upon arriving to Puerto Rico, she joined the workforce to ensure that her children could attend the best of schools.  She often worked two jobs.  Her strong work ethic, warm personality and natural leadership led to a variety of jobs and business endeavors in which she was warmly regarded and excelled.   

Her favorite job came in 1992, after retiring from her position as office manager for Black Hawk Shipping.  She relocated to MA to be close to her children Frank and Debbie and help care for her grandchildren.  She alternated her time helping to care for Laura, Miguel, Carlos and Armando during the week and Carol Anne and Bobby during weekends and summers.  

Cherry will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, fiercely independent spirit, delicious home-cooked meals, sense of humor, and penchant for keeping a spotless home. But most of all, she’ll be remembered for her unconditional love and support of her entire family, her friends and neighbors and the joy she brought to their lives.

A Celebration of Cherry’s life will be held on August 12, 2022 at 3 PM at the First Baptist Church of Amherst,

434 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Ware, Donald L. Reynolds, Don left this earth on August 1, 2022, surrounded by his family. Donald was born in Holyoke on Friday October 11, 1957. He is predeceased by his father Donald R. Reynolds. Donald had many jobs and passions throughout his life, but his greatest passion was Wildlife management. He was able to start his own business helping homeowners learn how to coexist with wildlife. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and anything that could be done outdoors. He was an amazing father and grandfather. He loved spending his days learning new things with his grandchildren and putting smiles on their faces. He leaves behind his wife Julie, his three children Joshua Reynolds and his wife Brittany, Rebecca Leissner and her husband CJ and Ariel Reynolds. He also leaves behind his 5 cherished grandchildren, Joshua Jr, Adeline, Caroline, Luna Mae, and Eliana Skye.

Calling hours will be at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA on Friday, August 5th from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Ware, Donald L. Reynolds, Don left this earth on August 1, 2022, surrounded by his family. Donald was born in Holyoke on Friday October 11, 1957. He is predeceased by his father Donald R. Reynolds. Donald had many jobs and passions throughout his life, but his greatest passion was Wildlife management. He was able to start his own business helping homeowners learn how to coexist with wildlife. He enjoyed fishing and hunting and anything that could be done outdoors. He was an amazing father and grandfather. He loved spending his days learning new things with his grandchildren and putting smiles on their faces. He leaves behind his wife Julie, his three children Joshua Reynolds and his wife Brittany, Rebecca Leissner and her husband CJ and Ariel Reynolds. He also leaves behind his 5 cherished grandchildren, Joshua Jr, Adeline, Caroline, Luna Mae, and Eliana Skye.

Calling hours will be at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA on Friday, August 5th from 5 to 7 p.m. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com